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2006 Prius Warning Lights

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by KP44, Jun 7, 2013.

  1. KP44

    KP44 Junior Member

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    I have a 2006 Prius with 132k miles. The other day I started the car and the red triangle and engine check lights came on. It also has the "Take it to a dealer" icon on the display.

    I checked the voltage on the 12v battery and it was 14v. I have driven the car over 100 miles without incident since the lights came on. I live in Central FL. Does anyone know how much dealers cost to run a check on the car? I hate dealers and I'm sure they will find an expensive solution that I can't afford at this time.

    Has anyone had these lights come on and found out it was a loose plug or something simple like that?
    I'm probably delaying the inevitable, but any assistance is appreciated.

    KP
     
    #1 KP44, Jun 7, 2013
  2. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    Your alternate to a dealer in central Florida is Mellor's Automotive in West Melbourne.

    JeffD
     
    #2 jdenenberg, Jun 7, 2013
  3. KP44

    KP44 Junior Member

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    Thanks, Jeff. I'm on the other side in the Tampa area. Do you know anyone near Tampa?
     
    #3 KP44, Jun 7, 2013
  4. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    Also keep in mind that a simple problem like a fried inverter coolant pump is a free replacement under recall and will throw all the lights and codes when it gets hot. Ignoring the warning and continuing to drive on it will mean a $4000+ repair bill when the inverter melts.

    Driving when the car is telling you there is a problem is rolling the dice.

    At the very very very least, drive to your local Autozone/Checkers/Oreily's or whatever local auto store you have. They should for free pull the codes and give you a printout. Post those codes and then we will know if it is a major failure or a small code that requires attention but can still be driven on.
     
    #4 2k1Toaster, Jun 7, 2013
  5. boppo

    boppo Active Member

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    The 14 volts reading is what the car is charging the battery not what your battery voltage is when it is not running.
     
    #5 boppo, Jun 7, 2013
  6. KP44

    KP44 Junior Member

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    Thanks. I wasn't aware anyone but dealers could pull codes. I will take it to my Auto Zone tomorrow
     
    #6 KP44, Jun 7, 2013
  7. KP44

    KP44 Junior Member

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    I don't understand what you're saying.

    KP
     
    #7 KP44, Jun 7, 2013
  8. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    To read the health of your auxiliary power bus you need 3 measurements.

    First, this must be done AFTER the car has been sitting for a prolonged period. Best is to do it in the morning after it has sat all night.

    Measurement #1: With the car off, don't even touch the power button, measure the voltage at the battery using a multimeter.

    Measurement #2: Push the power button 2 times without using the brake pedal. The car will turn on, but the car will not be READY. The whole car is now being powered off of your 12v battery. Turn on your headlights and defroster. Now go measure the battery voltage using a multimeter again.

    Measurement #3: Turn the car fully onto READY by using the power button and brake pedal. Now measure the output.

    Measurements #1 and #2 show the health of the battery under no load and under heavy load. Measurement #3 measure the output of your inverter.

    For #1, if you get anything around 12v or less, your battery is dead.
    For #2, if you get anything less than 11v or so, your battery is very marginal. If you get less than 10.5v, your battery is dead.
    For #3, you should get something higher than #1 and most likely 13.8v to 14.4v. Voltage varies depending on temperature and SOC of the aux battery. The Prius is smart that way.
     
    #8 2k1Toaster, Jun 7, 2013
  9. KP44

    KP44 Junior Member

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    Thanks. It's been a while since I used a multimeter. I believe you measure voltage in parallel so should I be able to set it to DC voltage and take the reading right off the terminals?

    Thanks again.

    KP
     
    #9 KP44, Jun 7, 2013
  10. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    Yes. DMM negative to any ground point on the chassis. DMM positive to the battery positive. Easiest place to measure is actually under the hood at the fuse box jump terminal.
     
    #10 2k1Toaster, Jun 8, 2013
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