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Common 2G Problems, and What to Do About Them...

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Patrick Wong, Mar 6, 2009.

  1. gawilson

    gawilson New Member

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    Water pump leaking a tiny bit--dealer wants to replace. Front pads worn out but no noise from rotors--dealer wants to replace pads and rotors. Finally, seal on transaxle is leaking--had transmission checked and fluid replaced 1.75 years ago--had never leaked before in over 100k miles. Total from dealer is almost $1000. Don't mind paying if all this is truly necessary but...I can't see any real loss of fluid nor any real performance problems at all--other than low mpg over the last couple of years.
     
  2. gawilson

    gawilson New Member

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    Feel free to email me at [email protected]. The dealership says the leakage for the transmission is from a diff spot, the water pump is a unit--no way to simply fix a seal, and the rotors need to be replaced due to a rusty portion that causes problems w new breaks (not enough thickness left to safely turn them). I've read on here that the rust isn't necessarily a problem. I have over 200k on my 2005 Prius and it's been great--and still is. Not sure about going in and doing all this stuff--and maybe creating problems that aren't there. I'm told that the primary reason for my mileage drop is crappy gas over the last several years.
     
  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    At 200K miles it doesn't surprise me that this work needs to be done. However $1K is a very high price and you may find that you can get a better price if you shop around.

    If you cannot get a better price and you wish to minimize your cost then I would rank the brake work as the top priority.

    Regarding your car's fuel economy, have the iridium spark plugs been replaced at 120K miles? Is the engine air filter reasonably clean?
     
  4. kingair157

    kingair157 Junior Member

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    We had this exact problem when traveling on long cross country trips. I remember the dash lit up like a christmas tree. The red triangle light, the VSC light and the brake light. I wrote down everything that was on illuminated on the dash when we took it in. The first time it happened the car was under warranty, we had it towed to a dealership. The next morning all was well and the dealership said nothing was wrong, they couldn't identify the problem. I drove it home and we took it to the dealer. They drove it another hundred miles and the car acted fine.

    It has since happened twice on long trips. After the first frustrating episode, whenever it happened again, we let the car rest for 30 minutes or so, then continued on our way.
    What actions do I need to take to et the dealership to cover this repair? It's been over two years since the original incident.

    Thank you.
     
  5. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    If all of the warning lights appeared, then a DTC should have been logged and stored - unless the 12V battery was in bad condition and the 12V bus voltage sagged down sufficiently so that the hybrid vehicle and/or engine ECU lost their memory.

    Next time you have the problem, I suggest that you immediately proceed to the nearest Toyota dealer and have the DTC read. Do not turn off the car (if at all possible) until this is done.

    If DTC P0A93 is logged then the problem is the inverter coolant pump.

    Also, if your car was included in the recent inverter coolant pump LSC (limited service campaign) then the inverter coolant pump should be replaced at no charge regardless of whether any symptoms currently appear or not. Do a search for "LSC" to learn more.
     
  6. WolfB

    WolfB Junior Member

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    2008 at 110,000 miles - inverter pump needs to be replaced (aka auxiliary water pump according to service advisor at my dealer). Driving down the highway, suddenly the entire dash lit up including Master Indicator Light, Brake etcetera. I pulled over and had the vehicle towed to my dealer 40 miles away on Mother's Day. Fun... The crazy thing is that I changed the inverter pump on my 2004 at 145k as a preventative measure. Oh well..... $350 +/- all in
     
  7. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    After you've paid the bill, I suggest you write to the Toyota Customer Experience Center and ask for financial help on the basis that this part was the subject of an LSC for earlier model year vehicles and it appears this continues to be a problem with later model year production as well.
     
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  8. waynesworld91

    waynesworld91 New Member

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    Hey there,

    I've got a 2002 Prius and here's my problem. Last summer two warning lights came up, one was the main triangle with an "!" and the other on the screen was the car with a "!"

    After driving a little bit, I noticed that the display started to dim, and then my screen started to flash like crazy and the car literally just "died" and stopped. We didn't really do anything to check the car once we bought it (used) except for an oil change and small clean up. Then we decided to check the spark plugs and most of them looked black so I bought new ones from Toyota and replaced them all. I also noticed the coolant level was pretty low so I bought Toyota's super coolant and filled it up. It seemed to be fine but every now and then the light kept coming up and sometimes it would still die when I started it up. I suspect it might be the use of A/C.

    The car had been fine through the winter and up until now. Recently I checked the main battery and it turned out it was pretty weak, and I guess it DOES make sense since it's a 10 year old battery (not the hybrid battery of course, would NEVER touch that). So I replaced the battery and as soon as I started the car up yet again it stayed on for 20 seconds or so and went off, with the same lights coming up.

