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Desperate! Transmission problem?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Kelsey, Nov 6, 2014.

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  1. Kelsey

    Kelsey New Member

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    Thank you again for your responses. I took it to Pep Boys and they ran the codes for free. Initially I had thought that it might need a new battery, and had this thought before purchasing it - I knew I'd be putting a bit of money into it and seeing as everything else runs perfectly, I'm not frustrated with having to pay for it - I got it cheap enough that it evens out.

    The codes that came up were as follows:

    C1241
    C1259
    C1310
    P0A80
    P3022
    P0A08
    P3000

    I'm looking into checking the voltages in the cells and seeing if I can salvage any since there's clearly a few that still work well.
     
    #21 Kelsey, Nov 8, 2014
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    P0A08: DC/DC converter inoperative
    P0A80: Replace traction battery
    P3000: Traction battery or traction battery ECU has failed
    P3022: Battery block 12 is weak

    The Cxxx codes were posted by the skid control ECU and confirm that the hybrid drivetrain has a problem and the voltage on the 12V bus is low.

    Hence, it is possible that your car has at least two problems: the traction battery, and the inverter.
     
    #22 Patrick Wong, Nov 8, 2014
  3. Kelsey

    Kelsey New Member

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    Thank you. Do you know what the best traction battery to buy is, and if I have to buy a new inverter? I don't even know where to start.
     
    #23 Kelsey, Nov 8, 2014
  4. DaneH5

    DaneH5 Member

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    What about a bad or weak 12v battery? Wouldn't that cause all kinds of codes too?
    The more it is being driven the better it is he stated too.
     
    #24 DaneH5, Nov 8, 2014
  5. Kelsey

    Kelsey New Member

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    I was mistaken in that. It acted up 5 or 6 times yesterday. Wishful thinking, I guess.
     
    #25 Kelsey, Nov 8, 2014
  6. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    Middle Of The Ocean....

    Enormous Tentacle rises out of the water. Gigantic monster sized creature surfaces, heads toward densely populated shore line.

    Prius Chat reaction?

    Check the 12 Volt Battery.
     
    #26 The Electric Me, Nov 8, 2014
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  7. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    The "best" traction battery would be a new one purchased from a Toyota dealer. See if Metro Toyota in Cleveland can offer you a good price.
    TOYOTA and SCION Parts and Accessories at METRO TOYOTA

    Regarding the inverter, a used one purchased from eBay would be a reasonable bet if you can install it yourself or find an independent trained on Toyota hybrids. When the Prius is READY, the voltage on the 12V bus should be ~13.8V. If it is much lower that is proof the inverter has failed. If the inverter works when cold but then stops when it heats up, the inverter coolant pump is the fault.

    You can try charging the 12V battery overnight and then measure its open circuit voltage when the battery has rested several hours after the charger has been disconnected. A new AGM battery, fully-charged will measure 13.0V or so. The extent to which your battery measures lower than that is an indication of how bad its condition is. A voltage measurement of 12.0V essentially means the battery is near-discharged.

    techinfo.toyota.com is where you can obtain factory repair manual info.
     
    #27 Patrick Wong, Nov 8, 2014
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2014
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  8. Kelsey

    Kelsey New Member

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    Thank you so much to everyone who has responded! You have definitely helped make the experience of diagnosing/fixing this car much simpler than if I were attempting it by myself. I'm going to see if there's any way I could avoid dropping $2k on a totally new battery first, but I think mine might just be past salvaging, so I'll probably just have to suck it up. It's not like there's anything else wrong with it, it drives like a dream, (whereas my old car had a hundred problems) so I'm willing to drop a decent amount to know that it's completely good to go. Had it four days now and I'm too in love with it not to fix it. :)
     
    #28 Kelsey, Nov 8, 2014
  9. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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    May be try to find low mile used battery on ebay? Maybe you will be lucky. Weekend is the best time to bid.
     
    #29 Former Member 68813, Nov 8, 2014
  10. Kelsey

    Kelsey New Member

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    I'm actually doing that right now! Do you know if the batteries from other years fit in this, as well? Or just 04? (Apologizing now for my complete lack of knowledge)
     
    #30 Kelsey, Nov 8, 2014
  11. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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    I'm pretty sure the same battery was used for MY 04-09. You can conform it by searches on toyota OEM catalogs.

    Edit: yup,
    TOYOTA OEM 04-09 Prius-Battery G951047031
     
    #31 Former Member 68813, Nov 8, 2014
  12. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Any good traction battery from a 2004-2009 model year Prius would be suitable. Try to get a used battery from a newer model year Prius.

    Alternatively, you could buy a used traction battery from a current model Prius (2010 - current) and then transplant the 28 modules into the traction battery case from your car. That would be even better in terms of expected remaining service life.
     
    #32 Patrick Wong, Nov 8, 2014
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  13. Kelsey

    Kelsey New Member

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    Okay, fantastic! I will definitely look into that. I had been reading about transplanting dead cells with new/used ones but wasn't sure about getting that far into it. I think I could manage transferring the modules and it would definitely save me money. Thank you! My odometer is now at 134,800, so I knew when buying it that it was likely it needed a battery.
     
    #33 Kelsey, Nov 8, 2014
  14. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    While you are figuring out what to do with the traction battery replacement, disconnect the 12V battery negative cable where it bolts to the body, and put a charger on the battery to see if it will hold a charge. If not, then replace the 12V battery as well.
     
    #34 Patrick Wong, Nov 8, 2014
  15. Aaron Vitolins

    Aaron Vitolins Senior Member

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    Kelsey, I believe there is a prius battery repair and reconditioning place in Cincinnati
     
    #35 Aaron Vitolins, Nov 8, 2014
  16. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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    With hybrid cars it's not so much miles, but time that kills the batteries. After 10 years the chances of failure are high.
     
    #36 Former Member 68813, Nov 8, 2014
  17. Kelsey

    Kelsey New Member

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    I'll look into it! I appreciate it :)
     
    #37 Kelsey, Nov 8, 2014
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  18. Aaron Vitolins

    Aaron Vitolins Senior Member

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    Did a Google search and a "craigs list automotive services" search
     
    #38 Aaron Vitolins, Nov 8, 2014
  19. Kelsey

    Kelsey New Member

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    Was definitely the HV battery. Picked one up from a local auto parts warehouse from an 08 with 62k for $500. Car runs 1000x more smoothly, all the warning lights went off. No more lagging around turns/up hills and most of all no more fail-safe mode randomly kicking in!! Thanks to everyone who responded!
     
    #39 Kelsey, Nov 10, 2014
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  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    congrats kelsey! that's a great deal, all the best!(y)
     
    #40 bisco, Nov 10, 2014
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