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Engine turns on after motion stops

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by denmermr, Aug 10, 2023.

  1. denmermr

    denmermr New Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
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    Two
    I've been searching the internet and striking out on this particular symptom - the closest I get is a few discussions on this forum, so I figure this is the place to ask.

    2015 Prius, 125k miles

    As the title says, my ICE has developed a habit of starting AFTER vehicle motion has stopped. The particular conditions that make this weird:
    - It happens after I've been driving long enough that the ICE itself is warm, and is not running to warm up
    - It happens when the weather is warm enough that the ICE is not running to provide heat to itself/the cabin (and it happens when the cabin HVAC system is off, just to check that off the list) [I live in Alaska - cold is the only car-hampering weather we have - it's never car-stiflingly hot here]
    - It happens when the battery is charged in its normal range ~4 to 6 bars (I know the ICE will sometimes run when the traction battery is too low or too high, and that is NOT the case here)

    The scenario: I'm driving along on a city street, often slow enough that I'm running in EV mode, or at least slowing down gently enough that the ICE turns off as the vehicle speed drops below ~45 mph, then I come to a complete stop with the ICE off, and a couple of seconds AFTER motion has stopped the ICE turns on.

    Sometimes I can hit the "EV Mode" button and the ICE will turn back off - but sometimes the computer won't allow EV mode, and if I don't catch it immediately as the ICE starts, this does not work. Sometimes I can put the car in park and the ICE will turn back off - but again, this seems to work best if I do it immediately as the ICE is spinning up. If I turn the car off and back on again, the ICE will stay off until I move.

    This started approximately a week before my last oil change. I relayed the symptoms to the dealership, and they speculated that my 12V battery was bad. They tested the 12V battery; it was fine, and they didn't trouble shoot further.

    There have been two other slightly odd intermittent items. (1) Under normal conditions, unless I'm on a prolonged downhill, the car does not charge the traction battery beyond 6 bars (approximately 3/4 charge). Several times recently, under ordinary driving conditions (not going down a hill), my traction battery gets up to 7 bars (one from the top). And (2) this has happened exactly once, but I had an episode where my cruise control quit working and the ICE would not turn off at all. The next time I turned the car on, these symptoms vanished.

    My car is otherwise operating normally.

    I have wondered if this is a sign the traction battery is failing - but other people's symptoms for traction battery failure seem to be significantly reduced mileage, bad ICE performance, wild swings in traction battery charge levels, and dashboard warning lights. None of that is happening.

    I've ordered an odb2 code scanner, which will be my next bit of trouble shooting.

    Thoughts? If your ICE turned on after you stopped, what would you do?
     
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    I think when you get your code scanner situation straightened out you're going to find a bunch of codes that may be able to help pinpoint more.
     
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    After extended low-speed "tooling around" on a warm day, I've occasionally noticed the engine staying on (when stopped), even though the hybrid battery state of charge shows half-full or more. Suspect it's something the computers are doing for cooling?
     
    Montgomery likes this.
  4. JohnPrius3005

    JohnPrius3005 Active Member

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    I wouldn't worry about it or mess with it or try to get the ICE to turn off. Get techstream knock off version and check for codes.
     
    Brian1954 likes this.
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    if there are no trouble lights, there are no codes. i would check the 12v myself. how old is it?

    it's possible that the battery is weak and reconditioning may help. get dr prius for module voltages
     
  6. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    How OLD is your 12 V battery ?
    Most places don't know HOW to test batteries correctly.

    I think this indicates that the "master brain" thinks something is slightly "off".
    Not off enough to qualify as "trouble", just not totally normal.

    My guess is one of the batteries. Maybe some corrosion in the HV pack.
    How about cooling of the battery pack ?

    You probably will need an OBD scanner that is more hybrid capable than
    just a basic model to help you out.

    Or just drive it until it becomes an actual failure.
     
  7. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    I agree with Mendel. Mine does this when the engine gets to a certain temperature. Hot, humid days and driving slow for long periods of time (stuck on the freeway) causes this.