    I guess it's still a win for me to buy a new battery since the old one was weak but can anyone help? Has this ever happened to anybody else?? I was reading this discussion and noticed people saying something about the "coolant inverter pump" and on hot summer days that could be to problem.

    Any help is much appreciated!
     
  9. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    You can check the inverter coolant pump operation by looking for fluid turbulence in the coolant reservoir. If you don't see this then the pump is not running or there is air in the system.

    If you see warning lights appear after the powertrain has had a chance to cool down, then your car probably has a problem other than a failed inverter coolant pump.
     
  10. philmcneal

    philmcneal Taxi!

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    so prius is 260,000 km 04

    i replaced engine water pump and new inverter coolant pump via TSB (spring 2012)

    i replaced the transaxle fluid once a year

    regular oil changes

    made sure the battery always had its cooling through its vents, never ran the car dry on gas

    and one day the car refused to give power, CEL light comes on (didn't check for codes yet) and the word "problem" comes up on the MFD

    i can creep on battery power but it does not last that long, engine fires but i get no power from the accelerator pedal....

    man and this car just passed safety and everything argh!

    will keep it posted with pictures
     
  11. apinson34

    apinson34 Junior Member

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    I'm thinking I'm due for a 12V Replacement. going on 5 years and 93k miles!

    I have confidence in driving my car. But the traction battery recently has been dying quicker. and the only connection I can make is that my aftermarket speakers (Not a lot of watts and no light dim) is having a toll on the 12v state of charge (IMHO I don't think the stock Prius 12v battery was built to handle 200-350RMS Watts), and it seems to have to replace the charge quicker from the traction battery to the 12v, resulting in a less capacity.

    Example: Before my car could run the A/C standing still (around 70k miles) for about 10-15 minutes on a reasonable temperature, and the ICE wouldn't kick in until 10-15 minutes. Now it only takes 3-5 minutes.

    I'm probably obsessing and over thinking it, but a second opinion would be nice!


    Thanks!
     
  12. IndyNick

    IndyNick New Member

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    Greetings,

    I bought a used 2008 Prius Touring a month ago. After owning for a week and a half, my gas gauge finally got down to the single bar level, but no fuel warning lights had come on or anything. While driving, I got a loud beep and then the Hybrid system warning light, the Main triangle warning light, and check engine light came on. I immediately pulled over, parked the car and had it towed to a Toyota dealership. They checked it over, added some fuel and said I simply ran it out of gas. Hmm, seems weird that no warning lights came on before this happened, but I'm new to these, so on my way I went. Only charging me for the gas btw, which was nice.

    Now a couple weeks later and almost exactly a month of ownership to the day, I was almost home yesterday when I was driving up an incline and I had no acceleration. The gas engine didn't pick up and push me up the hill. I was stuck at about 10mph or so and seemed like it was only by battery power. About 3/4 up the hill, I get the beep and warning lights again. This time I got the Hybrid system light again, the Main triangle light, the check engine light, and now the VSC light. Great! First thing I looked at was my gas gauge which said I had TWO bars left this time! Luckily I was blocks from home and was able to get it there and park it in the drive.

    I looked the lights up in the manual with no real explanations, so now I turn to you guys for help. After trying to find as much info as I could, I topped off the brake fluid, which was half way between full and add. I hooked up my battery charger to the 12v aux battery which said I had 12.6v before I then continued to go ahead and throw a charge on it. I then decided, "why not" and threw 5 gals of gas in it just to be sure. After that, I started the car. The hybrid battery was down to two bars in the purple, but the gas engine started and starting charging it. It made it's way into the blue area. I did notice the VSC light had gone out but the other three remained. I called my local Toyota dealer to try and get it in today but they said I'd need to leave it for at least a few hours and they don't offer a shuttle service. Wth! Who doesn't offer a shuttle service anymore?

    So then I decided to take it to Autozone and at least try and have the codes read. The only code they came up with was a P3190. They aren't allowed to clear any codes there, which is fine. So upon restarting my car, now the Hybrid system light and triangle light are gone. The check engine light is the only one that remains.

    Any thoughts would be appreciated. Only thing I haven't done is disconnect the battery and reconnect to try and clear the codes.

    The car has 60,000 miles on it and I'd guess the original 12v aux battery.


    Thanks!

    Nick
     
  13. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    It wouldn't hurt to replace the 12V battery, but the A/C issue you mentioned might simply be due to a low refrigerant level.
     
  14. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    1. Disconnect the 12V battery negative cable where it bolts to the body for a few minutes to clear the ECU memory.

    2. DTC P3190 means the gasoline engine has low power, which would not be surprising with an out-of-gas situation.

    3. Since you have had two experiences in two weeks that prove the Prius fuel gauge is not particularly accurate, I recommend that you refill no later than when you see three bars remaining - unless you enjoy this sort of drama in your life.
     
