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Why won't the engine 'start'?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Lisa99, Sep 30, 2017.

  1. Lisa99

    Lisa99 Junior Member

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    Original owner of a 2011 Prius which has 103,000 miles. Today I depressed the brake and pushed the power button. All of the electronics came on but the anti-traction light on the upper left and all of lights on the far right stayed on (engine light, etc).

    The car was acting like I had pressed the power button without depressing the brake.

    I powered on and off six or seven times, every time the dash lights were identical and the car wouldn't drive. Didn't know what to do so out of desperation I took the car remote and pressed the lock button twice and the unlock button twice. Then started the car and it started right up (complete coincidence?)

    Anybody know what in the heck was going on?
     
    #1 Lisa99, Sep 30, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2017
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  2. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    How old is your 12v auxiliary battery. If it's original, it's probably time to look for a new one.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #2 xliderider, Sep 30, 2017
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  3. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Checked or changed you key fob batteries recently? Checked the 12v battery voltage? Does your Prius have an aftermarket alarm?
     
    #3 Raytheeagle, Sep 30, 2017
  4. Lisa99

    Lisa99 Junior Member

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    The 12v battery is original. We'll take it in and have tested.

    We're also having a problem with the key fob. It eats batteries like they're M&Ms. A battery lasts maybe 8 weeks before it has to be changed.

    I desperately want a Prime, but need to get some more life out of my 2011 first.

    Thanks for giving us some things to check into.
     
    #4 Lisa99, Sep 30, 2017
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  5. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Look for a stuck fob button.

    Replace the 12V battery.
     
    #5 Patrick Wong, Sep 30, 2017
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  6. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Where do you store your keys? Is it near the Prius? Could a button be stuck?
     
    #6 Raytheeagle, Sep 30, 2017
  7. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    The fob battery might last longer once the 12v auxiliary battery is replaced.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #7 xliderider, Sep 30, 2017
  8. Lisa99

    Lisa99 Junior Member

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    Fob is stored inside the house, car is in the driveway.
     
    #8 Lisa99, Sep 30, 2017
  9. Lisa99

    Lisa99 Junior Member

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    We started having a problem with the fob about a year ago. Will be awesome if replacing the 12v battery fixes that too.
     
    #9 Lisa99, Sep 30, 2017
  10. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    At 6-7 years old, you might as well just replace it. It's time.
    That can also cause it to "appear" that your FOB batteries are going dead.

    P.S. You keep saying "THE FOB".
    Hope you have a spare one too.
    If the only one you have goes bad, the fix for that can be REALLY expensive.
     
    #10 Sam Spade, Sep 30, 2017
  11. Lisa99

    Lisa99 Junior Member

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    Thanks everyone for the help. We went to O’Reillys, got a new battery, and the car is good as new.

    We have 2 fobs so no worries there.
     
    #11 Lisa99, Oct 1, 2017
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  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    congrats, all the best!(y)
     
    #12 bisco, Oct 1, 2017
  13. DrTrivia

    DrTrivia Member

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    I have the same problem, and have seen others post about it. I've had my car for 3 years. It started doing this the first year. There appears to be no rhyme or reason to it. I have tested the battery and it is still good. Occasionally the car will not go in to ready mode. I have to turn the electronics on and wait 2-3 minutes before trying again, and it starts. The frequency has not increased over the years as I would expect it to with a dying battery. The fact that it didn't happen to you once you replaced your battery could mean it was a battery issue, or it could mean that it's an infrequent occurrence and you just wasted a bunch of money. To date, I've not seen a "resolution" to this issue (barring the people with actual, confirmed, dying batteries).
     
    #13 DrTrivia, Oct 3, 2017
  14. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Sounds like you may have a bad combination meter. Your odometer lights don't turn on intermittently, but your Cesar actually does start
     
    #14 JC91006, Oct 3, 2017
  15. DrTrivia

    DrTrivia Member

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    Thanks for the suggestion. Not the problem with my car, though. Ready light doesn't come on, engine doesn't come on, car will not shift in to gear, etc. The car is certainly not on when this occurs. Fortunately, it rarely delays me more than about 2-3 minutes, so it's more of an annoyance than a serious issue.
     
    #15 DrTrivia, Oct 4, 2017
  16. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    If that's the case, you may have a bad brake switch or it's out of adjustment. Next time this happens, press down hard on the brake and then press start.
     
    #16 JC91006, Oct 4, 2017
  17. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    If that's the case, you may have a bad brake switch or it's out of adjustment. Next time this happens, press down hard on the brake and then press start.
     
    #17 JC91006, Oct 4, 2017
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