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"Check hybrid system, stop immediately" message

Discussion in 'Prius c Technical Discussion' started by zeuloa, Sep 21, 2017.

  1. zeuloa

    zeuloa Member

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    2014 Prius C
    75,300 KM

    Got this message today along with some lights while on the hwy. Drove straight to dealer at 40-60 km/h only in gas engine as electric motor seemed to stop working.

    Symptoms I've felt in the last month or so:

    1) sometimes doors don't lock with key fob. Have to press unlock button and then lock button on key fob for it to work.

    2) Sometimes when I accelerate hard from 0 there's a hesitation and lack of power.

    3) When I accelerate hard at hwy speed (to pass) and take the foot off the pedal, I hear as if the engine keeps on accelerating for a second or so.

    Dealer will diagnose tomorrow but I'm a bit worried as hybrid system warranty here is 3 year / 100k Km and my warranty expired a year ago.

    I appreciate any feedback and will keep you posted when I hear from dealer.

    BTW, 12v battery has never been changed, could this be the culprit?

    Thanks!


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  2. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    Could be the 12v battery, or it could be a combination of things.

    1)Is it all doors that do this? Or just one or two? The actuators on this car are a known issue.
    2,3,Warning)Could all be because your cooling fan beneath your rear seat is clogged. If you aren't getting the battery assist, the car will feel sluggish. If the battery is hot, the engine will do the behavior in (3). I've experienced it many times in Georgia summers and it's always in quick full throttle to quick pedal lift situations when hot.

    It doesn't hurt to have the dealer look at it. If he comes back with something other than the battery, I would suggest cleaning the fan to see if that resolves the issue before allowing the dealer to perform something. You cleaning the fan is free, after all, will just take the time of removing the back seat to get to it.

    Prius C backseat removal in 10 steps | PriusChat
     
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  3. zeuloa

    zeuloa Member

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    Thanks for your reply!

    I press lock button on key fob and none of the doors will lock and there is no beep. Simply nothing happens. Then I press the unlock button on key fob then lock button on key fob again and it will work. It happens randomly.

    I've cleaned the fan before by just removing the plastic panel under the seat which is right in front of the fan. When this happened yesterday this was the first thing I checked and it was fine.

    Is there a better way of cleaning it by removing the entire seat?


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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    have you ever had to jump start the car? or has it ever sat for a long time? 2014 12v should not be a problem, but worth checking the voltage. and the fob battery. have you tried the second fob?
     
  5. zeuloa

    zeuloa Member

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    Have never jumpstarted the car, and the most it's sat is 3 days.

    Replaced the fob battery about a year ago. Have not tried the second fob.

    Thanks.


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  6. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    You have 2 separate problems. Just to get it out of the way, yes the 12v battery can be a culprit. When the 12v auxiliary bus is low, the car cannot properly diagnose itself. This can cause all sorts of phantom warnings. An original 12v battery is on its last legs, but I doubt your issues are related to the 12v. And remember, once the vehicle is READY the inverter is producing the 12v aux bus voltage and the battery is out of the loop except for if the draw is so high the inverter shuts off that bus for safety. I've experimented with this one strange condition before drawing 1KW out of the bus with an inverter. But no, I don't think this is your immediate problem but you should get that battery replaced in the next year or so.

    For (1) it sounds exactly like you have a bad door switch. To prove this to yourself, put the car in D with your foot on the brake in your driveway and open your driver door. You will see that message to put it in park. Additionally, park the car and turn it off and leave the door open and try to lock or unlock the car. It won't, because the car door is open.

    Now... how does the car know the door is open? It is not clairvoyant, it uses a mechanical switch. When the door is shut, the plunger of the switch is pushed in, the car knows the door is closed. If you keep the door open, but push the plunger in manually, the car will think the door is closed. Your switch is most likely faulty. Over time, the switch wears out. Every door open/close, is a wear cycle. All your symptoms of this point to one of your doors having a bad switch, and the most likely culprit are the doors that are most often used. Rear passenger doors of taxi cabs and driver doors of normal cars.

