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PRIUS DIED and ECU & THROTTLE BODY CODES

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by cosmicmaggot, Mar 7, 2017.

  1. cosmicmaggot

    cosmicmaggot New Member

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    Hi.
    Our 06' base Prius croaked on me the other day (as I left Big O Tires after getting new tires ffs). I sent it to my usual shop where I always take my truck, but they try to avoid working on hybrids. I then took it to Greentec (in Rancho Cordova, CA- these guys are awesome and go above and beyond in standing behind their work- I highly recommend them if you need a new or used hybrid battery- we've goten two hybrid batteries there, and the first one they replaced free 2 months past it's warranty), and they pulled the following codes...
    C2300- actuator sys malfunction
    C2318-low voltage error (power supply malfunction)
    C0200-front speed sensor rh circuit
    C0205-front speed sensor lh circuit
    P2111-throtle actuator control sys- stuck open
    P3190-poor engine power
    Both batteries are good.
    They said the fix is replacing the throttle body and ECU. They also stated that ECU replacement is a dealer only service as it requires configuring the ECU for the individual vehicle (I assume coding it with the VIN as what else is unique to a mass produced car?). When I read my service manual for the car, it does not mention any configuration of the ECU. Here's my questions...
    1. Does the ECU truly require a dealer only service?
    2. If programming IS required, but not a dealer only service, does anyone have a link to a tutorial on said procedure? I've no qualms about fiddling around with flashing firmware- do it all the time with Android and PC bios versions...
    3. When I try to turn the car on, the ICE runs rough for about 10 seconds and then quits. I can see this happening if the throttle is stuck open- it "floods" the engine, so to say... but if the ECU is bad, shouldn't the ICE not start at all? My thinking here is that the ECU is still ok, it is just the throttle body that has crapped itself.

    Now, usually I would take a vehicle like a Prius to a shop for major service, but the age of the vehicle makes it illogical to me to blow all that money. We already replaced it with a new Corrolla, and now I want to perform some modding that I was apprehensive about doing while it was my wife's daily driver. Maybe a Prius rally car... providing I can fix it.
    Sorry for the long post... just wanna e thorough...
     
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  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome! how many miles on her?
     
  3. andrewclaus

    andrewclaus Active Member

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    You may be eligible for a warranty replacement if the brake actuator is bad.

    It sounds like there's a fail safe mode under your DTC that should allow the engine to run. Look at this flow chart.

    Have you looked at the throttle body, and cleaned it? Found a mechanical reason for a jam?

    And I would wonder about the tire shop's work if two wheel sensors suddenly failed at once. You might inspect those for damage.
     
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  4. cosmicmaggot

    cosmicmaggot New Member

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    Spose' I should've put that in there... 278,089 miles.
    Another thing I should mention is that it will only shift into neutral.
     
  5. cosmicmaggot

    cosmicmaggot New Member

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    Removal and cleaning of the throttle body is going to be my first step. The new tires were only the rear, but I'll look at those sensors anyway, because you never know when some jerk might do something... And I'm pretty sure any kind of warranty coverage is out of the question due to the age of the vehicle.
     
  6. cosmicmaggot

    cosmicmaggot New Member

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  7. andrewclaus

    andrewclaus Active Member

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    There is a warranty enhancement program on the actuator, unlimited mileage on all Gen 2s, until December of this year. Check it out here.

    No, I don't have the whole manual. I think you have to subscribe to Toyota's site for that. There are details elsewhere on the forum.
     
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  8. cosmicmaggot

    cosmicmaggot New Member

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    LOL the server on which that publication is stored has almost no security. I found the rest of the document. Thanks for that warranty info, I'll certainly check that out.
     
  9. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    1. What is your means to determine the 12V battery is good? DTC C2318 is evidence to the contrary.
    2. Your car apparently has multiple problems. It is hard to imagine that they all started simultaneously.
    3. Regarding DTC P2111, I would start by cleaning the throttle body interior and throttle plate. Remove the air cleaner housing. It is not necessary to remove the throttle body itself. Use throttle body cleaner sprayed on a clean cloth, and use the cloth to scrub the interior and throttle plate. Don't drown the throttle body in cleaner spray. Also clean the mass air flow sensor by removing it from the air cleaner housing, and spray with MAF cleaner spray. (Do not use throttle body cleaner on the MAF sensor.) Evaluate the condition of the air filter and replace if needed.
    4. If that doesn't help, then you may need to replace the throttle body with a used unit.
    5. It is unnecessary to replace the engine ECU.
    6. If you had to replace the engine ECU there would be no need to reprogram anything.
    7. The reprogramming would be an issue if you had to replace the hybrid vehicle ECU or the immobilizer ECU. Neither of those are the issue here.
    8. Remove the front tires and inspect the speed sensor wiring and the sensor tips.
    9. How many miles have you logged on the "remanufactured" traction batteries?
     
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  10. tf4624

    tf4624 Active Member

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    Been there done that. First replace the throttle body. Reset the computer and see what comes up. Before you buy a ecru or pull one


    the bat cave
     
  11. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Replace the 12 volt battery and I bet you have no more issues.

    The computers are all powered by the 12 volt battery until they put the car in READY, if it is bad (it is) then they are unreliable and will throw off codes at random.
     
  12. cosmicmaggot

    cosmicmaggot New Member

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    Answers to your questions...
    1. My shop (which I trust, a family owned business- been going there for years) stated the 12v was good. I also checked it with a load tester, tested good.
    9. The hybrid battery was replaced about 4800 miles ago. It was tested by Greentec- this is the second hybrid battery I've gotten from them- they state it is good. While I'm sure I could handle testing that battery as well, I am reluctant to do so what with the extreme danger with high DC voltages.

    I'm pulling and cleaning the throttle body tomorrow and will of course post results. Thanks alot for your help in this.
     
  13. cosmicmaggot

    cosmicmaggot New Member

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    I'd like to thank everyone in this thread who offered hints and recommendations. I pulled the throttle body to clean it, cleared/reset the ECU, and its running as normal. There was a significant amount of grime/recirculate residue. Took about an hour to clean it was so bad. MAF was filthy as well. Drove it 20 miles with it on the code reader and all is good. Thanks again! Now.... maybe make it into a mini-stock dirt track racer... lol
     
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  14. drewbabich

    drewbabich Junior Member

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    Hey my car died while driving too. . Could only get it into neutral.

    My master tech found oil all over a plug and is replacing valve cover gasket and plugs.

    Has your car stay problem free since your maf cleaning
     
  15. cosmicmaggot

    cosmicmaggot New Member

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    After cleaning the MAF and throttle body, everything was good.... then I got sideswiped on the highway like 3 days after all was good.