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Techstream software

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by Gen1Prius, Jul 20, 2020.

  1. Gen1Prius

    Gen1Prius Junior Member

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    I finally bit the bullet and next week I’m going to have my hybrid battery replaced after the vehicle sitting for over a year. The question I have is if the Techstream software will display the fault codes for the hybrid battery? I do have an Innova OBD 2&1 scam tool and i’m going to try to use it to see what I can read off of it if anything. Another question I have is if the software is compatible with Apple iOS operating system? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
     
  2. Josey

    Josey Active Member

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    Techstream will certainly do it and in the long run, since you're apparently committing to this car, you probably want to have it. However, I don't think it will work under Apple iOS, though there may be a way to make that happen.

    You can also download the Dr. Prius app which will tell you what you need to know about the battery including codes. You'd need a bluetooth OBDII dongle to use it (the app developer's $.02 on that is here: Hybrid battery diagnostic and repair tool for Toyota and Lexus), but those are cheap. The app itself is free for Gen 1 because it doesn't have full functionality.
     
  3. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Techstream is what the Toyota technicians use for diagnostics. It only runs on Windows. Most people install it on an old Windows 7 or XP computer. It's kind of involved but once done gives you full access to the car's various ECUs.

    The easier way is as @Josey already said, with a bluetooth dongle and an app. There are lots of choices and threads about it.
     
  4. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    If you are having the battery replaced with a New one from Toyota, why do you need the fault codes?

    They can read them when they get the car.

    The pirated versions of Techstream work easiest on Windows XP. Of you are computer savvy you can get it running non newer OS or on virtual machines.
     
    jerrymildred likes this.
  5. Gen1Prius

    Gen1Prius Junior Member

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    Thanks for the information. I got out with my scan tool and it didn’t read anything.
     
  6. Josey

    Josey Active Member

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    Yes, generic OBDII scantools won't read squat in terms of manufacturer specific codes - such as Toyota hybrid battery codes.
     
  7. Gen1Prius

    Gen1Prius Junior Member

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    It’s not being replaced by a Toyota dealer. I’m getting it replaced here at my home for a whole lot cheaper than going to a dealer. They would probably want over $3000 to do that and I’m getting it for $1949. The reason why I need to find out what all the lights on the dash are because I didn’t realize that the hybrid battery needed to be charged by driving the vehicle. The vehicle has been sitting idle for over a year. I know a lot of people would think that it’s a waste of money to put into a GEN 1 but I know this vehicle inside and out and it’s hard to find another one that’s GEN 2 and up for $2000 and not knowing anything about it.
     
  8. Josey

    Josey Active Member

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    If all you need are codes look into a "Bluedriver" - about $100. The cool thing is that it's not "captive" to Toyota. I have 1 Toyota, 2 Fords, a GMC, and a SAAB (which is an '06 so that means computer-wise its also GMC). It reads all codes from all modules of all of these vehicles.

    The downside is that it only reads codes. It won't reprogram anything or command various functions for testing etc. But for $100 I find the versatile code reading abilities to be worth it.
     
  9. Gen1Prius

    Gen1Prius Junior Member

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    What I'm hoping is when they replace the hybrid battery, I can get the car started. Unfortunately, the company doesn't do any diagnostic work. This is why I need to see what codes on the hybrid side that have been generated since the hybrid battery discharged due to me not knowing that the hybrid battery only charges when the vehicle is being driven. I'm an old school retired mechanic and I was thinking that by running the engine it would charge the hybrid. This has been an expensive lesson to learn. Now I'm just hoping the vehicle will start since sitting idle for about a year or so. I started the car and I proceeded to cut my grass and as I came back around, the car was still running and I was thinking, why didn't it shut off? I continued cutting the grass (i cut about an acre) and I think I came back a second time and it was still running and once again I thought, why hasn't this shut off? I finally got done cutting the grass and I shut the car off and I got a bunch of lights that lit up in the display and the car wouldn't start. That's where my problems began. That's when I found out that the car needed to be driven to charge the hybrid battery. All this time I have had a battery tender on the 12V battery. I had to unplug it to get some lava rock moved and I never plugged it back in and the battery discharged. I connected the Optima charger to it yesterday to revive the battery. So that's the story in a nutshell. Hopefully I can get it started after replacing the hybrid battery.
     