  15. tdelker

    tdelker Junior Member

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    I find it even easier to look at miles driven since last tank. I know I generally get 400-450 miles before I want to refill. This is a good cross check against the gauge. If the gauge is reading low (2 bars) OR I'm over 400 I start looking for the closest gas station.
     
  16. JenniferMG

    JenniferMG New Member

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    I'm new here and trying to figure out what happened to my Prius this morning (and, hopefully, to find a solution so I can get home this afternoon). I have a 2006 Prius, lots of miles (~103K) and a daily round-trip commute of about 90 miles, so it gets a lot of use.

    I drove to work, parked, and turned the car off, but when I removed the key from the ignition, a high-pitched tone started up. Eventually I put the key back in the ignition, and the sound stopped; I figured I'd turn the car on and back off to make sure everything was shut down correctly, but the car wouldn't start. I'm guessing the battery is dead--car won't start, automatic locks won't work (from the key fob or from the car door, which rules out the key fob as the problem), I'm getting nothing. It didn't occur to me to check whether the headlights were still working; I'm going to take the shuttle back out to the parking lot at lunch to test that and anything else I can think of.

    1) Does this sound like a simple dead battery? It's never happened before, so it's odd that it would die all of a sudden like this. The car has been functioning normally until now; it's overdue for its regular checkup, but there were no other warning lights on the display, and it's got a full tank of gas.

    2) If it is a dead battery (and I'm displaying my complete ignorance of cars here), can it be jump-started by a non-Prius car, or should I call AAA? I've read the owner's manual, and while it says to use another 12V battery, I honestly don't know what kind of battery non-hybrid cars have.

    I'd appreciate any help you can provide. Thanks!
     
  17. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Hi Jennifer,

    Yes, turn on the headlights to see how bright they are. If dim, that is good evidence the 12V battery is the problem.

    1. Yes. The battery won't give much warning when it decides to die. Assuming this is the original, it is 6-7 years old and it has provided more service life to you than many other owners have experienced - probably because you log so many miles daily.

    2. Yes, it can be jumpstarted. Almost all modern vehicles use a 12V negative ground system.

    However you must make sure that the correct polarity is observed with the jump cables. Positive (red) to positive; Negative (black) to negative or body ground.

    If you fail to do this, you may destroy the inverter which will result in a healthy four-digit repair bill at your local Toyota dealer. At minimum, the 100A DC/DC fusible link in the main relay/fuse box will be destroyed which results in a three-digit repair bill.

    You can jump the Prius at two locations: either find the battery in the right rear corner of the hatch floor; or else open the hood, remove the lid (press hard on the latch on front of the lid, then pivot the lid up and remove it) on the main relay/fuse box located next to the inverter, and find the positive jump start terminal covered by a red plastic lid. For the negative connection, use one of the nuts that secures the driver's side strut mount, above the relay/fuse box.
     
  18. JenniferMG

    JenniferMG New Member

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    Wonderful--thanks so much for your help! That was exactly what I needed to know. I'll be very careful with the jump cables, and I'll take it in for its regular service ASAP and ask about a new battery.
     
  19. philmcneal

    philmcneal Taxi!

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    well when this happened say 2 months ago, I managed to jerry can it and put 2 liters of gas, the car fired up and I went to the nearest gas station... put almost 40 liters on it the first time it ever ate that much so I was thinking, " Ok it just probably ran out of gas giving me the triangle of death and the word "PROBLEM" on my MFD with the car logo with the ! in the middle.

    after that I cleared the codes and moved on...

    Now fast forward to today, driving to work BAM

    I lost my speedo on the combination display, but everything else was displaying along with CEL, triangle of death, the word "PROBLEM" again on the MFD and the car logo with the ! in the top left of the MFD.

    My speed before it happened was 80 km/hr and now not knowing how fast I was going, I was coasting towards my death... accelerator pedal did not work....thank goodness there was a two lane that opened so I managed to coast towards the right and stop the car...

    i restarted to find the speedo back but all the other lights were still on, I had power but it was ONLY battery... I checked the displays and my scangauge it was only since 200 km before my last top up ... I KNOW i'm not out of gas because i calibrated the scangauge on my last fill up in case the combination meter pooped out and didn't update the gas gauge properly , but the thing is my combination meter hasn't crapped out lately and the MFD was also displaying 200 km at 4.5L / 100 km

    now im really worried it wasn't a gas issue for sure.... but not knowing what to do and being 1 km away from work... i limped to the nearest gas station on electric and before pumping gas I cleared the codes which were U0100 and U0111

    put 7 liters in and READY with no lights... Wth..... car drives normally

    im at work now.. but im scared .... what should i do? even if i take the car in toyota and no codes are showing WHY DID IT DO THAT?!?!?!? (264,000 km)

    i don't even want to go home in this thing
     
  20. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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