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2008 Prius will not start

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by combsad7, Mar 7, 2009.

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  1. combsad7

    combsad7 Junior Member

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    I left my car for the 10000 mile maint. paid the service charge. Went out to my car. Put my foot on the brake with the key fob in my pocket. Nothing happens, so I stick the key fob in the slot, still nothing. I turn the headlights on and they work. So I march into the service dept. and inform car will not start. They confirm it will not start but don't know why. They give me a loaner and I leave. I know the 12 volt battery works because the head lights comes on, the dealer also said the 12 volt battery was good. Any ideas?
     
    #1 combsad7, Mar 7, 2009
  2. CharlesJ

    CharlesJ Member

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    They broke something? :eek: :D After all, it was in their care. Worked before it got there, no work after.:D
     
    #2 CharlesJ, Mar 7, 2009
  3. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    If it broke under their care, it's their problem. Not yours. Don't worry about it

    Let us know how this turns out
     
    #3 jayman, Mar 7, 2009
  4. firepa63

    firepa63 Former Prius Owner

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    Did they give you the right fob?
     
    #4 firepa63, Mar 7, 2009
  5. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Car was left in accessory mode and in neutral, I have been caught like this.
    Press the park button and then the power button.
     
    #5 patsparks, Mar 7, 2009
  6. combsad7

    combsad7 Junior Member

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    Key fob was on my key chain so it was the right fob. Car was in park so says the dash. No other lights showed including all dash lights light. When my car was very new I could not get it to drive, it had to be towed to the dealer, it turned out the shifter was bad and had to be replaced. I am betting the shifter is bad again. I guess my car was build on a Monday with very tired workers.
     
    #6 combsad7, Mar 8, 2009
  7. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Did your car become READY, but you couldn't shift into D? If yes, then I agree that the shift mechanism probably has to be replaced again.
     
    #7 Patrick Wong, Mar 8, 2009
  8. fredthepostman

    fredthepostman Member

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    Am I missing something? I would think this car would still be under warranty.
     
    #8 fredthepostman, Mar 8, 2009
  9. combsad7

    combsad7 Junior Member

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    Yes it is still under warranty, ie 24 months to go out of the 36 month warranty.
     
    #9 combsad7, Mar 8, 2009
  10. combsad7

    combsad7 Junior Member

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    I could not get any dash lights to work including ready. Only the shift outline appeared.
     
    #10 combsad7, Mar 8, 2009
  11. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Very strange. I think your car is a strong contender to win this week's PriusChat prize for the most obscure technical problem reported. :D

    If you cannot make the car ACC-ON, IG-ON, or READY, then here's the list of possible problems. However, if you noticed that it was possible to make the car ACC-ON or IG-ON without the car being READY, please say so.


    ​
    ​
    Power source control ECU
    AM1 fuse
    AM2 fuse
    Power switch
    Key slot
    Wire harness​
     
    #11 Patrick Wong, Mar 8, 2009
  12. Qlara

    Qlara New Member

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    Looks very strange....

    Did someone press your SKS-disabled button under the Steering wheel?
    Maybe a cleaner did that when they wash/Armorall your car.....
     
    #12 Qlara, Mar 10, 2009
  13. combsad7

    combsad7 Junior Member

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    Well I found out what happened, one of the employees thought my car was a dealer owed car so he used my car to jump another car and got the connections crossed. So everything is fried, the dealer says they will fix my car. So for a while I wiil be driving a dealer owned 2009 Avalon for a while. I can't understand why my headlights worked and nothing else did.
     
    #13 combsad7, Mar 10, 2009
  14. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    Holy s***, sounds like the meth-mouth employee fried the inverter. That's a $4,500 touch.

    You have it in WRITING that the dealership is covering this fuster cluck. Right?
     
    #14 jayman, Mar 10, 2009
  15. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    I would be very, very leery of this repair. Get it in writing that the dealer will repair all fried parts now and for the foreseeable future. Stressed electronics have a nasty habit of failing at random points after the stress. You see this all of the time after a lightning strike. On more than one occasion I have been used as a expert to express the opinion that a device should be considered totaled after a lightning strike. This case isn't far removed from that scenario.

    If the dealer doesn't give you that and more in writing, hire an attorney right away.

    Tom
     
    #15 qbee42, Mar 10, 2009
  16. combsad7

    combsad7 Junior Member

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    I have already hired an attorney.














    i








    i
     
    #16 combsad7, Mar 10, 2009
  17. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Very smart move. This is really a sad story.

    Tom
     
    #17 qbee42, Mar 10, 2009
  18. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Gawd, what a nauseating experience. Good luck, sir. They need to make you whole, as the lawyers say.
     
    #18 richard schumacher, Mar 10, 2009
  19. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    This is really unbelievable, did that employee get fired?

    The headlights worked because the headlight switch probably was off when the battery polarity was reversed. If the switch had been on, the HID electronics might have been damaged.
     
    #19 Patrick Wong, Mar 10, 2009
  20. BAllanJ

    BAllanJ Active Member

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    They make jumper cables that you can put on whatever way you want and the cable's electronics figure it out and connect the right way... and they're not that expensive.... how hard could it have been for Toyota to put this circuitry behind the jump post and eliminate this possibility?
     
    #20 BAllanJ, Mar 10, 2009
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