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Engine kept running during idle with no battery charging

Discussion in 'Prius c Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Mikej, Jul 23, 2019.

  1. Mikej

    Mikej Junior Member

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    2014 Prius c
    Model:
    One
    This happened few times already and I don't think it is normal behavior of a prius.

    Symptoms:
    Engine keep running during complete stop or parked(lasted about 2 min or more when I tested it)
    Does not charge the battery according to the monitor or do anything
    Happens at night time(cold temp) and daytime(hot temp), A/C off, heaters off
    Usually happens after a long high way/fast speed drive
    The problem goes away after turning on and off

    History:
    Recently swapped the ICE engine due to head gasket bolt issue. (could it be some wires were mis-plugged?)
    Only added injen intake for performance

    Video:


    Can anyone tell me what the issue is? Thanks.
     
    #1 Mikej, Jul 23, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2019
  2. Nick007b

    Nick007b New Member

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    The battery is on its way out, i had that problem now i have to replace 4 modules. Get ur battery checked
     
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    how many miles on the hybrid battery?

    how is the 12v health?

    any dash lights?

    is the battery cooling fan running?

    you might need tech stream to see what's happening
     
  4. ice9

    ice9 Active Member

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    Did you check to see if you were in neutral?
     
  5. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Is it REALLY HOT where you are ?
    Was the A/C running at the time ??

    First thing you should check is the coolant level (s) and the radiator fans.
    The engine temp might be creeping up a bit and it is running to circulate the water.

    Also check the radiator to be sure there isn't a plastic "WalMart bag" stuck in it.
     
  6. Mikej

    Mikej Junior Member

    Joined:
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    2014 Prius c
    Model:
    One
    how many miles on the hybrid battery?

    ~148k

    how is the 12v health?

    just tested the battery and it was 12.6v

    any dash lights?

    no dash light, everything seems normal.


    is the battery cooling fan running?

    Will clean that today according to remedied posted on here


    you might need tech stream to see what's happening

    Will get one on ebay if the problem keep persisting.


    This happens in drive mode with braking or parked mode. I didn't not test it in neutral.


    Is it REALLY HOT where you are ?

    It's getting hot over here in Socal but it also happened at night(~65-70F)


    Was the A/C running at the time ??

    I turned off A/C, heater, and radio


    First thing you should check is the coolant level (s) and the radiator fans.

    The engine temp might be creeping up a bit and it is running to circulate the water.

    Coolant level is fine, radiator fan is not on.


    Also check the radiator to be sure there isn't a plastic "WalMart bag" stuck in it.

    nothing under the car



    IMG_20190723_115307.jpg

    I just cleaned out the battery vent today, didn't touch it for 5 years. Will report back to see if it helped or not.

    I noticed while my engine kept running during idle, my gas mileage went down little a bit.
     
    #6 Mikej, Jul 23, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2019
    dubit and bisco like this.
  7. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    If the AC is running, the radiator fans should be ON.
    The radiator is not "under" the car; it is in front behind the grill.

    Then, not sure how that one is laid out but sometimes the coolant in the plastic bottle can be fine but still be low in the actual radiator. Just a wild guess. That is often referred to as an "air bubble" in the cooling system.
     
  8. Mikej

    Mikej Junior Member

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    Yea my bad, I meant nothing under the car near the radiator fan or behind the grill.

    Update:

    So far so good with the battery cooling vent cleaned. My mpg actually went up a little, not sure how that little vent can really mess with the engine. So remember guys, always clean your vent. #ventsmatter

    Will update again if the problem still persist. Thank you to all who replied.
     
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    if the battery overheats, it goes into protection mode. the engine is used more, and may not shut off because of it, but i'm not sure
     
  10. Travis Solomon

    Travis Solomon New Member

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    It is unable to run if the battery gets overheated or uncharge.
     
  11. Mikej

    Mikej Junior Member

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    I'm guessing the traction battery was at a point where they don't trigger the overheating sensor since the fan was not broken.

    So far my mpg actually went up ~5mpg, no issue of engine running continuously. I'm also going to add this to my cleaning routine and I encourage everyone to do so as well.
     
    #11 Mikej, Jul 25, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2019
  12. Travis Solomon

    Travis Solomon New Member

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    Actually, I must say this is really a vital part to make sure about the cleaning process. One can make it habit of doing this.