    (2) and (3) are again the same thing. Your battery is hot, low, or both or your inverter is hot. The cause of this problem can be one of many things. Could be a clogged fan making the HV battery hot. Could just be age, this is what happens as the battery fails because it goes low very often. Could be your inverter getting hot because the coolant pump isn't working. Could be a general malfunction in that system.

    So 2 different problems, both are somewhat well known
     
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  7. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    Sounds more like a bad key fob to me. I'd suggest trying your second one first just to eliminate it before going through 2k1Toasters suggestion. But if it behaves similarly, then proceed. :D
     
  8. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    There may be a way to only remove the front kick panel/vent cover. I honestly haven't looked at it to see and haven't had to try this, yet. Sorry... :(
     
  9. zeuloa

    zeuloa Member

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    UPDATE:

    So I received an answer from dealer... they say the hybrid battery needs replacement, a USD$3400 cost. Vehicle has 75,300 km (46,800 mi roughly), so this seems very premature to me.

    Will verify codes from dealer to make sure this is it, although I have a feeling it might be the ECU based on the symptoms the car has been having the last month.


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  10. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    For a 2014 Prius C? No way. And it would be under warranty.
     
  11. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Do we know what the Toyota Hybrid warranty is in Nicaragua?
     
  12. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    Nope no idea. But a 2014 C failing now is suspicious...
     
  13. zeuloa

    zeuloa Member

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    Went to dealer today and code is P0A80. It seems the electrical connection among some pairs of cells are not adequate and beyond the max 0.3 volt difference that Toyota allows.

    Asked them to please contact Toyota HQ in Japan (they are overseen directly from Japan) and request assistance as vehicle only has 3 years and 75,300km and it seems premature for this failure to happen. They will check with Toyota and get back to me.


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  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    good luck! sometimes just cleaning the bus bars and etc. is all that's necessary.
     
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  15. zeuloa

    zeuloa Member

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    Warranty here in Nicaragua is 3 years/100,000km. Although my car is a 2014 the warranty expired already as it was first purchased in 2013.


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  16. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    There is sometimes a battery warranty separate from and longer than the car warranty. Are there any recalls/TSBs/updates to the car that haven't been done? Has service been done at the selling dealer? If all else fails ask for some goodwill help from Toyota.

    It is highly unusual for a failure of the hybrid battery this early. 12v common.

    How is your car used? Short trips always? Max temps?
     
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  17. zeuloa

    zeuloa Member

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    Unfortunately here that's the warranty for the whole vehicle unlike US or Canada where the hybrid system has an extended warranty.

    The dealer will communicate with Japan and ask for goodwill help as its an uncommon failure at this time.

    Car is mostly used short trips, and Nicaragua is a tropical climate with weather averaging about 87F.

    I asked them to check for any open campaigns from Toyota but have not heard from them.

    Thanks!


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  18. m.wynn

    m.wynn Senior Member

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    Yuck, sorry to hear this, zeuloa. This is the most premature hv battery failure I've heard of. If the dealer says Toyota won't help, take it up with corporate yourself. I'll be stunned if they don't step up in full. They tend to be quite fair with goodwill.
     
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  19. zeuloa

    zeuloa Member

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    So my car has been at the dealer for 3 weeks and we're still waiting for response from Japan. It seems that in the las few weeks 3 or 4 more Prius C showed up with the same problem at similar mileage/age.


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  20. zeuloa

    zeuloa Member

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    ***FINAL UPDATE***

    I apologize for the late update. After going back and forward with Toyota thorough my dealer in Nicaragua, they finally decided to pay for the battery which I’m very thankful for as vehicle was out of warranty (3 year\100k km here).

    Once they approved payment (late October) the battery was ordered from Japan as non where available locally in the region (Central America) and it finally arrived in late December. Car was returned to me FINALLY on January 6. I did have to pay $89 for diagnosing the car.

    It’s interesting that when all this was going on someone at the dealer told me they’re seeing many PriusC come in with failed batteries around that age/mileage. It seems the heat and traffic here destroy the battery.

    If anyone in a city with similar subtropical weather and traffic as Managua has any input it would be interesting to know if this is happening this early elsewhere.

    Thanks everyone for your comments and guidance through this.


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