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Is it the 12v

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by George0512, Dec 4, 2020.

  1. PriusWave

    PriusWave New Member

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    Sounds like you just need a new 12v battery. Once they are fried they drain super fast and don’t hold a charge.
     
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  2. George0512

    George0512 New Member

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    Yeah it wasnt the battery.

    So if it was an exhaust leak it would be P0042 right ?

    I got the sensor today but I the tech can only do it on Wednesday.

    From what I researched it has to be the sensor, I don’t know if it is enough to shot the Red Triangle but I hope so. Once the sensor is reading wrong the engine burns more fuel right ? So maybe it is way it changes to combustion mode. The symptoms match at least;
    Rough Idling
    Loss of power
    The smoke off the exhaust is a little greysh than usual.
    Once I clear the codes the car is silent, not single shake while Idling.

    I check underneath, the sensor still there, but the cat protection seems to be loose for sure, thats where the noise come from.
     
  3. George0512

    George0512 New Member

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    I replaced. It is not.

    It blames the o2 sensor with the obd2. But Red Triangle and Fan are on. Once I clear the P0038 car works normal. Than come backs again.

    Idk if the this code is enough to generate all those problems.
     
  4. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    One more time:
    The code MEANS something.....and it is not necessarily that the sensor itself is bad.
    The sensor is there to sense an abnormal condition when something ELSE fails.

    With a car that old, it could be burning enough oil that the CAT is clogged or burnt out.
    Or a big enough exhaust leak might cause it to detect a failure too.
    Or maybe the sensor is just soaked in oil or crusted with carbon.
     
  5. George0512

    George0512 New Member

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    So I tried the OBD II from Autozone.
    Still only the P0038.

    So I slide under the car, and the sensor cable is around black tape, so I guess it was replaced already for problably a cheap after market one, there is a zip lock in the plate where it goes inside to plug in the exhaust, also the plate is loose, so it has been touched before.
    Also when I clear this code the car runs perfectly, silent idling, good mpg, so if it was the hv battery it wouldn’t make sense right ?

    So this line of thought makes sense ;
    Bad sensor, car starts to send more fuel to the engine (If the oxygen sensor is going bad, the fuel-delivery and fuel-combustion systems will be thrown off. If a bad oxygen sensor disrupts the air to fuel ratio mixture, or too much fuel is injected into the engine, your vehicle's gas mileage will be reduced. ) So it confuses the ECU as there is a problem with the hv battery (so fan comes on) ??

    Thank you guys
     
  6. George0512

    George0512 New Member

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    This is how the sensor is right now

    also I was looking at this in the obd app

    looks like he cant find a o2 sensor as it says n/a
     

    Attached Files:

    #26 George0512, Dec 7, 2020
    Last edited: Dec 7, 2020
  7. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    I only see some wires not the sensor. Are you talking about the front sensor? And what brand sensor did you get? Toyota factory or Denso (Toyota factory supplier) are the only ones you should buy. Other brands have been known to have problems.

    Security Check
     
    #27 Skibob, Dec 8, 2020
    Last edited: Dec 8, 2020
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  8. George0512

    George0512 New Member

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    Yes sorry it is the wires, Im talking about the downstream sensor, I took the picture under the car. Yes I bought denso.

    I also it thre the P0420 today, but I hope it would be still related to the sensor, and it was also really cold this morning.

    Amazon f*** me up yesterday, claiming they delivered to a resident when was nobody home and no package left on the door, so I had to reorder another to be delivered on thursday, pushing the replacement for friday/saturday.
     
  9. George0512

    George0512 New Member

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    I gave up. Left the car with a hybrid tech. He said 699 to reconditioning the battery.
     
  10. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Which OBD2 codes (DTCs) did they retrieve to determine that HV battery had failed?
     
  11. George0512

    George0512 New Member

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    I call the guy yesterday. He has good reviews on Google and also is the only one guy around my area.
    I dropped the car in the shop early this morning, he told me his techs are all scheduled today, so when the first tech got back to the shop he will start working on it. He said it might be a failed cell not the whole battery, as it still charges and holds.
    I told him about the O2 sensor but it is not enough to create those problems. He said also he will get a free Cat as the government pays it here in Florida.
     
  12. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    How did we get to the battery ??
    There is no such thing as "reconditioning" a battery.
    That likely will be 699 wasted.
     
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  13. George0512

    George0512 New Member

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    He did say he has to find what was wrong, take the battery to put in a computer, recharge ... also he gives 6 month warranty, I will get rid of it before it expires
     
  14. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    WOW. This guy is just FULL of questionable stories.
    I am in Florida too. Pretty sure that no such government program exists.
    Orlando is a big place.
    There certainly are Toyota dealers there.
    And probably other hybrid shops too.

    I think you are getting yourself into a BIG mess here.
     
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  15. George0512

    George0512 New Member

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  16. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    That doess not change the FACT that the only two pieces of advice you have posted here are absolutely WRONG.
    In my book, that doesn't qualify him as an "expert".
     
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  17. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    I've always been leary of the BBB, or reviews in general, but you have a physical address to visit if something goes wrong.

    BBB listing : Battery Repair Experts | Better Business Bureau® Profile

    8135 N Orange Blossom Trail, FL Orlando, FL 32810 - (844) 227-9679

    Looks like they gave up on an old website, or web developer : https://batteryrepairservice.com/

    Here is the same(?) provider within 3 blocks (how many does the area need?), different phone #, and a BBB page :

    Hybrid Battery Experts | #1 Hybrid Battery Experts in Florida

    Hybrid Battery Experts LLC | Better Business Bureau® Profile

    7803 North Orange Blossom Trail, Unit 12, Orlando, FL 32810 - (855) 522-8837

    Their reviews don't look all that great : Hybrid Battery Experts LLC | Complaints | Better Business Bureau® Profile
     
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  18. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    lol.....that’s a whacker there for sure good luck dude......
     
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  19. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    That's not exactly the "high rent" district.
    It is easy to pad Google with good (fake) reviews.
    So far, all the available evidence isn't too encouraging.
     
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  20. George0512

    George0512 New Member

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    He had the car for 2 days.

    He claimed that after changing the 5 cells, the others cells weren’t equalizing (?) with the ones he replaced. Them 20 min after I left his shop yesterday, lights popped up again.

    Called him, he sound surprised and will sent a technician over tomorrow morning. But Im not that stupid. I got how he operate his business.

    He doesnt fix the problem for real and keep sending technicians til warranty expires. Bad for him before I gave him the car, I saw the number on that orange clip in the HV battery, and tomorrow as the technician comes I will ask him to remove and check the number.

    Anyway, I have nothing to lose rn, If after tomorrow the car goes bad again Im taking my money back, or it will be a really mess, this year has been so bad to me that I really have nothing to lose, he decided to scam the wrong person.

    Thank you all guys, really appreciate.
     
    #40 George0512, Dec 12, 2020
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2020