1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Weird, intermittent indicator lamps (VSC, Battery, Triangle of Doom, "(!)", and Hybrid System) P0A08

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by HDuncan, Apr 2, 2016.

  1. HDuncan

    HDuncan Member

    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2009
    122
    30
    0
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Well, I think I could have done the repair myself but needed the car repaired quickly and there were no prius' at the local pick-n-pull, so I went ahead and had the dealer do the repair. They offered a 15% discount so the total to replace the DC/DC Converter (I think they literally swapped just the DC/DC Converter, and did not replace the entire inverter) came out to $1600 out the door...

    On the way home, the lights came back on, this time, accompanied by Check Engine light. I decided to just go home and run TechStream to see if its the same code or a different one. Different code.

    Now I'm showing P3000 and P0A80...

    Does this mean I paid $1600 for nothing? This appears to be related to the hybrid battery. I was suspicious that the DC/DC Converter was not at fault when my 12v battery readings kept coming back fine (based on comments I've read from you in other related threads). I questioned the dealership and they said that replacing the converter was Toyota's confident recommendation, so I agreed... Now I'm thinking I made a mistake. Maybe it was the hybrid battery that was at fault all along?

    Is it possible for a botched DC/DC install to mess up the batteries? The guy told me they did a hybrid battery check and it showed the battery was fine. Something seems weird.
     
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    18,198
    6,461
    0
    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    What was the part number and description of the replaced part?

    I would not expect the traction battery to be negatively impacted by the DC/DC converter.
     
  3. HDuncan

    HDuncan Member

    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2009
    122
    30
    0
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    From the print-out:
    G9270-47040 "CONVERTER ASSY" -- $688.98
    00272-SLLC2 "SUPER LONG LI" -- 24.19
    08826-00100 "SEAL PACKING" -- 95.92


    I did the battery fan clean-out just in case. It wasn't terrible but pretty dusty.
    Check-engine light remains.

    I did notice some weird battery behavior on the screen, where it would be full, then show empty. Thought maybe this was due to the car being disconnected from the 12v for a while and its "relearning" itself. Battery seems to have stabilized now but stays toward the bottom around 2 or 3 bars. I think the check engine line first came on when it got down to 1 bar.

    What is weird is that I never experienced this behavior before. the P0A08 code is gone thanks to the dealer, but now I have two new one's in it's place. Not sure whether I'm just lucky, or if it wasn't the DC Converter at all, or if this other issue was being covered up somehow by the DC failure..

    I'm still suspicious that the converter was fine given my 12v readings being consistently good.
     
  4. jadziasman

    jadziasman Prius owner emeritus

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2011
    1,355
    486
    0
    Location:
    District 6
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    You have the unfortunate experience of a stealership technician who played whack-a-mole troubleshooting. That happens
    sometimes. Hopefully they stand by their work with a 90 day warranty and will repair what really needs to be fixed which is
    probably the HV battery since your SOC is fluctuating quickly which is the classic sign of a bad batt.
     
  5. HDuncan

    HDuncan Member

    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2009
    122
    30
    0
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Well, I checked the oil and noticed that it was past full... I'm thinking the technician was trying to do me a favor as part of their standard service and topped me off.. I used my handy vacuum pump to siphon out a little so that the dipstick reads about 90% to the full line.

    I reset the DTC using tech stream and so far, the light has not returned.

    The SOC stays mostly around 80%, occasionally getting up to 100% full green bars, and only once through the entire day did I notice it plunge down to 2 or 1 bars... I think last time the check engine came on, it was when the SOC 1 bar dropped to 0 bars, but my memory is fuzzy on that. Probably making it up.

    I also noticed a kind of hot, motor-oil smell after driving the car for a while.. Is this a symptom of overfilling the oil?
     
  6. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    18,198
    6,461
    0
    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    That is a symptom of someone spilling oil on the back of the engine where it dripped onto the exhaust manifold and is causing the burning smell. Or if it continues, maybe your engine valve cover gasket has a leak and oil is dripping on the exhaust manifold.

    I guess you are right about the DC/DC converter being separately replaceable. That is good news for owners who have a Prius with a botched jumpstart... The price is $474 here:
    CONVERTER ASSY W AI | Genuine Toyota | G9270-47040
     
    bshef likes this.
  7. HDuncan

    HDuncan Member

    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2009
    122
    30
    0
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Well, I took it back to the dealership today and they are saying my HV battery appears to have also gone bad by coincidence.

    Considering the DC/DC converter rarely fails except by botched jumpstart (which has not happened), and considering that my 12v was being recharged fine, what are the odds that the converter really did not need replacing at all, and that it was the HV battery all along?

    Can a dying traction battery cause P0A08?

    If not, is it possible that a bad converter can somehow "disguise" a failing traction battery?

    It just seems awfully unlikely that both of these would fail simultaneously, or that the traction battery would die the day I get my car back from a converter swap...

    I called Toyota and though its a 2005 with 160k, they are going to get back to me on whether they can provide me with any out-of-warranty assistance. Very generous of them.. yet I can't help but feel disappointed.
     
  8. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    18,198
    6,461
    0
    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I have not seen an issue like your posted previously. It is hard to say for sure whether the original DC/DC converter was bad unless you replace the traction battery and reinstall the original DC/DC converter.
     
    HDuncan likes this.
  9. HDuncan

    HDuncan Member

    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2009
    122
    30
    0
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    UPDATE: Toyota Good Will Battery Replacement!

    Just wanted to post an update. I called Toyota and they ended up doing a good-will battery replacement for me. Total out the door cost for the new battery was $200....

    Can't believe it. So grateful! It definitely pays to ask!!!
     
  10. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2013
    16,463
    8,377
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    200 bucks? Cool
     
  11. HDuncan

    HDuncan Member

    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2009
    122
    30
    0
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Yes. 200 bucks. For anyone else looking into this, I called the following number (toyota customer service) which was provided to me by my service advisor at the dealership. He told me that I would need to call and open a claim, then toyota will call the dealership and speak with the advisor and/or manager and I believe they review your history at the dealership. I assume if you spend a lot of money at the dealership and have purchased cars from them, you might have better luck, but I'm not sure what all goes into the decision. just speculating.

    1 (800) 331-4331
     
    bisco likes this.
  12. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2004
    4,365
    3,209
    1
    Location:
    Madison, Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    So can someone explain to me why games like this have to played?

    If the service can be provided to the customer at a lower cost, why isn't there an across the board policy that can be implemented simply and easily on the front end?

    Feels like such a scam. Kind if a lie by omission.
     
    fotomoto likes this.
  13. Mozencrath

    Mozencrath Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2006
    50
    5
    0
    Hi - What was the end result here? I have the same exact issue. Any fix?
     
  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,861
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    toyota is huge on dealer loyalty. it's the first question they asked me when i complained about pip ev range degradation. they didn't care that i have owned 7 toyotas in the last 15 years, they only cared where i have them serviced. when i said a local mechanic, there was a long pause on the other end of the phone.
     
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,861
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    new traction battery. call toyota for a $200. comp.
     
  16. Mozencrath

    Mozencrath Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2006
    50
    5
    0
    Why would they give me a $200 comp battery?
     
  17. Dxta

    Dxta Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2016
    1,932
    766
    0
    Location:
    Lagos
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    You've got to go back to the beginning of the thread. But in the meantime, a converter replacement took care of the INTERMITTENT LIGHTS he had complained about, while HV replacement took care of the P0A08 code.