  10. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Hey wait a minute. You're getting some funky information somewhere.

    The hybrid battery does indeed charge whenever it needs to and the engine is running (or stopped, as long as the car says READY, the engine will start when the battery needs charged). You weren't mistaken to think that, you were correct.

    So, something may have happened to your car, and you may need a battery replacement, and that's no fun ... but the story that it happened because the car needed to be driven to charge the battery is not the right story.
     
  11. Gen1Prius

    Gen1Prius Junior Member

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    That's what I thought also, but being a newbie to the hybrid, I didn't know. I retired from the Chrysler Tech. Center and worked in Emissions and we were involved with the Aspen and Durango hybrids and even took a basic class for it. After I retired, I also worked at an automotive trade school and the new administrator that they hired was certified in hybrid function and diagnostics and he used my car as a demo for the students and checked my hybrid battery and gave me the diagnostic report on and it was great. That was nearly 10 years ago. I have a little over 200K miles on mine and I wouldn't hesitate to drive it to Florida. This has been a very good car and I want it as a backup and it's great fuel economy. Thanks for the information. Guess I'll find out Tuesday when the hybrid battery gets replaced.
     
  12. Josey

    Josey Active Member

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    I was wondering about this too. You weren't starting it and putting it in neutral were you? It charges in Park and the D&B but not in R or N (as I understand it).

    Aside from that, what you describe needs more clarity. Are you saying that after a year of sitting you started it and then started mowing? In this case - well, A) it would be surprising if the 12V would still handle that and B) yes - it would run for a long time because the HV battery would have been pretty well run down by then.

    Like ChapmanF, you very well might need a new HV battery. But if you had it running while you were mowing, and then shut it down, and then it suddenly wouldn't start again, this is unlikely a problem originating in the HV battery.

    Have you load tested the 12V aux battery? (Which also likely needs replacement after sitting so much).

    Before going thru the expense of a new HV, yes I'd get a way to pull all of the codes. Techstream is obviously the most powerful and useful option. As a long-time auto tech I'd suggest looking into the Bluedriver because as a code reader it's more versatile. Short of that, a cheap OBDII dongle and the Dr. Prius app will at least give you access to HV battery codes & data.
     
  13. Gen1Prius

    Gen1Prius Junior Member

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    No, no no. I have had a battery tender on the 12 V battery which is an optimal ever since I had the incident with the right side wheels and tires. I am pretty sure but I just don’t remember that I did get out periodically and start the car and let it warm up. The problem is, that the car has sat so long without driving it dead apparently the hybrid battery discharged. I have never, ever put that vehicle in neutral and walk away from it. I have no reason to put it in neutral to begin with because it always started in park. What you don’t understand is that it has been sitting over a year now without being started and only had the 12V battery on a battery tender all this time. It was last year when I started the vehicle and let it run while I was cutting the grass. So now it will not start at all and it’s been sitting for a little over a year and I know that the hybrid battery is discharged because I can’t get the car started to charge it. From what I have found by doing some research is that hybrid batteries do not like to sit without being charged. I am certainly not going to have this thing towed 30 to 40 miles to the Toyota dealer only to have them say it’s gonna cost me some ridiculous amount to repair it! I went through that with my ex wife’s Prius which is the same year as mine and this was for the steering and they wanted to replace the module and the steering rack for over $3000! It took me quite some time to be able to locate another pair of wheels and tires and I found them on eBay and then I wasn’t able to get out there and put the new ones on and I just got out there this past weekend and realized that I can’t get my fall jacket under the car so I’ve got to come up with some other idea of jacking up the car to put the wheels and tires on it. Hopefully this answers your question. As I stated, last year I was starting the vehicle periodically but being able to drive until the hybrid battery discharged that last time and the car wouldn’t start. After I shut it off and tried to restart it, that’s when the red triangle with the exclamation point appeared along with some others. I don’t remember what they were. I called the company that makes the BlueDriver and I was told that it would read any module so I ordered it and I’ll get it Saturday. The body on my car is in excellent condition except for the passenger rear wheel lip is rusting. To me, it’s been a great car this was all my fault. Like I said before, this is an expensive lesson to learn!
     
