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Combo Meter dead- Unable to Shift into Drive?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by oldstock79, May 13, 2024.

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  1. oldstock79

    oldstock79 New Member

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    Hello,

    **Longer Post****

    New 2nd generation owner. Bought a 140K Mile Prius Gen 2 - 2 weeks ago. Car has a couple of issues and needed to be towed once already(failed inverter coolant pump)!

    Here are a few things I have completed-

    1. Inverter Coolant Pump replaced - 8 days ago (Doorman upgraded part)- Thanks to every forum member that worked on this issue and selflessly shared this knowledge!! I greatly appreciate it! I was able to install it in about 30minutes removing bumper cover and headlight!

    2. Oil Change (6days ago)

    Then the following codes appeared

    P0302 [0x0302]
    Cylinder 2 - misfire detected
    Cylinder 2 Misfire Detected
    Status: Pending
    ----------------------------
    P0171 [0x0171]
    System too lean, bank 1
    Bank 1 System Too Lean
    Status: Pending
    ----------------------------
    P2195 [0x2195]
    Heated oxygen sensor (HO2S) 1, bank 1 - signal stuck lean
    Status: Pending


    3. Replaced Injector (Cylinder 2) - Codes Cleared
    Car (engine) runs a lot better now with motor not shaking much!!

    4. There seems to be some inverter coolant loss? (I tried burping it and purging all air but still levels drop?) Did not see a noticeable puddle(It's parked on a gravel driveway)

    5. Combo Meter - Failure- While this was intermittent(was able to make it work unplugging 12V connector etc), this afternoon combo meter died fully and now the car refuses to go into drive. We got to about 77deg outside today and looks like heat may cause worse symptoms?


    Here are my questions-

    a) Tried reading codes using the OBD2 scanner and now no codes show up! Are there other symptomatic or associated codes with a ComboMeter failure? How come I am not seeing any?
    b) Car motor idles better now but the start stop is rather abrupt and transmission/transfer not as smooth- is this a transaxle symptom? What codes nor other symptoms to look for when transaxle fails?
    c) I did anticipate combo failure and already have the refurbished meter available(Texas Hybrid Batteries). Plan to tackle it in the next few days. Can combo meter cause car to not go into drive?
    d) Heard about maintenance mode(to keep the motor running) and I am unable to put car in maintenance mode- is there a trick that I did not *yet* read about?
    e) There seems to be some oil residue under the brake fluid reservoir and the windshield washer tank. Is this a symptom of a valve cover leak? - Again no noticeable puddle due to gravel driveway. Did not yet do a compression test but there are no (Common) symptoms of a head gasket leak-


    Finally- the reason for buying such a high mileage gen-2 is save some money on summer gas!

    Thoughts and comments are welcome and appreciated!


    Regards,
     
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    On the combo meter issue so right now when you open your driver's door you don't see the red icon on the dash that states or shows the symbol that the door is in fact open It's red? If this is the case close the door go back and open the trunk if you can and undo the negative terminal right under the headlight and move the terminal with your hand while looking at the front of the car you'll see the red light come on indicating the hatches up when this happens tighten the screw finger tight for the ground with your finger this will keep the light on. When that light is on your car is going to start and your dash is going to light up the speedometer the transmission indicator and the big zero when this happens everything's going to function is normal You should immediately be able to stop the car with one button push in the car stops and turns off and goes dead then with your foot on the brake your car should restart all the lights come on and everything works no starting issues of you just saw The starting issues and the turning off issues will start the minute your CM monitor or the display goes out. Usually once you replace the Texas hybrid piece that you have all of this will stop everything will work just as you're used to. So when the CM monitor is not working to turn the car off you have to hold the button in until you hear the clicks and it starts to die and immediately release the button or it'll just go into a loop and go into ACC mode or whatever and kind of have to pay attention or you're walking the house in the car will still be on but there's no display and you may not notice it now you're going to have a dead 12 volt. We've been through this with three cars. The only danger when you change the CM monitor will be breaking the dash events for your air conditioning That's about it If you get those out successfully and put them away where you want drop parts on them or something you're in good shape it'll seem about as easy as taking the headlight in the front bumper cover back to put on the inverter pump which I have never even imagined doing. But that's probably in the repair manual because they make you take the bracket off the little stud and the nut and all that. Doesn't say where you are so I couldn't tell where you're located sometimes that helps figure out some things 200,000 miles is just broken in well these cars will go to easy $500,000 with almost no major hullabaloo but some do require some major things those are decisions you'll make at the time.
     
  3. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    No.
    You need to move the transmission from Park to Neutral and back, so if your shift issue prevents that then you're stuck. Remember also, to shift to neutral, you need to have your foot on the brake pedal.
     
  4. oldstock79

    oldstock79 New Member

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    Appreciate the replies! Combo meter changed yesterday- Most of the start/stop/Drive/ Rear Hatch opening problems solved. Unfortunately broke the central vent- will run to the junk yard today and find parts. I do have a major issue with rough shifting transmission and also looks like a valve cover or a head gasket leak? Is head gasket leak common in these models?

