1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

2019 Prius hybrid system failure alarm/fail

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Den Rand, Jan 8, 2020.

  1. Den Rand

    Den Rand New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2020
    8
    1
    0
    Location:
    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius
    Model:
    XLE AWD-e
    2019 w/3500 miles. about 6 weeks ago i faced a 'hybrid system fail contact dealer' alarm. I did. took it in they said something about a cold battery. I went back home (180miles). did it again a couple weeks later only this time said 'to find safe spot and pull over'. did that. shut it down. started up with eco monitor screen up which showed batt being charged by gas engine. drove towards home. failed again about 15 miles from home. 24 hr svc not much help but that's another story. cycled system off then on periodically finally showed charging again. went home. parked it until dealer opened a couple days later. when started that morning system initialized, gas engine started but no current to battery. engine shut down. did that multiple times. dealer came and got vehicle and since that time the vehicle has not repeated failure (2 weeks now). dealer says there were no codes stored in ecu therefore they cannot do much until they get a code to track. what? no codes. I had 3 different circumstances with slightly different failure alarms all related to hybrid system fail. some showing eco monitor charge fail some not. anybody out there got a clue for me. dealer is trying but.....
     
  2. topshot

    topshot Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2017
    141
    56
    0
    Location:
    Midwest
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius c
    Model:
    Three
    It does seem odd no codes would be shown or at least pending. Given the cold climate and low miles I wouldn't expect it to be the normal clogged fan filter under the left passenger seat that causes hybrid alerts. I'd still check it and verify the fan is operating as it should. Also seems too early for any kind of corrosion to occur. There have been occurrences of people hitting something and damaging the unprotected orange cable along the underside of the body going to the battery, which then starts going bad and causing odd things and finally failure. However, all this is on the c model, and I see now that you don't have a c so it likely doesn't apply at all. I'll see if I can report it to be moved to proper forum.

    I'd be keeping documentation of all this in case you got a lemon. I don't know the specifics of the lemon laws, but that may end up being an option.
     
  3. IMkenNY

    IMkenNY Im just being nosy

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2012
    477
    302
    6
    Location:
    Tropical Buffalo NY
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    If they can not reproduce it in the shop, perhaps they can send you off with a data logger plugged into the OBD2 port to record a future event.
    Sounding like a possible inverter issue.
     
  4. Den Rand

    Den Rand New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2020
    8
    1
    0
    Location:
    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius
    Model:
    XLE AWD-e
    Sorry first filed this in wrong category: 2019 w/3500 miles. about 6 weeks ago i faced a 'hybrid system fail contact dealer' alarm. I did. took it in they said something about a cold battery. I went back home (180miles). did it again a couple weeks later only this time said 'to find safe spot and pull over'. did that. shut it down. started up with eco monitor screen up which showed batt being charged by gas engine. drove towards home. failed again about 15 miles from home. 24 hr svc not much help but that's another story. cycled system off then on periodically finally showed charging again. went home. parked it until dealer opened a couple days later. when started that morning system initialized, gas engine started but no current to battery. engine shut down. did that multiple times. dealer came and got vehicle and since that time the vehicle has not repeated failure (2 weeks now). dealer says there were no codes stored in ecu therefore they cannot do much until they get a code to track. what? no codes. I had 3 different circumstances with slightly different failure alarms all related to hybrid system fail. some showing eco monitor charge fail some not. anybody out there got a clue for me. dealer is trying but.....

    #1 Den Rand, A moment ago
     
  5. pianewman

    pianewman Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2019
    264
    183
    0
    Location:
    DallasFortWorthTEXASregion
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    How low was the ambient temp? Electrical components/batteries don't always function consistently when it's cold. Also, low 12V voltage causes issues for ALL cars. Maybe your car has a defective 12V battery, which could be inconsistent enough to cause random issues???
    ...just an initial thought...
     
