PLZ HELP: 2006 Prius won't start...goes to NEUTRAL

With no HV battery connected, you should be able to get the car on (not ready) and see everything. If none of that works, then I suggest looking at the 12v. Since you have been fighting this for a while, you could have drained it over the time of your quest. It is a very small battery, nothing like what you are used to.

All fuses are located under the hood and under the steering wheel. I would go through and check every one with an ohmmeter to verify connectivity before going any further. They may look ok, but they could have a hairline crack disabling it.

 

it means system failure... either something isn't clipped right.. or... umm... i don't know.. yet...

have you checked all the fuses?

the info screen usually only goes blank if the 12v battery is too low or something is wrong with the polarity.

you've gone through just about every other item. maybe you do have to replace all of the airbags?...

it's definitely on the electrical side, as the ICE side doesn't really throw codes until it fails to fire up.

have you checked to make sure there isn't a short in the high voltage cables? usually this would result in a direct disconnect from the battery side. the computers use the 12v to boot so in theory a person with that problem would end up about where you are. failure to fully bootup since it won't switch on the hybrid battery.

on second thought, you said you heard the car clicking and making noises. when you open the door you should hear the a click or two and a swirling sound from the engine bay. as you turn the car on, it clicks when you apply the brake, and does 3 clicks or so from the hybrid battery, as it boots up. if you don't hear those three, the battery relays are probably not turning on. if you hear multiple clicks and it's failing to turn on, then that's a plus of sorts yet frustrating.. as it's actually trying to boot but shorting out or something in some area... somewhere... usually 12v battery failure sounds exactly like this... as the tiny amounts of juice get used up, it simply doesn't have enough power to switch the hybrid battery on. (250watts or so) ... so it clicks as it tries over and over.

have you tried jumping the car? just to make sure plenty of 12v power is there? (or simply hooking up a charger in a standard 5 - 10amp charge state)

if you hook up another source and anything seems to go brighter, it's been the 12v draining too fast that's been ruining your fun. (but that sounds too easy) (you kinda addressed 12v in the past so i don't think this is your missing link... more of a reminder that the standard 12v sucks)

is it possible that that this vehicle has been ran out of gas? i remember hearing that the vehicle goes into a lockdown if multiple failed starts are attempted. requiring dealer service.

 

yeah.. the 12v system in the prius will function right up until they turn off from low 12v. the stereo gets funny as it will be the 1st to turn off, then turn itself back on.. just to turn back off.. over and over.. as it gets lower, the whole car starts to "flash" like that.. up until the point were the display can't properly fire up and you'll get faded displays.

 

Sounds like a dead 12v like we all suggest.

The HV battery is 100% disconnected from the system when off.

The 12v battery is uesd to click the small current limited relay on (click 1), waits a bit of time so its not a huge rush of current, then the 12v bus which is now mostly powered by the HV battery clicks the main non-limited relay (click 2) which allows the smaller relay to turn off (click 3).

 

13.4 is enough, but check tomorrow and see if its 12.6 or better. The rad and condenser probably should be on and in working order with all air bled from the coolant. Good luck, H

 

You bought a junker, this is the risk you take. Hopefully the dealership will figure out what the problem is.

 

Please let us know what Toyota finds. I'd love to know what the problem turns out to be.

BTW. What is the "Silver Battery (engine bay)", I've never heard of that one before.

 

That's not a battery. That's the inverter.

If you've really replaced everything you've listed, you've sunk a ton of $ into this. A new inverter has a 4 digit price tag and a new HV battery is >$2K.

Also, since you mentioned you replaced the radiators and condensers, judging by the questions and terminology you're using, you might want to read http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...n-dealer-engine-coolant-flush.html#post815064. I'm definitely no Prius repair expert (not by a long shot) but have stumbled across threads like these before.

BTW, the 12 volt battery doesn't start the ICE (internal combustion engine). It's started by the HV battery.

 

It's an ORANGE color plug that plugs into the main Hybrid battery on the left side of it. I guess they said that in accidents these go bad and need to be replaced. Well...I replaced it...and all the 3 clicking noises happened and READY light came on and my car started & drove

Congrats, yes there is a large fuse inside the HV plug disconnect access by sliding the plastic cover off the backside. I don't recall it being pictured here, a fuse that can easily be overlooked.


Quoting from a priuschat link
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...hooting/80641-hybrid-system-failure-icon.html
The funny part was when I took the 125 amp fuse to my Toyota dealer, nobody in the place knew what the fuse was for. When I told them it was out of their Hybrid battery, the technicians told me they had never seen that fuse before, and didn’t even know the Hybrid battery had a fuse!!!.

 

2006 prius..Replace ABS pump and cluster! Now wont start! a lot light on dash,triangle,abs,etc etc..Bought cluster on ebay and the gas is blinking..need help..