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Not correct engine operation after Smog Check

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Solovey_PO, Oct 7, 2019.

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  1. Solovey_PO

    Solovey_PO New Member

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    Prerequisites: my Prius is in excellent technical condition, I do everything with my own hands, I know a lot about my car, my mileage is only 100k miles, the battery holds excellent charge and my consumption does not drop below 48-50mpg even when the power mode is on.
    So.
    To change numbers to California numbers, I had to go through a smog check. The guy connected the OBD for 15 minutes, then disconnected and said that everything was OK.
    I drove 9 miles and didn’t seem to notice anything, but then the fun began.
    When I started the car, it warmed up FIVE MINUTES !!!! this despite the fact that the street was above 80 degrees. it usually took no more than a minute. then when I started, the engine started again and did not stop turning off, although I was driving smoothly through Costco's parking lot, stopped at a gas station in line and the engine still continued to work at idle without shutting down. After refueling, I noticed that now, when stationary, the flow rate does not show 100mpg, but 0. Although it was the other way around.
    All the way the engine did not want to drag me only on electric traction, and at the slightest attempt to drive evenly it still turned on the engine.
    Arriving home, I began to travel in my area at low speed and then a miracle, I began to travel on a battery.
    As you know, when the battery is discharged, it starts to be forced to charge from the engine, even if I stand still. NOW THERE IS NO!! When I stopped, the engine refuses to charge the battery while standing still !!!!
    My opinion is that the guy in the workshop downloaded some kind of third-party firmware to me, which fundamentally changed the algorithm of the engine, and for the worse !!!
    You can’t recognize the car, now it’s a piece of shit, not an excellent hybrid.
    Help me figure out what to do? What are the suggestions, I’m a new person in the USA and I don’t know the local laws.
    BUT I am 100% sure that it was this dude who broke my car and I don’t know how to prove it, but tomorrow I’ll go sort it out !!!
     
    #1 Solovey_PO, Oct 7, 2019
  2. Elektroingenieur

    Elektroingenieur Senior Member

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    The computerized inspection systems (BAR-OIS) used for Smog Check tests in California are strictly regulated by the Bureau of Automotive Repair, a state government agency, and centrally monitored by their contractor.

    While not impossible, it’s quite unlikely that the inspection system tried to replace the software in your car. No one involved in the process has any reason to do this, and in fact, one part of the Smog Check test is to verify that the car is running only authorized software from its manufacturer. If the software isn’t as expected, the Smog Check test might fail, but that’s it; Smog Check stations are not expected to do software updates, and Test Only stations are prohibited by law from doing so.

    I think the behavior you describe is more likely to have been caused by an unrelated problem or as a side effect of the data requests made to the car by the inspection system. You could complain to BAR, if you wish, but if it were my car, I’d disconnect the negative (–) terminal of the car’s auxiliary (12 volt) battery, wait a few minutes, and then reconnect it, to reset the computers, and see if the problems continue after a few days.

    If you’re still concerned, you could ask a dealer or an independent shop to use a Toyota Techstream diagnostic system to check the calibration IDs (software versions) of the ECM and power management control ECU.
     
    #2 Elektroingenieur, Oct 8, 2019
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  3. Solovey_PO

    Solovey_PO New Member

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    Thanks a lot for this information!! I also thought about disconnecting the negative terminal. May be tomorrow i'll do it before going to the smog station, but from other side wouldn't it be a problem if I still decide to go to the Toyota station!?
     
    #3 Solovey_PO, Oct 8, 2019
  4. Attila Fekete

    Attila Fekete Member

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    I assume during the test the car was switched to service mode. Although it doesn’t explains why it doesn’t charge when parked.
     
    #4 Attila Fekete, Oct 8, 2019
  5. Solovey_PO

    Solovey_PO New Member

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    No, 100% it wasn't turnrd ON. And even it was, i turned it ON twice earlier by myself and after that everything was fine with the car...
     
    #5 Solovey_PO, Oct 8, 2019
  6. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    Yep, sounds like they left it in inspection mode.
     
    #6 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Oct 8, 2019
  7. Solovey_PO

    Solovey_PO New Member

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    But inspection mode is turning off after you turn off the engine!
    Also when inspection mode is ON - the engine is also ON, but when they scan the car - the engine was quite.
    or...I don't know about another kind of inspection mode...
    I know only one, which turning ON engine and turning OFF charging battery. This mode uses for engine diagnostic, changing coolant system and for old methods of smog checking from the exhaust pipe
     
    #7 Solovey_PO, Oct 8, 2019
  8. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    Take it back to the last guy to work on it and tell him what happened.
    Hopefully he can undue it.

     
    #8 ASRDogman, Oct 8, 2019
  9. Joele3

    Joele3 Active Member

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    I've done smog checks on a lot of Prius. I recall this happening to my own car where it would just stay idling wouldn't turn off. I just turn the car off and back on. Then it would do its warm up cycle and turn off. It might be time to replace the AUX battery. The BAR OIS will cause the ABS VSC lights to flash on some toyotas but once you pull the OBD code and restart car all is well again. I know on Maserati vehicles they call it a christmas tree lighting effect. Because all the lights on the dash illuminate and blink, once you plug into DLC.
     
    #9 Joele3, Oct 8, 2019
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  10. Solovey_PO

    Solovey_PO New Member

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    Thank you!!!
    Today in the morning i didn't know that, but through several times ON & OFF i saw that car started drive and charge like earlier. I'm happy again)))
    I hope this topic will help other drivers=)
     
    #10 Solovey_PO, Oct 8, 2019
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  11. RMB

    RMB Senior Member

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    Couple suggestions to this symptoms you described, one as mentioned earlier, your 6 year old 12v battery was getting weak after the Smog Tech turned on the system (key on engine off in regular gassers) to check codes etc. Secondly was the day was a hot day? Perhaps your traction battery gotten a bit hot and the computer decided to just run the ICE and not charge the battery?
     
    #11 RMB, Oct 10, 2019
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  12. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    That’s if they actually use the search feature on here :LOL:

    #deletesearchfeaturemod
     
    #12 Grit, Oct 10, 2019
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  13. anonymous

    anonymous Member

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    This behavior sounds similar to what I experienced when it's very hot out; I think it's the system avoiding putting load on the battery to avoid heating it up more... it should go away after the battery is cooled down (make sure the battery vent isn't obstructed).
     
    #13 anonymous, Oct 24, 2019
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