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2004 168k P3009-526 & C1310 - Imminent HV Failure?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Jonan, Feb 6, 2017.

  1. Jonan

    Jonan Junior Member

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    ----USA----
    IMG_2624.JPG IMG_2626.JPG IMG_2627.JPG IMG_2628.JPG IMG_2629.JPG Hello everyone!

    I added another Prius to my fleet about 3 months ago! 2004 168,100miles $2700. It is in pretty good condition for a 13yr old car and still gets 45-48mpg, battery on mfd displays as it always has and regen is good. all of this is compared to my first Prius 2006 230k with Dorman battery installed in Dec 2015 ~$1400 :) The 2006 was our only car at the time and we had an 1100mile trip in 2days so I didn't really have time for individual module replacement, even though i wanted to...

    I only drive 30mins ~8miles each way to work 5 days a week and then it usually sits all weekend. Whatever is happening seems to be getting worse. Ive checked the inverter coolant flow and fan operation and yellow top the prev owner installed seems to be ok via signal check on mfd(acc12.2, on11.2, ready13.8), need to get to Advance Auto and have them test it.

    So on 1/18/17 the Triangle, ((!)) and VSC came on. Unhooked 12v and codes stayed off.

    Ordered Techstream and mini vci off ebay.

    Lights were still off. Scanned on 1/29/17 had B1271(combo meter, works fine) and B1442(solar sensor...ignore) in the History. No biggie :)

    Then the same lights came on again 2/4/17 with P3009-526(havent had time to complete the 20pg diag for this yet) and C1310.

    I've scoured PriusChat and only one post has the same problems and they ended up replacing a module and the lights stayed off.

    Help with red triangle and hidden code P3009-526 | PriusChat

    I also need to find the time to follow Patrick Wong's 4 steps for a leaky module.
    1. Look for an electrolyte leak from a module to the sheet metal battery case.
    2. Disconnect the battery cable leading to the inverter, at the traction battery. Using a digital multimeter, measure voltage from any module to the sheet metal case. If you can measure voltage then there is a leak somewhere.
    3. In that case, remove the orange busbars and see which module still shows a voltage to the sheet metal case. Measure from both the + and - terminals of each module to the sheet metal. There should be zero voltage - if you can find any non-zero reading, that module has a problem.
    4. If you don't find a problem with any of the 28 modules, inspect the wiring to the traction battery ECU as there may be a problem with the wiring.

    We are also looking to purchase a home in the next 60days and I'm not sure i'll have the energy with 50hr work week, a 2year old and house hunting to replace modules by myself. Im hoping someone is in my area that can help me out! Im in Apex, NC just outside of Raleigh.

    Thanks all!
     
    #1 Jonan, Feb 6, 2017
    Last edited: Feb 6, 2017
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  2. stockdaddy

    stockdaddy Member

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    With mutimeter i believe that is testing continuity. Should be no continuity from battery to case.
     
  3. Jonan

    Jonan Junior Member

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    Just a quick update.

    It's been about 4 days with no codes!

    I took the 12v out and had Advance Auto test it, it passed, I trickle charged it any way.

    I took the battery out in the dark and it was light out when it was reinstalled and I noticed about an inch or two of water down where the 12v sits. So I drilled some holes at the lowest points and let all the water out and left the covers covers of and the windows cracked to help everything dry out. Haven't had a code since!

    So is it possible that the extra moisture in the back area was causing something to discharge? Or was the extra moisture alerting me to a problem that will be rear its ugly head in the near future?

    Thoughts?
     
  4. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Yes. The humidity certainly could cause a ground fault with a battery that is marginal, for example a module is starting to leak electrolyte and the presence of the extra moisture is sufficient to cause the ground fault circuitry to detect a problem.

    Yes. The most likely reason for water accumulating in the hatch area (other than accident damage that was poorly repaired) is a crack developing in the upper hatch or roof area. Note that the roof has black plastic moldings running along both sides. Remove the moldings and inspect for very fine cracks. If you see this, the crack is probably allowing rain water to enter the hatch area. A relatively inexpensive solution is to caulk the cracks.
     
