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Codes on '06 ABS/VSC/(!), Question re Techstream & Mini VCI

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Wizeguy, Feb 21, 2015.

  1. Wizeguy

    Wizeguy Junior Member

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    I started out the New Year requiring replacement of the 12V battery, hybrid battery, and hybrid battery fan in my 2006 with 142,000 miles. Everything has been great until today, when first startup of the day displayed the VSC, ABS and (!) lights. No check engine, and thankfully (I guess) no red triangle.

    Been searching this forum, and I guess if I plan to hang on to this car & get my money out of that traction battery, I need to be able to pull codes. Unless I'm missing something, it appears that getting a Mini VCI plug & using Toyota's Techstream software is the only option for DIY.

    The connectors are all over the interwebs, no biggie. But what's the deal with Techstream? Is it a cloud-based app you subscribe to? Or is there a standalone software out there I'm just not finding? I could find links for different levels of subscription on Toyota's tech portal, so if $15 for a 2-day gig to pull my codes is all I need (besides the connector), then that's way better than a stealership visit. Unless I'm just getting old & don't understand what I'm looking at/for.

    So is that how it works, a Mini-VCI, a 32-bit XP laptop, and a 2-day subscription to TIS?
     
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    That's pretty much right, the Techstream software will (supposedly) work with any J2534 dongle, where Toyota officially tests one called the Mongoose from Drew Technology, which is about $500, and the MiniVCI is a cheap offshore clone of that.

    As for the software, you can obtain Techstream from TIS, and it works for a limited time tied to your TIS subscription, only the last I checked, the $15 two-day subscription didn't include it, but the $55 two-day "pro" subscription did. That's the official way.

    The unofficial way is, it seems that many of the online vendors who will sell you a cheap MiniVCI dongle will also throw in a copy of Techstream that their piracy experts have, ahem, adjusted so it doesn't require a subscription any more. I have not tried it, but I think there are others on PriusChat who have gone that route and report that the software works ok. Apart from the right-or-wrong question, I would probably also be cautious because I don't know whether an outfit that would modify Techstream to rip off Toyota would also modify it to rip off me (some members have found malware installed along with the Techstream copy), so if I ever do try it, I will probably do so on a sacrificial laptop that I never use for my online banking or to keep any important files on.

    What I'd ideally like to see is somebody at Toyota noticing that their licensing structure for Techstream is driving people to pirated copies, and maybe evenually making the official procedure more customer-friendly. But I don't know whether that'll ever happen.

    -Chap
     
  3. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    ABS, VSC Lights... Weird!! | PriusChat

    Let us know what comes up. As for needing the HV battery fan replaced....that would be the first time I have heard that one mentioned. They can get dirty and need cleaning, but did it really fail? If it really failed, then I wonder if your HV battery did actually fail, or just overheated.
     
  4. Wizeguy

    Wizeguy Junior Member

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    Thank you very much for that! Interesting procedure, I wasn't aware this existed.

    Followed the procedure, didn't expect a constantly flashing light show! I suppose I thought it would run through one system at a time, so I was prepared for the lights to blink one at a time. So if I observed correctly after figuring out what was going on, here are the blink results I got:

    ABS 31
    VSC 43
    (!) 36

    Now where might I find the corresponding data to know what that tells me?
     
  5. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    Front speed sensor RH circuit
    The others are not listed in the Brake Control service manual, which happens from time to time. The blink procedure is a bit hit or miss, and not always easy to decode since some circuits may be outputting more than one DTC. However, the first code is a possibility, and points to the front right speed sensor not working. That can be from road damage, or ice buildup as just happened recently. You would need to take off the wheel and have a look.

    To reset the lights, start up the same way as before, with the jumper in place, and press the brake pedal 8 times in 5 seconds. Shut down, remove the jumper, and restart.
     
    #5 nh7o, Feb 22, 2015
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2015
  6. Wizeguy

    Wizeguy Junior Member

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    Thx nh70, I'll inspect that within the next day or so.

    With regard to your previous question on the hybrid fan, I wish I could confirm the condition myself. Since (you may recall from your input on a previous thread) Toyota extended me some "goodwill warranty" relief, the dealer did the work.

    The tech did note on the initial inspection that the fan electrics were corroded and very likely to fail. I can confirm that the fan was running at a high rate when I dropped off the car for the hybrid battery replacement, so at least I know it was operating.

    My cousin's husband is a Hybrid Service Tech at another dealer, and he told me they are starting to see more of this corrosion condition in Gen IIs. That's all the additional info I can offer on this fan topic.

