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What's it take to replace the inverter?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Bridger, Nov 18, 2021.

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  1. Bridger

    Bridger Junior Member

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    Hey all,

    I'm new to this and just in need of some quick info that I can't seem to find elsewhere. I have a 2011 Prius base with 120k miles. Was driving uphill on the highway when my car lost almost all power, threw a bunch of dash lights at me and gave me the "check hybrid system" warning. I ran the codes and got the P0A94 which from what I understand relates to the IPM within the inverter. Toyota has a warranty on the issue, unfortunately my car has a salvaged title so I no longer qualify for the warranty.

    Now to my questions: Are any specialty tools or specialty skills needed to replace the inverter? I have an assortment of basic tools, just wondering if there are any weird Toyota specific tools or electronic tools that are needed to swap out the inverter and reset the system.

    Is there a reason the IPM went out? Is there a deeper problem somewhere that I should look into before replacing the inverter?

    Where to buy an inverter? From my research it's a pretty expensive piece. I'd like to get a refurbished or used part but want to make sure that it's still a reliable part. It would be nice if the company offered some kind of warranty on the product.

    Any advice helps.

    Edit: the car is also throwing codes: P0A74 and U0293 which seem to me like they're related to the same issue. My local mechanic said the same thing.
     
    #1 Bridger, Nov 18, 2021
  2. tankyuong

    tankyuong Senior Member

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    I would do a search on YouTube plenty of videos
     
    #2 tankyuong, Nov 19, 2021
  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    That's close: P0A94 relates to the DC/DC converter within the inverter, which is the lower item ③ below. The IPM is the middle item ②.

    [​IMG]

    The P0A74 probably does refer to the IPM, though, so your failure may have taken out both. The U0293 may deserve some further inspection: it is about a failure to communicate with the power management control ECU behind the glove box. There are several different ECUs in the car that communicate with that one, so there are several different ECUs that will say U0293 if they can't communicate with it. Whoever read the codes ideally would have noted down which ECU was listed as saying U0293. Then there are charts in the "Networking" section of the repair manual with troubleshooting steps specific to which ECU can't talk to which.

    Replacing the inverter as a whole is pretty straightforward, just basic wrenches, hose clamp pliers, coolant, and enough understanding of high-voltage DC precautions to finish the procedure alive.

    Replacing either the IPM or converter individually is fussier; you should have electronics assembly experience, including with the application of heat sink compound exactly as directed (IIRC there are about seven pages of details in the manual). Getting that detail wrong at all can lead to a very short life for the replaced components.
     
    #3 ChapmanF, Nov 19, 2021
    RachaelH likes this.
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