  5. Jonan

    Jonan Junior Member

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    Ok so the same code came up again.
    I would have loved to go through and check everything but work has been crazy busy and we are still actively searching for a house!
    I dropped it off at Fed Anderson Toyota which offered free shuttle service to and from my work.
    They determined it is the Inverter Assembly ~$4500, I paid $2700 for the Prius and I've had it for 3 months...

    There are several used units on ebay and a couple pick-a-part yards around me and I've replaced clutches and transmissions in a few different cars and trucks before.

    My questions are:
    Are there additional test I could do to determine if the entire unit needs replaced or can i replace just the box on top of the transmission?
    Should I just be on the look out for a Prius that needs and battery and swap mine out and then part the car out?
    Is it dangerous to drive around with a failing Inverter Assembly?
    Will continuing to drive it around cause damage to other components like the HV battery?

    All input is greatly appreciated!

    I plan to drive it, unhooking the 12v when required, and just continue to drive it until it wont move.
     
  6. Jonan

    Jonan Junior Member

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  7. ccdisce

    ccdisce Active Member

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    Make the car 'Ready' and re-check for eddies in the inverter coolant bottle also reach down and feel the inverter coolant pump.. should feel a slight vibration. Please be careful as it could be HOT as it could be hot from the coolant or the pump itself burning up.

    If you have a fast enough OBD2 scanner that can run Priidash3mfd you may want to run that and pay particular attention to the temperature gauges in the upper left area.
     
  8. strawbrad

    strawbrad http://minnesotahybridbatteries.com

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    The P3009 codes means there is a HV leak somewhere in the car. There are five sub codes (526,611,612,613,and 614) that come with that code. The sub codes help to isolate the source of the leak.

    526: No help here, it's generic.
    611: AC compressor.
    612: HV battery.
    613: Transaxle.
    614: Inverter.

    So, how did the dealer determine a bad inverter from the generic 526 info code? There is a simple test to help find the leak. The video is for a Gen 1 but it will work for a Gen 2 also.



    You should try it. The results will surprise you. There is a connection through the battery computer's most negative voltage sensing wire and ground. For Patrick's test to work the battery ECU must be disconnected.

    Run the test in the video. It only works if your leak is bad enough to pop right back up.

    Brad
     
  9. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    The "box on top of the transmission" is the inverter.

    Up to you, but it is a relatively simple and inexpensive task to replace the inverter with a used unit. The used inverter will probably cost in the low hundreds of $s.

    If the only issue is a high voltage ground fault, the danger is to you and your passengers - if the other side of the high voltage comes into contact with the body (perhaps due to an accident for example) and causes a short, potentially resulting in a fire.

    If that is the only issue, no damage would be caused to other hybrid drivetrain components unless an electrical short results in a fire (as above).

    It is reasonable to disconnect the 12V battery to clear the DTC which will allow you to start the car. However that should be considered to be a short-term workaround due to the potential long-term safety hazard.
     
  10. Jonan

    Jonan Junior Member

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    I have checked for coolant flow and it is flowing just as well as the 06! When the light first came on I checked a lot of different things including the coolant pump. PriusChat is a great resource!!

    I have tried LusciousGarages method for isolating the HV leak but the light didn't come back on every time I tried this...

    I took Bluey to Fred Anderson Toyota when the light was on. I haven't had time recently to do the through checks to determine where the HV leak is coming from. I didn't bother to ask how they came to the conclusion that its the inverter assembly.

    This is what the invoice said:
    168450 found code P3009. TSB recommended replacing inverter assembly. Customer declined.

    Is TSB Technical Service Bulletin? If so I will call them tomorrow and see if they can provide more info.

    This is great news!!
    I was under the impression that the inverter assembly included the transmission...

    Also the after getting my car back 2 days ago there has been no lights!
     
  11. strawbrad

    strawbrad http://minnesotahybridbatteries.com

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    The dealer is just guessing at replacing the inverter. Until you can reliably reproduce the Luscious Garage test you do not know where the leak is.

    Brad
     
  12. Jonan

    Jonan Junior Member

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    5 day after paying Toyota to "diagnose" my P3009-526

    I unhooked the 12v so I could drive back home. The triangle came on almost immediately after I started down the street. So I unhooked the 12v again and was able to do the LG test to isolate the P3009. The triangle came back on after about a minute, on the first step... So according to the LG test, mentioned above the HV Leak is in the HV pack...

    I wish this would have happened yesterday instead of on my way home from work...

