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2004 Prius with car with exclamation point and problem message won't start

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by robl45, Nov 21, 2022.

  1. robl45

    robl45 Member

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    Was driving the car today to show someone to sell it, drove it yesterday and put gas in it just fine. Today I am driving out of the gate of my development and stop for a second to check something in the hatch. I go to start the car and it won't start. I get the lights in the subject. Car with exclamation point and problem flashing on the MFD and the check engine light comes on. Dash isn't currently coming on. Anyone have any ideas? I don't have a reader now. It is not displaying the issue as when the coolant pump went a number of years ago as the coolant pump seems to be going and the gear tree wasn't lit up. I saw that when the dash decide to come on.
     
    #1 robl45, Nov 21, 2022
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    it could be a million things, but the usual culprits are 12v, hybrid battery, inverter pump, fuses
     
    #2 bisco, Nov 21, 2022
  3. robl45

    robl45 Member

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    12 volt has been charged, car has been jumped. It doesn't seem to be that. I tried hooking a code scanner but it couldn't read the codes.
     
    #3 robl45, Nov 22, 2022
  4. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    What scanner are you using? Can it connect to ANY system (and get data) at all? You may need a "better" scantool to communicate with all ecu's on a Gen2 Prius. There's a sticky thread at the top of the Technical Discussion forum that reviews several scantool apps and devices.

    IF the inverter coolant pump is moving coolant in the tank when the ignition is switched on, then the AM2 fuse is intact. You still want to check all fuses in the underhood and underdash fuse boxes.

    Not having the "speedo" (Combination Meter) turn on is a common fault due to a bad capacitor (may or may not be what's happening to you). There's a sticky thread near the top of the Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting forum about that.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #4 mr_guy_mann, Nov 22, 2022
  5. robl45

    robl45 Member

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    WAs a cheap scanner, but said it should word. I had local guy come and swap the battery, it works now. I was surprised though and so was he because the car wouldn't start at all and usually I guess it will run with a bad battery. Now it starts and runs again so that is a plus.
     
    #5 robl45, Nov 22, 2022
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    it will not run with a battery that has set a trouble code, unless you disconnect the 12v to reset the codes. and that has to be done each time you shut it off, until the battery can no longer function properly
     
    #6 bisco, Nov 22, 2022
  7. robl45

    robl45 Member

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    I had reset the batteries and still it didn't start which was also strange. At any rate, I'm happy its running again and very reasonable prices.
     
    #7 robl45, Nov 22, 2022
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  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    that just means it was really dead.
     
    #8 bisco, Nov 22, 2022
  9. robl45

    robl45 Member

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    It was driving one second and not driving the next which seems weird, I also got nothing strange on the info screen which was odd as well.
     
    #9 robl45, Nov 22, 2022
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    that happens sometimes. one bad cell can bring the whole battery down. corrosion can also be a problem
     
    #10 bisco, Nov 22, 2022
  11. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Assuming you're talking about the 12 V battery (when you say you had a guy come out and change the battery), my gut instinct is that there was not much wrong with your previous battery, just poor connections that got fixed by changing the battery.
     
    #11 dolj, Nov 23, 2022
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