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Red Triangle of Doom???

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by belle87ad, Nov 20, 2013.

  1. belle87ad

    belle87ad New Member

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    Hi all. Just so you know, I have pretty much zero working knowledge of cars. I don't even know how to change oil. I did change my brake light this year though and I felt like I had mad skills :cool: .

    Anyway, I have had a couple issues with my 2005 Prius. First, I've been getting the bright red triangle with the exclamation point and my screen pops up the message "Problem." But the picture that accompanies it is unidentifiable and nothing in my manual suggests what it means. Sometimes I can go a whole drive without it coming on at all. Other times like today it came on and off about 6 times during my commute. I'm just now due this month to get the oil changed and I will be doing that tomorrow morning. But I wouldn't think something so scary looking would come on just for oil. And why wouldn't it stay on?

    My other issue is when the car is at rest, at a stop light for example, the engine seems to flip back and forth between gas and electric instead of staying quiet and on electric only. Should I be concerned? The car otherwise drives just fine, no issues with braking or starting.

    Thank you for your time!!!
    Laura
    St Louis, MO
     
  2. JasonW

    JasonW Junior Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
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    Three
    You'd probably have better luck posting in the forum for your specific vehicle. I don't think the Prius V was around in '05. Good Luck to you.
     
  3. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

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    *Moved to Gen II*
     
  4. Prius_Cub

    Prius_Cub Member

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    Laura, on the energy monitor screen is the battery charge level cycling from low to high or high to low frequently?

    How many miles? Can you take it to a dealer for them to scan for fault codes?

    HTC Evo 3D
     
  5. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Hi Laura,

    1. It is not necessary for you to know how to change oil, but it is necessary for you to check the engine oil level at least once a month when you buy gasoline, by turning the engine off, opening the hood, and removing the engine oil dipstick. Wipe the dipstick off with a paper towel, then reinsert the dipstick and pull back up to determine the oil level. The oil level must be between the two dimples on the dipstick, the higher the better. Around 1.6 quarts is the difference between the dimples. While you are at it look at the radiator overflow container, the inverter coolant container, the brake fluid container and the windshield wiper fluid container to make sure all have the correct amount of fluid. Note that the first three have a "full" line to show you where the fluid should be. Ask a knowledgeable friend for help to learn how to do this, if necessary.

    2. The warning light might be due to a low oil level or some other reason. But start by making sure that all engine compartment fluids are correct. If due to a low oil level, this is telling you that the engine is losing oil pressure which is a very serious matter as this is causing damage to the engine. Typically this will happen when you are driving on a curve as the engine oil level shifts around.

    3. Especially if you have the air conditioner compressor running, it will be normal for the gasoline engine to periodically turn on while the car is at a standstill for an extended period, to charge the traction battery.
     
  6. goldfinger

    goldfinger Active Member

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    I had a bout of triangle on my 2005 with HID headlights. Water had gotten into the ride height sensor under the car. The sensor is basically a potentiometer that adjusts the angle of the headlights to compensate for ride angle due to weight load. Water corodes the traces, but sometimes the potentiometer's wiper is in a good area. This can cause the triangle to come and go. The picture is supposed to look like headlights.
     
  7. Pyrofer

    Pyrofer Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
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    I had that triangle flickering on sometimes when we had inadvertently ran dry of oil. (I know!)
    Check your oil right away and as other say, check it monthly.
    Let the car sit for a while before checking and try to check on flat ground for an accurate measurement.