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Another Hybrid System Troubleshooter

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by toyolla86, Feb 24, 2024.

  1. toyolla86

    toyolla86 Junior Member

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    hola amigos,
    to start off, I am sorry for making another one of these posts because it appears we have many, but my situation is no covered. At least not from what I saw.
    I little background

    I have a 2010
    the car shut off suddenly while driving from vegas to SLC about halfway between and the "check hybrid system" came flashing on. and the CEL. code was P0A80, replace hybrid battery.
    I pulled over and reset codes and it ran the rest of the drive home.
    I had the hybrid battery replaced but the code came back. I had it replaced again and the code came back again. I am starting to think the HV battery is not the problem but maybe its somewhere else.
    the problem is that i am not getting any other CEL codes. just the one.

    Inverter troubleshooting,
    I checked my inverter reservoir and the coolant wasnt churning, I got under the car and put my hand on the pump and it didnt seem to be working either.
    I was looking at the fuse box lid and trying to see if any of the fuses or relays had obvious damage but couldnt really tell. Im thinking about unhooking the pump connector to see if i get a code.

    I read that some of the other connectors could be loose or even the ECU for the inverter. I also saw a video that the guy said that the red sticker ECU has common failures but the black sticker ECU doesnt.

    questions:
    obviously not getting fresh coolant pumping, but why is the code not coming up more specific?
    what should i do next? i dont have a multi-meter to test voltage. and it seems more efficient to replace modules rather than hunting down electronic components on a PCB.
    I have a feeling if i run 12v to the pump its gonna start right up.
     
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    First things are what are you scanning the car with your scanner may not be capable of reading all of the 20 some odd computers in the car A lot of scanners will read a few but not all You're inverter coolant pump should be running when the car is ready I'm not sure what it'll do when the car is off come on and off as you open the door maybe so if you're checking this inverter pump and movement in the tank with the car off you may not see movement try putting the car on ready mode then get out unscrew the lid look down in the inverter coolant jug and see what you got If you're inverter coolant pump is not working there should be a code for that.
     
  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Yup.

    Replaced with what? By whom?

    Replaced with what this time? By whom?

    Regrettably, P0A80 is a pretty specific code.
     
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  4. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    This POA8O code does not go away right after you replace the battery. It just shows as a permanent code after replacement. You would have to drive several drive cycles before this code will go away.

    You don’t have a problem if it shows as a permanent code. It’s only a problem if it shows as a pending or current code
     
    Tombukt2 likes this.
  5. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    That's interesting and kind of good to know because my 2010 solar roof car when I put the 2015 battery and it when I bought it like 3 days later The code went away but it has stayed permanent for 194,000 mi maybe. It's still in permanent storage right now today if I go out there and boot up the car and turn it on It's not current or active but it's permanent so I'm wondering how many miles it might take my solar roof car to ever make it not become permanent or is there something wrong with the used 2015 battery that I picked up and put in because the car ran great still does but it's $395,000 I think and blowed head gasket door panels blowed out everything's cigarette smoke colored in the car because the lady who drove it you know a Phyllis Filler type .
     
  6. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Look at the attach file and follow the instructions to clear the permanent code
     

    Attached Files:

  7. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Weird so I guess I'm undoing the negative battery terminal for some amount of time I've changed the 12 volt battery since then and had it disconnected for 20 minutes while I was changing it I guess that didn't do it or something then again I'm not sure the code did not disappear when I had the negative battery undone changing the battery a few months ago because about a week prior to that still after the 2015 battery went in I tried to scan the car with tech and the VCI cable and tech would not even recognize the car for a regular scan a normal OBD2 scan global none of it could not recognize the car at all but yet it would recognize all the other cars in the driveway I went around to each one and checked they're six total generation twos and threes but my 2010 solar roof car I could not read My other half was using it everyday on the road it wasn't causing us any problems we just let it rip until it started rattling once or twice then it was immediately taken off the road and parked and she's in a gen 2 loaded car that everything works on perfectly at the present time she wants her red solar roof car back I told her get ready for $3,000 worth of expenses to get that back Is it really worth that to you considering what you're driving now what that will cost and what you make wants desires and needs my friend.
     
  8. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    That short excerpt from the manual shows how to do a "universal trip", which is usually part of the confirmation driving pattern for most trouble codes, but usually isn't the whole pattern.

    To get rid of a permanent P0A80 code, gotta read the "confirmation driving pattern" section under P0A80 in the manual. A "universal trip" is one of the steps, but all the steps are needed.

    The key words in the chart in that repair-manual excerpt are "normal judgment obtained"; for any code, the car's self-test for that code needs to have a chance to run, and when it runs it has to find the problem fixed. Some of the self-tests can only run in very specific conditions; that's why the confirmation patterns are what they are.

    So that chart gives two ways to get rid of a permanent code. The first is, it goes away on its own if 3 consecutive driving cycles run the self-test and it passes all 3 times.

    The second way is you do a DTC clear (or disconnect the battery), then obtain one normal judgment (by driving the right pattern to make sure the self-test happens, and it passes), and then do a universal trip.

    There's a third pattern shown there where all you do is clear codes (or disconnect the battery) and then do a universal trip, but that's only for misfire or fuel system codes.
     
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  9. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Well I don't know what all that really means is I do a thousand trips a day in these stupid cars and I don't know what kind of driving I need to be doing or what have you last I looked the permanent stored battery code in the generation 3 solar roof car was still there then there's been a time where I haven't been able to enter the car through the OBD2 port at all but I can enter through the OBD-2 port on all the other six cars on the property so I don't think it's my CF-13 computer and my original Mongoose dongle but a what do I know. I know that car stayed in the wind driving for Uber eats and doing all that silly nonsense during the pandemic it was never off the road long enough to sneeze and go to the bathroom so I'm sure it must have met some kind of driving conditions We put $190,000 mi on it during the pandemic and now it's sitting out here with about 370 380K on it with that stored code still there and it's been running fine getting close to 50 miles to the gallon for the whole pandemic and now it has a beginnings of a blown head gasket and she's off in a generation too and that car just sits now the hybrid battery will die a slow death just sitting over there.
     
  10. toyolla86

    toyolla86 Junior Member

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    both batteries were with a local guy who has been replacing hybrid batteries for a decade. he balances the cells etc. all that.
    he said the battery he took out of my car wasnt bad. and the batteries he put in were also not bad. i have a 12 month warranty on the battery but after my third battery im thinking the problem is elsewhere.
    especially after finding that the coolant has no flow and after putting my hand on the pump while the engine is running and the pump is totally still, not even a hum.
     
  11. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Well you can always put the Toyota software on the car or real fancy 500 plus dollar scanner and command the generation 3 water pump to come on to see if it works or you can take it off disassemble it and see if you're impeller is flaking the plastic is peeling You can buy another impeller put it in plug it up while it's off the car but sitting close to where it goes command it with the software watch it run see it run Make sure it spins without chunking out or crazy RPM changes and whatnot If everything works okay bolt it all back up on the car and generally speaking you know the pump works now whether the car is commanding it to come on or not because of temp sensor problems or what have you that's another story.
     
  12. toyolla86

    toyolla86 Junior Member

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    ok, i swapped out the 12v battery with another one. not a known good 12v battery though. so sort of stupid troubleshooting on my part. swapped out the inverter pump and it didnt kick on either. all of the interior accessories work though. normally once i turn the car on usually the engine will kick on too, but now it doesnt. any other tips. obviously i will try a known good 12v battery.
     
  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    are you making 'ready'?