2001 Prius Issues

I'm sure one of the mods will move this to the Gen I forum. It has been hidden as a subforum of Gen II for several years now, which throws everyone and helps no one, but apparently the admins like it that way for some reason because no one has been able to prevail on them to change it back.

The computers in your car are capable of detecting many dozens of problem conditions, and the few light bulbs on the dash only tell you that some problem is detected, not what problem it is. For that you need to have the computers actually scanned for the trouble codes, and on a Gen I Prius that can only be done by a small number of scan tools that are able to communicate with all the computers in the car. The Toyota dealer will have one. Most other shops/ auto parts stores/ etc. will not, and as one of your first purchases for the car you may very well want to get one. (Several usable choices are discussed in other threads in the Gen I forum.) It easily pays for itself because you will be referring to it pretty much any time you have an issue with your car, and it will save you from depending on the dealer, or going to some local shop that tells you they read the codes but really only read some of them. (We had a recent thread here where the poster was told outright by a mechanic that his scan tool could read all the codes in a Prius, and then he used one that couldn't.)

Since you have a problem right now, it might be fastest to just go to the dealer and have them read the codes. Make sure they give you the full list of codes they read; sometimes they might not if you don't ask.

Because of the way it corresponds to taking your foot off the pedal, I might guess at the accelerator position sensor - but there isn't any need to guess, because once you have the trouble codes you can post them here, and they will point the direction to go.

Cheers,
-Chap

 

Try cleaning the throttle plate and throttle body interior.

If that doesn't help then have the DTC read. If you obtain Mini VCI you can DIY.

The Classic Prius forum is located here:
Generation 1 Prius Discussion | PriusChat

 

lol

 

Brian,
I too am new to hybrids. Did you get a chance to figure this out yet?
Some of your symptoms seem similar to mine.
Trying to Diagnose Problem(s) With Gen1 | PriusChat

I can tell you that I did clean the throttle body and Mass Airflow Sensor and it seemed to help my problem... for a while at least. I'm waiting for an OBDLink MX to arrive so I can see if it will pull any codes (using Torque plus Custom PIDs created by forum members for GenI). The TechStream Lite with USB cable combo is probably a better way to get all the info but I can't afford to maintain the TechStream subscription right now.