computer problems

Well, to start I wouldn't take it to whatever dealer service department you're using. It sounds like they don't know what they're doing in regards to the Prius.

If the car is driveable...drive it to another dealer's service department. Call around first to find one with a a tech certified to repair Prii. Then take your car there. Even if it is farther. Even if it is a bit of a drive. Better to have someone that really knows your car work on it then have it messed up as a "learning experience" for techs that don't know what they're doing.

 

this sounds like a loss of 12 volt power to the Power button or the main fuse panel or loose connection on the jump terminal in the fuse box under the hood on the drivers side. Shouldn't be that hard to trace down. Quick question do you also loose the window power up and down settings as well? I so that's a sure sign of loss of 12 volt power.

 

It's my understanding that other than the power, the clock is self-contained and in no way connects to the rest of the car (correct me if I'm wrong, folks), so if you're experiencing problems with that particular component resetting, I'd look at power first like Frank suggests.

 

start with fuse #7 on the panel hidden by the LF door on the side of the dash as it controls a lot of functions that you describe having problems with. Other than that pull out the multi meter and start checking from the 12 volt battery and work foward. But I have to ask, what the hell is the dealer doing and maybe a letter to Toyota will bring some action. Also if it sets any of the hybrid or the MIL it should have stored some codes that they would use to start the checking process. I agree with Godiva on this one. New dealer time.

 

I think it's possessed. Take it to an exorcist! (Or at least a dealer who knows how to diagnose and fix Priuses.)

 

DH had something similar to that- turned out to be a loose negative 12v battery connection. that's definitely in the 12v system.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ May 29 2006, 11:15 PM) [snapback]262597[/snapback]</div>

Not to be another lemming, but YES, everything you said points to the 12 volts system dropping below some minimum voltage. I'd recommend monitoring the 12 volt post under the hood (inside the fuse box) before you try starting the vehicle, after you've started it, and then again after you've run the car for a while. It could just be a bum battery, draining itself while the car sits.

 

You can monitor the 12 volts while driving or just after start up by accessing the diagnostic screen.
Check recent posts for more info on how to enter diagnostic mode. http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=13328&hl=

 

This reminds me of a thread in an online-game forum for a game I play.

Someone asked why the intro-music for the game played every time she started the game. The music only plays when you have the game CD in the machine (you don't need the CD to play).

So, in a matter of minutes there were scores of replies saying "Take the CD out!".

Last time I checked there were over 15,000 replies to the thread all with some variant of "Take the CD out!".

For years after that people would run up to her in-game, say "Take the CD Out!" and run away.

Oh, yeah, the question on this thread - It's probably an intermittent 12V connection

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tempus @ May 30 2006, 04:14 PM) [snapback]262989[/snapback]</div>

You're not getting off that easy. Which game?!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(townpoets @ May 28 2006, 11:31 PM) [snapback]262247[/snapback]</div>

Just FYI, I had this *exact* set of problems. So far it seems the people who have posted here have just taken educated guesses/stabs at resolving the problem.

The clock will reset to 1:00
The map area resets to the New York/ New Jersey area
Radio presets are all erased and set to defaults
SKS doesnt work
Remote unlock on the fob doesnt work
Car alarm goes off when you enter the car manually.
Sometimes the ICE doesnt come on
Sometimes warning lights come on.
And - one you did not list -
the window auto up/auto down one touch memory is erased. You can reset it by putting the window all the way up and holding it for an additional second.

The cause of this problem set?
I was out of town for the majority of april in DC, due to this abscence the AUX battery discharged. I had to manually open the car(slightly tricky with no juice), obtain a battery charger that does the 2 amp trickle charge recommended in the manual(extremely tricky with no car in CA), then I removed the leads to the AUX battery, charged for 15 minutes, restored the leads, started the car - and everything seemed happy.

But thats when the problems happened. In June, I took the car in for the stearing assembly recall. The problems seemed to get really bad after this.

For July, Iwas gone the entire month to japan, but had a neighbor start my car and let it run once a week. Big pain in the as&

The problems werent as bad as when I got back, but they were definitely still there. I had my workarounds, like opening the door, or playing with the alarm, that usually started to get the juice flowing. Still, I was not happy.

The fix:
I guessed that the AUX battery needed replacing under the logic that sometimes when batteries completely discharge, their chemistry never functions quite correctly again. I told my nearest dealer I needed a new battery, to which they replied they are out of stock... a new battery could be special ordered but it would cost $120. I figured a small price to pay for getting these problems fixed.

When I take my car in, the dealer tells me its under warrenty. Great.

When I pick up the car they tell me they took it out, but there was no leakage, so they put it back in.

Ever since then, the car has been running great - no resets of the systems. Either it was just a loose cable that the dealer inadvertedly corrected by removing then reinstalling the AUX battery, or they lied to me and replaced the battery, oorrr something completely unrelated that they fixed either intentionally or unintentionally without telling me. If you cant tell I dont trust car dealerships too much.

Anyways, best of luck. Let me know if I can help further.
-Dave

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jentzd @ Sep 1 2006, 12:07 AM) [snapback]312599[/snapback]</div>

Of course they're just educated guesses... There's not much else you can do over the internet! LOL

glad you got your problem solved.

 

Glad they found it. Just for anyone else's info., things to check:

The battery posts are mostly lead, and they will oxydize. If you remove the cable and clean the post with a wire brush, it will often solve such problems.

I have seen two cases of poor crimping in a fuse box. If you peer through the plastic of a fuse box, you will see that wires are crimped on the fuse holding female connectors underneath the plastic. If these are poorly crimped, there will be an intermittant, and it can be a fire hazzard!

Take a multimeter, and check the voltage of the battery -before- you start the car (oops, on proof reading I suppose I should say "turn on" the car, not "start"). Preferably after it has been sitting at least overnight. Do not rely on the MFD reading. It is computer driven and can get confused. If you have a "bad" battery you will notice the voltage will be low - below 12V. If it's down below 11V after one overnight you have a shorted cell. Time for a new battery. Lead acid batteries will have a "surface charge" right after you shut off the car. They should hold 13V or so for at least a few hours. Eventually they will drop to about 12.5V and a good battery should hold that for several days. Once all the surface charge is gone, 12V should be seen.
Be aware your meter may not be accurate so keep that in mind.

BTW, the "gel cell" battery is just a lead acid battery. There are currently three basic types, the liquid electrolyte ones we have been using for years (with a few sub types of those), the gel cells, where the liquid is held in a jelly, and the glass matt type where the liquid is held in a glass matt (often called AGM or some other three letter combination). Optima makes the latter, for example.

The Prius is a prime candidate for a "deep discharge" type of either of the three above, as it doesn't draw high currents from the 12V battery.

The main reason for the gel cell and glass matt types is they will not spill sulphuric acid in the event of brakage (accident or battery explosion). In the case of the Prius, because the battery is in the cabin, they pretty much had to use one of these two types. They could have used a NiMH, but it would have raised the initial cost of the vehicle. The upside of using one would be no loss of the battery when discharged fully. It would last almost as long as the "traction battery". Just as long if they controlled the charging like they do for that battery.

Did I mention I love this car and the technology employed therein!?

 

These ECUs get down around 10 or 11 volts supplied, they freak out.
.
_H*

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jentzd @ Sep 1 2006, 01:07 AM) [snapback]312599[/snapback]</div>

Of course it does... every other area of the country is unimportant. :lol: