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Finally need help... Red triangle, slow acceleration, high rev. C1310, C1241, Other U and C Codes

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by txexplorer, Sep 30, 2023.

  1. txexplorer

    txexplorer Junior Member

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    Replaced the Battery ECU and still same codes P3000 and P3013. Dr. Prius app shows 3 block all out of wack so that's definitely the issue. Was worth a try though. New Modules won't be here till Monday unfortunately.
     
  2. txexplorer

    txexplorer Junior Member

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    Ok good news, I replaced Module 5 with a refurbished Module and all errors are gone. I also wiped down all Modules and the battery case with Acetone, and balanced the Modules by connecting all positives with Solder wire and all Negatives. Took prius for 2 test drives, and all is well! Thanks everyone for your help.
     
  3. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    FYI, you didn't balance the modules, you equalized them. Equalizing does not do very much so is largely a waste of time.

    Congrats on getting the car up and running. Keep us posted on how it fares.
     
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  4. txexplorer

    txexplorer Junior Member

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    There seems to be a divide on balancing, equalizing and all that.

    I'm on a budget so my plan was this:

    Replace bad module
    Equalize modules
    Poor man's Balancing by force charging (brake pedal with gas) then discharging by running ac in neutral.
    Maybe do that a couple times.

    I think this will be better than nothing, and the modules will naturally balance themselves anyway over time.

    That's just my thoughts.

    I drove the car 100 miles just earlier, no issues. Was averaging 47-48 MPG and after a lot of highway driving settled at 45 mpg avg.

    This was on less than half a tank of gas. I'm going to fill it up and run some Gum out multipurpose cleaner through.

    Overall, she's running like a brand new car!

    Currently at 210k Miles. Some of the work I've done:

    - Replaced Inverter water pump
    - New 12v oem
    - Cleaned battery fan
    - New battery ECU
    - New headlight bulbs
    - Cleaned Throttle body and MAF sensor
    - Replaced Coils and Spark plugs
    - New 02 sensor
    - New rear wheel hubs
    - New Tires
    - Oil change, new air filters

    Maybe some other things, but overall not much. Now that I've gone through replacing a module, I feel much better about keeping the car. Honestly, I feel like the Gen 2 Prius is the perfect car for me. It's like a fusion of Automotive and Computers that is easy to work on and very practical. Next time around, I'm going to order 3-4 Modules from a reputable dealer instead of ebay and pair the modules better before equalizing. I think this will improve performance.
     
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  5. Lloyd-ss

    Lloyd-ss Member

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    Great thread with lots of good help and explanation.
    A question for you, txexplorer:
    Do you think the bad module was the root cause of all the codes and problems? And the better scanner helped you find that? I am dealing with something similar and am glad to see that there can be a lot of wild goose chases before the real problem is found and fixed.
    I see you also changed the inverter cooling pump. was that just preventative or was it part of the problem too?
    Thx, Lloyd
     
  6. txexplorer

    txexplorer Junior Member

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    For this last Red Triangle error, just replacing the bad module was the fix.

    When I replaced the inverter coolant pump, that was about a year ago and gave a separate code for that exact issue. I believe the code was P0A93 but can't remember.

    I'm guessing all the original codes in my first post were leftover from something else or the code reader at autozone didn't pick them up correctly.
     
    #26 txexplorer, Oct 16, 2023
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2023
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  7. txexplorer

    txexplorer Junior Member

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    Just an update. I did the force charge trick to charge up to green (it wouldn't let me charge anymore). Then I discharged the battery in neutral with AC full blast until it gave a Red Triangle/Battery error. I turned the car off and on (error went away) to let it cycle and charge the battery naturally. Then I disconnected the 12v to reset all the calibrations. Now I am doing a full tank driving as optimally as possible to re-calibrate everything. So far, averaging a solid 48 mpg after 100 miles.

    I don't know if equalizing the modules, doing the force charge and discharge does anything. But it seems to be running pretty solid. My theory is equalizing, force charging and discharging is a "poor man's balancing" that will be better than nothing. I unplug the 12v after to reset any strange calibrations logged during that process.

    Next time I replace a module(s), I'm going to pair them to voltage and discharge rates so that each block is close to the average of the pack. I think that will get better performance, maybe 1-2 mpg improvement from where I'm at now.
     
    #27 txexplorer, Oct 16, 2023
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2023
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  8. Lloyd-ss

    Lloyd-ss Member

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    Thanks for all the info, and I am glad to hear that replacing individual modules is a DIY in-the-car effort. The subtleties of balancing and equalizing escape me a little, but I do realize that having all modules starting out with the same "capacity" in AHr's, and at the same voltage is important. You can get max output from all modules that way. It sounds like you relied on the car's charging system to do the charging and balancing, which it should be able to do, but it is easier on everything if all the modules start out at the same voltage.

    5 years ago I converted a 2002 golf cart from lead acid to Li-Ion modules from a Nissan Leaf. 7 modules gave an actual output of 35 amps at 52 volts for 55 minutes, using a milk house heater modified into a 1.5 ohm 2,000 watt resistance load. All 7 modules just happened to be serialized sequentially and all at the same voltage. Now, 5 years later, and 200 charging cycles later, the individual halves of the modules, 12 hours after being taken off charge, all check between 3.990 volts and 3.999 volts. I am pleased with that especially considering that I do not have a battery management system, and just manually monitor volts and amps during use.

    Did you by any chance check the balance on your 28 modules? I am curious if the BMS has been doing its job. I am ordering a better scanner to get more accurate trouble codes on my 2007. I will be happy if it detects a couple of bad modules, based on your experience.

    BTW, I did a flow check on the coolant pump and it is good. So far, this time, all I have done is a new 12v batt, but there has to be more to come.
     
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  9. txexplorer

    txexplorer Junior Member

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    So far so good, I don't know if "equalizing" or balancing is even necessary. Been getting 47-48 mpg on average. I think if I did a full refurbish and replaced the other weak modules I can get 50+.

    Biggest improvement I've had since replacing the bad module is replacing my old fuel injectors. That got rid of all the knocking at cold startup and rough idling. Overall, no codes or issues since.