    Looks like I'll be attempting individual module replacement soon!
     
  13. strawbrad

    strawbrad http://minnesotahybridbatteries.com

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    Congratulations! The battery is the easiest leak to fix. Read this thread and especially the links in the thread.

    HV battery isolation question. | PriusChat

    Generally, packs with leaky modules are in better shape than packs with failed modules.

    Brad
     
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  14. Jonan

    Jonan Junior Member

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    I had a couple hours free today to open up the HV Battery and check for leaky modules and test continuity(I did not test for continuity) and was not happy about what I found...

    Passenger side of the cover
    IMG_2687.JPG

    From the back/cargo area vent side. I'm not sure if the modules marked are 2/4 that were replaced by previous owner.
    there were 4 modules in a box when I bought the car.
    IMG_2688.JPG

    This is the front of the pack just behind the rear seats, it kind of looks like rust in the pic but this was all white and flaky with rusted battery case...
    IMG_2689.JPG

    This is just a shot of the top. It was filthy... the last 4 modules have printed white tags, presumably inventory numbers for the fly-by night "battery repair specialist" the PO used to "fix" the battery.
    IMG_2690.JPG

    These 2 are in the middle of the pack(pic from passenger side) and have similar markings to the 2 on the end/vent side of the pack
    IMG_2691.JPG

    Middle of the pack pic from cargo side
    IMG_2693.JPG

    Passenger side HV connection side
    IMG_2692.JPG

    Cargo side vent side
    IMG_2694.JPG

    Middle of pack from cargo area
    IMG_2695.JPG

    End side with "inventory" labels?
    IMG_2696.JPG

    Middle of pack passenger side
    IMG_2697.JPG

    Passenger side vent side
    IMG_2699.JPG

    There so much corrosion and evidence of electrolyte leakage that I don' feel this pack is a good candidate for individual module replacement/rebuilding.

    I have a Dorman pack in the wifes 06 that was installed 1yr 2months and 20kmiles ago and haven't had any issues. Total cost was $1471.

    There is a local company that rebuilds pack, or gets them from CA. I think the company is based in CA. I've emailed them a couple times while working through this HV leak. They seem like a good company and stand by their work.
    They have a tiered warranty:
    [​IMG]
    The price is $1549 installed. Prius Battery Replacement in Raleigh - 5 year warranty

    I can't find where I read this but I don't think that greenbeanbattery accepts non-factory packs as a core and my pack has been tampered with.

    I'm also considering a Toyota pack since the car only has 168k miles. I would just need to find a dealer that is close enough and not too much more than either of these rebuilt packs. I think I would be willing to pay ~$2500 for a pack that would last another ~10years.

    Thoughts? Opinions? Experiences with greenbeanbattery?
     
    #14 Jonan, Mar 5, 2017
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2017
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  15. strawbrad

    strawbrad http://minnesotahybridbatteries.com

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  16. Jonan

    Jonan Junior Member

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  17. strawbrad

    strawbrad http://minnesotahybridbatteries.com

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    Yea, Prius Chat was being funky. Since you are obviously comfortable on working your own battery you could buy a low millage Gen 3 battery and swap the modules into your Gen 2 case.

    M&M Service And Salvage Yard in Ruckersville, VA has a 2016 battery with 24 miles for $1500. I use Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market to find batteries. Tampa Prius has already done one Gen 4 swap. Gen 4 cells in a Gen 2 | PriusChat

    Brad
     
  18. Jonan

    Jonan Junior Member

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    I like that price!
    Thanks for the link!!
    Is the corrosion on the terminals and leads any think to be concerned about?
    What would I use to clean the corrosion off?
     
  19. strawbrad

    strawbrad http://minnesotahybridbatteries.com

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    There are cheaper Gen 3 batteries available. Of course they will have more miles. Yes the bus bars should be cleaned. There are dozens of ways to clean them.

    Brad
     
  20. Cory Potrafka

    Cory Potrafka Junior Member

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    Is this test fool proof? I have an HV battery that is under warranty and recently I got the P3009-526 code. I ran the test just like in the video but I consistently get the red triangle after a minute in just accessory mode (not in "Ready" mode). According to the video, this means the voltage leak has to be in the battery. I want to be armed with this knowledge when I go to claim on my warranty. Thank in advance!