    Maybe I'll pull things apart & make sure he cleaned out the fan duct, see what I can tell from looking at the fan assembly. Shoot, maybe the orig fan is still in there, wouldn't put it past a dealer to pad the bill. Toyota Corporate goodwill countered by dealer BS.
     
  7. Wizeguy

    Wizeguy Junior Member

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    Pulled and visually inspected condition of RF sensor. Looked great, honestly. Pulled LF sensor for good measure & comparison, it was really clean too. Tried unsuccessfully to reset the lights using the brake pedal method described, several attempts didn't work. I have a Mini VCI delivering Wednesday, I'll clear them that way if I need to.

    Interesting discovery however. Since I was busy pulling wheels, I went ahead and pulled the rear wheels to check brake wear. Behind the LR wheel assembly I noticed a piece of angled metal CLEARLY disconnected from where it was supposed to be. On closer inspection, there is a pot or some kind of actuator at the top of this piece, and a dangling bolt at the bottom that's supposed to be attached to a mount on the rear "axle" assembly. I'm assuming this is intended to feed ride height info to one system or another. So I found a correct nut & reconnected it.

    Is it possible this is what threw the code(s)? Anyone know what that sensor is for? Not good at posting pics, but I'll try in a few minutes.

    EDIT: Finally located the right parts diagram, looks like that disconnected sensor is the ride control height sensor. Not sure if that would have caused any of the codes, however.
     
    #7 Wizeguy, Feb 23, 2015
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2015
  8. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    That sensor is for the control of the headlight angle, which gets lowered when the car is weighted down. It will light up it's own light on the dash if the inside of the sensor gets corroded , but wouldn't trigger your codes.
     
  9. Wizeguy

    Wizeguy Junior Member

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    I received the MVCI interface today. Other than being a really slick tool, it pretty much told me what nh70 told me after the blink test.

    C0200 Front Speed Sensor RH Circuit

    It also pulled a code from the Air Conditioner ECU: B1421 Solar Sensor Circuit (Passenger Side)

    I'll have to figure out what that one is about.

    But interestingly, I could not clear the fault indicator lights. They wouldn't clear when I tried earlier this week using the brake pedal/jumped DLC procedure. They wouldn't clear through Techstream either?!? Unless of course the fault is immediately storing again right after I clear it. Would welcome any ideas on why the warning lights won't reset.
     
  10. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    It would seem that the speed sensor has actually failed, so yes the error condition will still be seen. If the error comes right back without driving the car, that would say that the sensor input at the ECU detects an open or short circuit condition. So the problem could be wiring harness or plug related. You would need to get an ohm meter to trace out the connections.

    The AC DTC simply means that you are in a garage, and the dashboard light sensor does not see sunlight. It is a silly thing to have as a DTC, but that's the way they think over there.
     
  11. Wizeguy

    Wizeguy Junior Member

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    IMG_20150226_115730_078.jpg

    The importance of a thorough inspection is once again shown.

    In the process of re-checking the RH speed sensor, my focus was on the wiring & connector, based on nh70's assertions. Could not find the wiring route inside the engine compartment, so I deduced it was probably mounted to the inner fender. When I pulled down the fender skirt, a small piece of wiring harness fell out, with a chewed-through piece of blue wire inside. Uh-oh.

    The above picture is of the speed sensor connector. Connected to nada.

    I guess a wiring repair is cheaper than a new sensor! Now I hope the little bastards haven't chewed through anything else.
     
  12. Wizeguy

    Wizeguy Junior Member

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    Folks, am I screwed? Have found upon attempting repair, this sensor wire is not a "normal" wire. It has some sort of shielding around it, and an uninsulated third wire. I also pulled the headlight assembly, hoping to track the wire to another connector, thinking I could replace just the section of bad wiring between connectors. No dice, it routes into a harnass bundle.

    Can anyone familiar with electrical systems in Prius tell me, is this fixable? Or am I looking at having an entire portion of the wiring harnass replaced?
     
  13. valde3

    valde3 Senior Member

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    Third wire is just shield so it doesn’t connect to anything in the sensors end. Since problem is so close to connector and you don’t need to replace long wire you can just repair the two signal wires.
     
  14. Wizeguy

    Wizeguy Junior Member

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    Thankfully, success!

    Did the best repair I could on the 2 wires, snipped the shielding wire, and buttoned everything back up. First try putting it back into Ready, all the warning lights disappeared. Yay!

    Thanks all for the assistance getting it figured out.
     
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  15. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    There have been enough reports over the years of rodent damage to wires, that anyone parking outside needs to take some precautions. I have found that a very small LED (~2W at most) placed on the ground under the transaxle will discourage nocturnal critters.