    ***Updated ECM Codes****

    ----------------------------
    P2195 [0x2195]
    Heated oxygen sensor (HO2S) 1, bank 1 - signal stuck lean
    Status: Confirmed
    ----------------------------
    P0300 [0x0300]
    Random/multiple cylinder(s) - misfire detected
    Random/Multiple Misfire Detected
    Status: Pending
    ============================

    Which should I investigate + change first?

    1. Plugs/Coils?
    2. O2 Sensor ?

    Regards,
     

    Attached Files:

    #4 oldstock79, May 15, 2024
    Last edited: May 15, 2024
  5. oldstock79

    oldstock79 New Member

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    Thanks Tombuk2- I am located in Boise,Idaho!
     
  6. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    No none of those oil leaks are normal You need to clean it off and see if you can find where it's coming from there are various sensors and things that can leak and what have you The valve cover gasket could be leaky are the nuts on top of the valve cover loose at all It's one of the earlier things I do on this engine when I receive one in a car or out of the engine that is but the valve cover gasket spark plug o rings all of that stuff whatever is in there Just make sense I'm getting these things anywhere from 190 to 270,000 mi. I would expect it be time for a valve cover gasket spark plugs and things like that at least for me
     
  7. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Finally- the reason for buying such a high mileage gen-2 is save some money on summer gas!

    140k miles?

    That puppy is barely broken in.
     
  8. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    You need a better scantool. Here is a thread that reviews several apps and devices for a smartphone. Some are capable of scanning all systems on a Gen 2 prius for codes & data (plus more).

    A common cause for P0171 on a Toyota is dirty MAF sensor elements. Search the forum here on how to clean it properly - also clean the throttle body bore.

    You can use a scantool to check ECM data for short and long term fuel trims, MAF readings (at what RPM?), and upstream Air-Fuel plus downstream O2 sensor readings. This can help point toward the cause.

    https://priuschat.com/index.php?posts/3290690

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  9. oldstock79

    oldstock79 New Member

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    Thanks for the heads up on scan tools. I read the P0171 along with the Cylinder 2 misfire and also the Oxygen Sensor. I will look at Fuel trims next. Yesterday, I replaced spark plugs (they were black-carboned up) and cleaned MAF sensor again as well. The only Code I am reading now is P2195


    My main issue however is the shudder in transmission as the car engages the engine- transition from battery to gas engine and back is very abrupt and makes the car shake a lot- What issues could this point to? Will a transmission lucid change help with this? I don't have any maintenance records on this car other than that battery(HV) was replaced in January 2024 and I replaced the 12V battery to get it home.

    Regards,
     
  10. oldstock79

    oldstock79 New Member

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    Just to keep the issues separate- request forum admin to close this thread as the combo meter issue has been resolved!

    I will create a new thread with on going issues with P2195 and also the transmission?( electric motor - gas motor) shifting abruptly.
     
  11. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Believe it or not, a low-capacity hybrid vehicle (HV) battery can cause this transition shuddering. I'm not sure of the technical reason but from my own observation, I have seen the shuddering disappear after reconditioning the HV battery.

    I'm willing to go out on a limb and say the 'new' battery was not a factory new battery but rather a refurbished secondhand of some kind. It was probably thrown into the car to sell and make it your problem. If that is the case, you might want to see if you can recondition the battery to see if you can buy some time.

    I doubt changing the transmission fluid will change anything but it certainly will not hurt anything if it has not been done in the last 100,000 mi.
     
    Brian1954 likes this.
  12. oldstock79

    oldstock79 New Member

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    Fantastic advice ! I will try to understand battery situation better- Your suspicion may be spot on!- I will also get the transmission fluid changed to see if that impacts anything!

    Thank you so much to all the folks that have responded.
     
  13. Sky12345

    Sky12345 New Member

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    Hello,

    I am having similar issues, where the dealership said my car won't go into drive or reverse and they said I needed a new combometer.
    Please help. Is the combometer really the issue?

    My car stopped running in the middle of the road. I was able to pull it to the parking lot. Dealership said the reason is dead auxillary battery. Now they want me to change combometer too because car won't go into drive or reverse..they could only do neutral. Please please help.
     
  14. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    I don't think the combination meter should cause you not to go into gear You can't see the display so you won't know you're in gear when you are but I think if you pull the lever and put it in drive like it says so on the shift pattern of the knob and then let up off the gas I think it'll roll forward or if you're in reversial back out of your parking space I've driven without the CM monitor it's not really the combi meter for 2 years so you have to know what the car is doing without having a display I'm not talking about knowing the speed you're doing but knowing you're in drive or b or reverse. Or what have you You haven't even said that you have the code for the stopped CM monitor I don't remember the code but that's what it is the CM monitor has stopped communicating. The dealership and yourself can make it recommunicate it's real easy to do It's one of the tricks that everybody talks about on YouTube and that's just loosening your ground strap with your trunk open and your door closed and rotating and making the electrical noise of the battery terminal touching until you see the door open light come on because the hatch is up tighten up the terminal close the hat open the door notice the door open light is red and on when you get in and put your foot on the brake and hit the button you will have a display for how long I can't tell you but that's how you get out of that and when you start doing that you need to be calling Texas hybrids and ordering a display for your car and give them your mileage and send them your old one when you get it out off replaced and finished and get money back on your credit card you'll have 150 bucks in the mess and be done forever.