    Tande likes this.
  6. Den Rand

    Den Rand New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2020
    8
    1
    0
    Location:
    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius
    Model:
    XLE AWD-e
    that's a good thought and I was initially believing it was a factor as it seemed related to temp (initially) but after it occurred when car was left in heated garage that kinda lost inertia. subsequently it failed completely and the dealer sent a flatbed 320 miles round trip. of course the failure has not repeated itself since in the hands of the dealer, and it's been subjected to subzero temps. go figure. the last time I left home with it the car stranded me for a couple of hours in the middle of the night at 10 degrees f so it leaves me not wanting the car until they have assured me it is fixed. then the trouble begins with all inherent complications. I do like the idea of a data logger for storing what seems to me should be stored data anyway. it should be their problem but somehow it becomes mine and I only had it about 3 months.... trouble shooters worst night mare: intermittent symptoms....whine whine


    #1 Den Rand, A moment ago
     
  7. pianewman

    pianewman Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2019
    264
    183
    0
    Location:
    DallasFortWorthTEXASregion
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Did they specifically load-test the 12V battery? If it's weak, it will be erratic in service, meaning flawless at times, and then failing. It's not necessarily a total failure.
    I've learned over the decades that you should start with simple solutions before you jump to throwing parts at a car, which is what most "techs" are doing these days.
    Sadly, I'll bet there aren't many Prius' driving around in Alaska, but I might be wrong.
     
  8. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    9,083
    5,795
    0
    Location:
    Undisclosed Location
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Hmm....

    I thought when you had a dash light/warnings...which I'm assuming you mean by "Alarms", that ECU codes were automatically stored?
    Seems strange the dealership is contending their aren't any. Especially if you drove the vehicle and had shutdowns.

    Unfortunately the dealership might be right about only one thing. Hard to track down with the absence of codes.

    The first time you brought it in...

    I would ask them to be more specific. What did they mean? How did they reach that conclusion?
    Did they base that diagnosis off of a code? Or were they just throwing out a convenient excuse, since you are driving in Alaska in the Winter?
    The Prius is designed to be used in cold temperatures.
    Yeah, cold temps, can cause trouble, but shouldn't cause trouble if everything else is OK. In other words if your 12 volt isn't weak or your Hybrid Battery is OK, then "Cold Battery" IMO isn't an acceptable answer.

    Good Luck because it's just a mystery at this point.
     
  9. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Sorry for the mishap. I don't have much help to offer for you, but I thought Toyota equipped AWD-e Prius with NiMH battery precisely for the "colder" climate. I don't know how cold your part of Alaska gets, but this sound like something is wrong with you battery. I assume you are still under warranty, but how good is your state Lemon Law?
     
  10. CooCooCaChoo

    CooCooCaChoo Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2015
    886
    493
    0
    Location:
    Cow-lee-fornia
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    It's not happening when its in their hands because at most they will drive it around the block. Your best bet is to record it happening and have a code reader ready. Video record the dash lights and the codes that come up.
     
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,474
    38,106
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    With all your trouble, the warning lights, it seems very odd that dealership would find no codes. I think they're fibbing about that. Considering it's a virtually brand-new car, and with 180 miles between you and the dealership, they should do better.

    If they continue to stonewall on your problems, it might be time to play your "perhaps I should contact Toyota" card with them.

    BTW, this thread is right where it should be, location. Maybe the mods moved it? Your new thread will just muddy the waters, hopefully the mods can sort it out. I reported the other post, let them figure something out.
     
  12. Den Rand

    Den Rand New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2020
    8
    1
    0
    Location:
    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius
    Model:
    XLE AWD-e
    their lead tech has been driving the car daily home work etc.. it recently failed to sustain power, he had the monitor connected, apparently there weren't any discernible codes. it didn't last long but at least they had a clue. the weather has been in the -20 range and it took over 2 weeks for this failure. at least now they have some information for Toyota engineering. we'll see what they come up with. my thinking at this time is there may be more than one problem. maybe an ECU and a battery issue. but the fact remains there are not any codes being stored in the memory which makes it near impossible to communicate beyond my complaint. two strikes now for the Lemon law. it seems like the old Chinese curse is a bit like Murphy.... may you live in interesting times. hope there'll be some resolution after engineering sees the data or lack. I'll post it when they do.
     
  13. FuelMiser

    FuelMiser Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2008
    1,263
    858
    0
    Location:
    Monument, CO
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    I wouldn't trust a dealer telling me "it is fixed" plus if it was me, I would care less about saving $$$ on gas/MPG with a Prius and get a car that can be serviced a lot more conveniently than 160-180 miles one-way! You don't say precisely where you live, just Alaska, so maybe you're 160 miles away from all civilization anyway. In which case, you want the most reliable, robust vehicle you can find, regardless of operating costs.
     
