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2014 Prius V drives away after placing it in park.

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Meagan Malia, Jul 9, 2019.

  1. Meagan Malia

    Meagan Malia New Member

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    Hey Everyone! New to the forum but had to join as I have had the same issue twice now with my 2014 Prius V in the last few months after driving it over a year. The first time it happened, I stopped at the top of my driveway on a flat street to check the mail. I put the car in park, left it running as I was coming right back, got out of the car and shut the door. Car was still. I turned my back to walk and check the mailbox and heard a loud crash. While checking the mail, the car had driven away and smashed into a neighbors rock wall. Thank god no one was hurt! I figured it was my fault and somehow park hadn't engaged when I hit the button. Then just a few days ago, I parked in a parking lot, again on a flat surface. I put the car in park and took my foot of the brake. I sat in the car with the AC running while I collected my things for a good minute or 2. I needed something from the back, so I got out, shut the door and as I reached to get in the back door, the car started to drive away smashing into a big cement pillar while I had to run after it to jump in and hit the brake to stop it from crashing into a tree. Has anyone had a similar issue with park not really being in park? The first time I figured I didn't have it in park, but this time I KNOW it was in park as I check extra carefully that the green light goes on now, and I sat in the car gathering my things without the car moving for over a minute. My bad for not applying the emergency brake I know...but still! Most cars stay put in park on a flat surface. And If I wasn't in park why would the vehicle have stayed still for the minute I sat in the car gathering my things? Im at a loss and feel scared to drive the car any more. Any thoughts on what the cause could be or if others have had similar experiences?
     
  2. mjoo

    mjoo Senior Member

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    Did you apply the parking brake?
     
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  3. Meagan Malia

    Meagan Malia New Member

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    No I should have.
     
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  4. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    The park actuator isn't like a regular transmission and they sometimes fail, but this is the first time I've heard it happen when the car is running. When the actuator starts to fail that slight rolling of the wheels after you take your foot off the brake after putting it in park is more noticeable. But your situation seems different in that your dashboard says you're in park but the car clearly isn't in park but still in drive. Perhaps you can replicate the problem when going from reverse to park as well? First thing I'd do is unplug your 12v battery for 5 minutes, aka: hard reset and hope it was just a computer glitch that doesn't return. Next I'd look at the shifter circuit and establish which circuits are normal and which are a problem.
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome!
    sounds like opening the door is causing an electrical malfunction. start with a 12v test.

    what is the history of the car?
     
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  6. Meagan Malia

    Meagan Malia New Member

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    Thanks for all the suggestions and help! RE car history I don't have much. I'm the 2nd owner. Bought it from a dealer in Alabama pre-certified with 37k miles. I've had it about a year and a half and put 20k miles on it.
     
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  7. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    If you are absolutely certain that you did put it into Park first, then consider filing a report with NHTSA:
    File a Vehicle Safety Complaint

    Until you find a fix or a better solution, be sure to engage the parking brake, and turn off the ignition before ever stepping out of the vehicle.
     
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  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    It's very likely @Meagan Malia DID put it in park, considering the car didn't immediately start rolling, as soon she didn't have a foot on the brake.

    At this juncture, for God's sake don't do this anymore, it's serious as all heck. And get it thoroughly checked out.

    If this was a regular practice, maybe sometimes on downhill slopes, could be it gradually "overcame" the parking pawl's efficacy??

    All said, it's always a bad habit, vacating a car just in "park", parking brake not firmly set, and running.

    Better to turn it right off (which puts it in park), set the parking brake, and if you're on any kinda slope angle the wheels, per Driver's Manual (the book that was required reading when applying for driver's license).
     
    #8 Mendel Leisk, Jul 10, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2019
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  9. cnc97

    cnc97 Senior Member

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    That assumes that us in the United States actually read that book. LoL JK
     
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  10. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    P in a Prius is just D with a a pawl stuck in the gears.
    The pawl is electrically moved into position, (except in Prius c, it has a cable) so there are possible electrical failures.

    When your 12 battery is low, sometimes it can't power the motor to push the pawl, and gives a message like "P lock malfunction when parking, park in flat place and apply parking brake securely" which sounds like anything but a low battery.

    In your case, it really sounds like the pawl is being released after it is applied.

    Ford example of a pawl in action.



    Here is the electrical motor, and how it pushes the pawl in the prius, but this does not show the pawl.



    If your motor is not pushing the pawl, or immediately un-applies it, it may be as straightforward as installing a new motor, which is 'simple' compared to going inside the transaxle. If you or your mechanic put a mechanic's stethoscope on that motor you should be able to tell if it is behaving badly.

    www.amazon.com/Lisle-52500-Mechanics-Stethoscope/dp/B0002SQYSM

    Toyota's parts diagram is horrible, but this may be that motor.

    2014 Toyota Prius v Five HYBRID Actuator assembly, shift control. Transmission, fcv, driveline - 3558047030 | Marietta Toyota, Marietta GA
     
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  11. mjoo

    mjoo Senior Member

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    As I recall, the traction battery can send up to 100 amps or so to charge the 12 V. If the 12V were almost dead the OP would see other symptoms as well. I'm suspecting either a damaged park pawl, pawl motor, park push button, output shaft gear, or some very old transmission fluid.

    Does the dash illuminate the "P" when you hit the park button?
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    no offense jumbo, but park is neutral with 'a pawl stuck in the gears' as you so eloquently put it.

    if it were d, it would be tugging at the pawl all the time due to the creep mechanism.
     
  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    if you're sure the 12v is healthy, you may have a rodent problem
     
  14. Robert Holt

    Robert Holt Senior Member

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    (And a friend with a manual-shift vehicles says to “never, ever hot-wire the starter motor while standing beside the engine compartment with the car in 1st gear and the clutch out”.)
     
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  15. IMkenNY

    IMkenNY Im just being nosy

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    In my seven years of driving Toyota and ford plugin vehicles, I have opened the door and the vehicle has Advanced forward on multiple occasions .... fortunately without ever striking anything.

    In my case it was always human error.

    I was pleased to see Honda has addressed this in the Clarity by immediately putting the vehicle in park when the door is opened in conjunction with the seatbelt unfastened.
     
    #15 IMkenNY, Jul 10, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2019
  16. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    I'm going with Jimbo and D, because in P, at least MG1 is energized and can charge the big battery, and the car can move an inch or so under drivetrain forces tugging at everything. N forces both MGs to be de-energized.
    And also assumes that the book even mentions it.

    In the podunk rural interior state where I learned to drive a very long time ago, it was in the state's manual. But when I moved to another state, to the big urban Seattle area, I was astounded to see that it's state manual had less than half the page count of that first state's manual, and a lot of important material was missing. And they didn't want drivers to keep it for reference either, but instead turn it back in immediately after the test so they could re-use it. But I kept mine anyway, both are in a bookshelf together.
     
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  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    good point, maybe its neither or both
     
  18. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Whatever it is it’s dangerous. Never leave the car in ready when you are not in the car until you get it figured out.