  14. Gen1Prius

    Gen1Prius Junior Member

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    I just happen to be checking eBay to see the Prius is that were for sale and I stumbled across one that in the description they said that the hybrid battery
    I just happened to check eBay to see what kind of prices were for sale and I came across one where the seller said that the vehicle wouldn’t run because the hybrid battery needed to be replaced and I believe I came across another vehicle that needed the hybrid battery replaced. So I am hoping that that is what’s going to solve my problem. My car has a full tank of fuel and for some reason after I ran it the last time, the fuel started acting up. I need to put some more Stabil in it. I can’t find a decent gen 2 for under $2500.
     
  15. ttou68

    ttou68 Active Member

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    While I do agree that a Prius will not run with discharged hybrid, but it does need a healthy 12V to start it...
    Just because your 12V has been maintain by a battery tender does not mean it's in good condition...
    I've had dead battery after been maintain by a battery tender after a winter of non driving..

    I apologise in ahead of time if I missed read your post about you have load test the 12V already...
    If not, perhaps you should load test the 12V just to make sure it is indeed in optimal condition, before pay for an expensive hybrid battery replacement..

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  16. Gen1Prius

    Gen1Prius Junior Member

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    Apparently you didn’t read that my car has an Optima battery. I’m fully aware of that it needs the 12V battery to close the contacts to start the car but I don’t think you read where I had already started the car and had it running and didn’t understand why it wasn’t shutting off and then when I did shut the vehicle off, it wouldn’t restart and that’s when I started getting all of these warning lights and I got the triangle with the exclamation point In it etc. Right now as we speak I have the Optima battery charger on that battery and when I put it on it was discharged because I had unplugged the battery tender and let it sit for quite some time. The optima battery is a deep cycle battery and I’m also waiting on the blue driver or whatever it’s called which will be coming Saturday so I can see if I can see what all these lights and whatever it is. Newer gas powered vehicles with fuel injection require that the battery voltage be above a certain voltage or otherwise the vehicle just won’t start. I do appreciate all the comments that everybody has passed my way. I will keep everybody updated especially after I get that Bluetooth scan tool on Saturday and I’ll be going out there today and seeing where my Optima battery is that on charge. The one thing nice about the Optima charger is that it is just like my battery tender that when the battery voltage reaches a certain voltage it’ll automatically shut off and then come back on when the battery voltage gets down to a certain level and I actually can view a meter on the Optima charger itself which looks like a fuel gauge.
     
  17. ttou68

    ttou68 Active Member

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    I have read and familiar with Optima battery and products.. but that doesn't mean your 12V doesn't fail in time...
    Anyway, there's no need to continue with what's already being said. Good Luck with your vehicle and I hope you get it back on the road soon..

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  18. Gen1Prius

    Gen1Prius Junior Member

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    Hey, thanks for the information. I forgot to mention that when I first hooked up the optimal charger to the battery it does a self diagnosis and analyzes the battery and it will let you know if the battery has a problem and apparently it doesn’t because it started charging it. In any case, thank you for the support and I hope I can get Crystal back on the road!
     
  19. Josey

    Josey Active Member

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    I would just add that in the Prius the 12V doesn't power the starter - no contacts. The starter is run by the HV battery. The 12V starts up all of the computer modules, and I forget the minimum voltage but it's something like 11.5V ish. And the modules will load it heavily when you turn the key. I had an Optima that lasted only 2 years. Seemed fine too until I watched the voltage when I turned the key - at which point it dove. Couldn't handle the load. Anyway, I'm sure the Optima charger knows what it's doing so just putting that out there in case it helps anyone.
     
  20. alftoy

    alftoy Senior Member

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    Versions of Techstream are working on W10. I have my mini-vci cable that i ordered from the UK off Ebay Aug 2019, the seller is no longer selling the cable. The seller did the setup on my Win10 via teamviewer with version 14. I just updated to V15 that I downloaded from mhhauto and have it working on my Acer W10 laptop.