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Car wouldn't start

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by snarfu, Jul 27, 2022.

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  1. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    did you check the negative cable to ground connection?

    look at the cabin filter for rodent signs
     
    #21 bisco, Jul 29, 2022
  2. snarfu

    snarfu Junior Member

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    How did it get hit by an emp? Was it able to recover to act normal after or did it stay dead until it was repaired?
     
    #22 snarfu, Jul 29, 2022
  3. snarfu

    snarfu Junior Member

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    Dealer said no signs of rodents. I didn't check the ground cable, but presume they did. The tech has a prius and is supposed to be very knowledgeable about them.
     
    #23 snarfu, Jul 29, 2022
  4. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    The battery clamps expand and contract in the heat & cold. A loose battery clamp on either terminal will pass voltage; but when it comes to drawing amperage - that's where the surface area contact of the battery terminals come into play.
    Us old timers, probably seen a battery terminal spark, while trying to turn-over an old V8 engine. Take off the old terminals, clean, re-tighten and the car will fire right up.
     
    #24 BiomedO1, Aug 1, 2022
  5. snarfu

    snarfu Junior Member

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    Update but not really...
    Dealer had it about a week but it didn't replicate the issue (they put about 1 1/2 miles on it). Toyota wouldn't open a case because it wasn't actively having the issue.

    Took the car on a 1000 mile trip last week and it hasn't repeated the issue. Still think there is a faulty memory somewhere in the computer.
     
    #25 snarfu, Aug 20, 2022
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  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    prius is a rolling computer, and there are a lot of ecu's. could a glitch be possible? i think so.

    maybe when you put the noco on it, it was the solution
     
    #26 bisco, Aug 20, 2022
  7. snarfu

    snarfu Junior Member

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    The thing that corrected it was disconnecting the ecu and reconnecting it
     
    #27 snarfu, Aug 20, 2022
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  8. Marine Ray

    Marine Ray Senior Member

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    How do you disconnect/reconnect the ECU ?
     
    #28 Marine Ray, Aug 21, 2022
  9. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    From reading the OP's previous comments, I suspect that was what was done at the dealer. I am sure you can DIY, but it may involve removing the dash panel and other critical knowledge of the car's electronics. I would not try it myself
     
    #29 Salamander_King, Aug 21, 2022
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  10. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

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    Stalled car

    Three engineers were riding in a car: a mechanical engineer, a chemical engineer, and a Microsoft software engineer. The car stalled, and they rolled it to the side of the road.

    The mechanical engineer popped the hood, looked in and said "Look. The drive belt is loose. All we have to do is tighten it up and the car will work just fine."

    The chemical engineer replied "No, that's all wrong. The problem is fuel contamination. We have to drain the fuel, filter it, and then everything will be A-OK."

    The Microsoft software engineer told the other two "No, I've seen this problem before. We have to get back in the car, close all the windows, shut down the car, get out, get back in, start up the car, open all the windows, and then it will run."
     
    #30 Gokhan, Aug 21, 2022
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  11. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Or it could as simple as disconnecting the 12V battery for a bit, with even trying to start the car to discharge any latent electricity.
     
    #31 Trollbait, Aug 21, 2022
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  12. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Yeah, that trick may have worked. I don't think the OP tried it. It is possible that is exactly what the dealer did, but we don't know.
     
    #32 Salamander_King, Aug 21, 2022
  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    maybe there was corrosion on the pins, and that scraped them off a bit. the mechanical or chemical engineers might know
     
    #33 bisco, Aug 21, 2022
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