  14. FuelMiser

    FuelMiser Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2008
    1,263
    858
    0
    Location:
    Monument, CO
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Yea, having two threads, same topic, will only confuse. In the future, it you mis-post something, click the "Report" button and notify the moderators. Don't re-post in another section. I added my comment to the other post, 2019 Prius hybrid failure alarm/fail | PriusChat
     
  15. pianewman

    pianewman Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2019
    264
    183
    0
    Location:
    DallasFortWorthTEXASregion
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Den Rand: Time to convince Toyota to buy it back, as you've provided them with some valuable "real world" info of their car in -20f environs. If the "engineers" keep coming back with "We don't know what's going on", it's time for them to remove the car from service until that CAN figure out it out.
    Yikes...-20f...160 miles from a servicing dealer, in a state that probably doesn't have many Prius'...maybe y'all should rethink owning the car.
    Good luck!
     
  16. Den Rand

    Den Rand New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2020
    8
    1
    0
    Location:
    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius
    Model:
    XLE AWD-e
    checking back in on the 2019 Prius 'hybrid system failure' issue. first, to the folks don't have a newer version (I assume) there aren't flashing light alarms but there are alarm/warnings written on the right side monitor, these are what I've referred to. back to the dealership, I don't believe they are shining me on. my most frustrating part of this, and I believe the local dealer's too, is apparently the black box syndrome or I call it a corporate 'proprietary attitude' which ties the hands of local tech without codes to help define potential diagnostic solutions; by this I mean the local tech has wiring diagrams interconnecting black box mystery, with wiring only and no signal description for relevance there's little hope for even understanding the code failure source, let alone the demonstrable failure itself. yes, the ECU is a prime consideration but without understanding the signals that initiate ECU actions or reactions, more mystery. what I'm trying to say is this situation merits signal (or chip?) level failure detection. not the bailwick of the garage tech. Toyota engineering is what seems to be on the hook and I'm not really sure their attention has yet been obtained. one last bit, the local techs have isolated some power loss symptoms (again no codes) but at least a start to compare with another vehicle (when they can keep one around...LOL (sob)).
    now, I'm waiting to hear back from corp as I've filed the complaint. they are no doubt assembling the information. meantime perhaps engineering will come back from winter vacation, coffee, or whatever...
    finally, back in my day as a digital systems troubleshooting tech when the pressure from on high got to be sufficient the solution was to use the 'shotgun' approach: replace black box level equipment until system function assured, as if an intermittent failure can ever be resolved in such a manner. and perhaps ultimately my solution will be another vehicle. we'll see how fair they turn out to be
     
  17. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2010
    2,404
    2,773
    47
    Location:
    South Yorkshire, UK
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Power loss without codes makes me think of fuel contamination, possibly water ?
     
  18. Den Rand

    Den Rand New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2020
    8
    1
    0
    Location:
    Alaska
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius
    Model:
    XLE AWD-e
    certainly was initially entertained as source. prime symptoms though weren't compatible. last failure I experienced, which resulted in dealer sending flatbed for vehicle, were: initiate start, gas engine starts, energy monitor showing no current transfer to batt, subsequently system shuts down apparent failure to satisfy run conditions. the gas engine showed no sign of falter or rough running, started easily every time only to shut down after running for a bit. I believe it is possibly a combination failure of battery and ECU.
     
  19. CooCooCaChoo

    CooCooCaChoo Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2015
    886
    493
    0
    Location:
    Cow-lee-fornia
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    Probably why they are saying that they can't find a problem so they can avoid Lemon Law.
     
  20. Elektroingenieur

    Elektroingenieur Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2017
    2,515
    3,253
    9
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three Touring
    You might ask if the dealer has opened a case with Toyota’s Technical Assistance System (TAS), the dealer-only support line. This is one sign of a serious effort.
    Have they checked for vehicle control history events (and associated freeze frame data), as described in my previous posting? These events are different from diagnostic trouble codes, so many technicians aren’t aware of them, but they may help explain what’s going on, assuming the hybrid vehicle control ECU itself isn’t failing in a way that keeps the events from being stored.