2003 Prius Hybrid ECU

Okay, so I drove my 2003 Prius to Alabama last week, and it broke down on the highway right when we got here. It has around 160k miles on it at this point.

So after a lot of hassle I got it to a dealership and they informed me that the ECU in it is bad and that it would cost me 5k to replace. I bought the thing for 2k, and I'm not sure what to do at this point since I don't have a vehicle.

I've read that ECU replacement is as simple as busting into the glove box dash area, but I'm not sure about two things.

1: If I buy it used, will I be able to reprogram it manually, or does it have to be new.
2: I can't find any info on reprogramming it in general, so would I need some proprietary board, or will the car do it automatically?

The dealership wouldn't provide me with any additional error codes, so I can either find a way to fix it that way, or sell it for scrap. I'm not sure how to proceed, and the dealership is annoyed at me leaving it there for a whole week.

Thanks a lot-

 

Thanks so much!

I had a lot of issues with the dealership, and they did not keep track of the diagnostic codes for some damn reason. That being said, I finally contacted the person who did the work, and it is the P3000

So today I ordered the correct ECU, and am planning to install it myself. I've read that they must reprogram it, and that it will only run me about $150. It's pretty hilarious because I found them new for $880 from Toyota. So that would have been $3900 for programming it and labor. Ridiculous.

Anyway, I should have the part this Wednesday or Friday. I've seen a few posts about the dash disassembly, and I'm going to try those. If you guys know any definitive guides on doing so, I'd appreciate it.

My only two worries are being shocked(I'm disconnecting the 12v), fitting the ECU in/the bracket mounting, or this used ECU being DOA.

 

Okay so I battled with the dealership to give me the actual diagnostic codes, and it took them two separate tries over the course of 3 days (in two separate weeks) to get the right answer for me.

Turns out -- it's the inverter.

So, I talked to the mechanic about replacing the whole unit. It seems that they are pretty cheap, and I can do it at home/ my friends shop. That being said, I'm wondering which part number will actually work, and if any additional programming is necessary.

Alright, so right now I see some on Ebay that are listed as part # G920047070. They are labeled to work with the 2003, but I do not want to go through the trouble of installing one that will not work.

You guys saved me a lot of trouble and I appreciate it. I will never go to a dealership again, unless I am forced to.

Any advice on model numbers/installation?

 

I'm having the issue of finding one that is my model that is affordable. The mechanic labelled it as the G920047071, and I am only able to find the G920047070.

Is it just a bad idea to install that one? I can see the potential issues.

 

My diagnostic was:

P3125 - converter/inverter assembly
Info codes 289, 292, 294

 

I should have been more through, but I didn't want to complain too much.

Long story short, the first time I called them up they lied to me. They didn't write down the diagnostic quote, and on top of that they didn't even know what was going on. So I called up 3 times total to double check that it was indeed the p3000. I talked to the chick that handled the whole thing, and she assured me that if I changed out the ECU, all would be good.

I'll be honest, I don't know anything at all about vehicles, but I'm experienced in tech so I thought it would be easy to replace.

That being said, it was just a lie to cover the fact that she didn't write it down, and didn't even know what she actually quoted me for.

So after seeing the responses here I showed up asking a bunch of questions and made them run the diagnostic two more times. On the first day, they had me drive it around until it broke down in the lot which took me about 15 minutes. The reason they did this is because there was only a reading for the inverter, not the p3000, so he figured the other mechanic had cleared the codes. By the time I pulled back to the front they had let the techs go home, which I was pretty angry about, considering it was 4:45.

Anyway, the diagnostic they had me drive around for (to get the triangle of death) never showed up after I did break it down. But the first OBD reading showed that there was an inverter issue, the ones I listed, so the mechanic concluded that was actually the problem. He finally contacted the original guy who had worked on it, and that was indeed what I was quoted for before this fiasco.

Hilariously the chick who caused this whole thing "accidentally" misquoted me by $745. From $4745 to $4000 flat. Not that I would ever shell out that kind of dough, but it added fuel to my rage.

I'm reasonably sure this is correct. The only other error codes were some engine misfires, that the tech said could be caused by just idling, and petty things.

 

My vehicle is in a city about 30 minutes away at the dealership. I can't have it towed currently, as AAA dropped me for too many calls last week lmao.

That being said, I checked the reservoir when it first ran out, and it was a bit low. It was indeed bubbling at the top, so I'm guessing that the circulation was working.

Given those additional codes, which indicate 3 separate sensor issues, could it be assumed that the pump would be the issue? I'd much rather shell out for that than the entire inverter module. I'll hunt around for some info.

 

Posted above.

My diagnostic was:

P3125 - converter/inverter assembly
Info codes 289, 292, 294

 

I'd be very interested if it's the correct model. It's not too bad to remove, probably a 30 min job fro what I've been told. Shipping would be around $100 from what I've gathered.

Playing that Ebay waiting game right now, lmao. Two sold this month though, so I should be able to get one in the coming weeks.