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"Check hybrid system" failure & P0A0F code

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Jim Caldwell, Aug 31, 2019.

  1. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I’d go to Harbor Freight and get 2 wheel dollies for cars;).

    Jack the front of the car up and slide the dollies under the front wheels and it back out:).

    The Prius is like any other front wheel drive car that you would tow: make sure the front wheels are off the ground and you’ll be fine(y).
     
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  2. Jim Caldwell

    Jim Caldwell Member

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    Trouble piling up on trouble! I jumped 12v batt to another car. Hit start button twice without pushing brake.....pressed the parking mode button repeatedly, with my son pushing on car. But the light will not go out snd front wheels are locked up. We never pushed the emergency brake on. So cant get it towed to toyota sevice center. Am up the creek without paddle now. What can i do?
    I connected up techsream once more to be sure there were no engine ststemy dtc set and there is nothing. Checked data screen for hybrid system and i saw where it give statues/voltage for 24 cell pairs. Am worried about pulling the main batt abnormally low with all of my car on tests. Can you plse interpret these readings for me?

    Batt block vol: vol 1 14.96
    2 14.87
    3 14.87
    4 14.87
    5. 14.87
    6 14.84
    7 14.87
    8 14.84
    9 14.89
    10 14.89
    11 14.79
    12 14.89
    13 14.91
    14 14.96
    What is charge state of pak? Cell pair 11 is .1 lower than the others. Does that mean its weak and may cause the pack to fail soon?
     
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    see post #41
     
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  4. Jim Caldwell

    Jim Caldwell Member

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    Ok. But i also raised the issue of the main battery pak in #42. Would appreciate if someone could advise me on that. Thsnks all!
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you need to do a load test to get the proper delta's
     
  6. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    The pack looks to be at 208 volts (approximately). Sum up all the modules voltage and you’ll get where the pack is at.

    It might be a bit low, so look into moving it out of its spot for the tow for further diagnostics.
     
  7. Jim Caldwell

    Jim Caldwell Member

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    Ok thanks. I was reading up on the Prolong charger and reconditioner, and it seems that pulling the pack down below minimum normal discharge isnt going to destroy the pack, it can be a good thing.....snce the reconditioning process actually does a deep discharge. I think in order to do this Prolong charging/ reconditioning, you have to access the battery pak to install a wiring harness.....right?
     
  8. Jim Caldwell

    Jim Caldwell Member

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    The car has 140k on it. After it gets repaired, should i now clean intake and egr pipes, and change spark plugs? Irridium plugs are best?
     
  9. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    To use the Prolong equipment, you need to install a harness;).

    But they have step by step instructions with pics on their website, so the install is easy :).

    I’d clean the egr circuit stem to stern and change out the plugs with the recommended Densi plugs (y).
     
  10. AsianDriver

    AsianDriver New Member

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    If the engine shuts down when gu oun are trying to start it. It might be for a good reason. Like trying to prevent you from burning up the engine. A wild guess... have you check your coolant pump????
     
  11. Jim Caldwell

    Jim Caldwell Member

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  12. Jim Caldwell

    Jim Caldwell Member

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    The maf sensor had been replaced by fed mccomb toyoya mechanics the day before , and i drove it from San Antonio to where i live in Mathis....120 miles. No fault indications, the check engine light that had been on due to bad maf sensor remained off. The next morning was when car fsile4d to start/run. Had car towed to mike Shaw toyota in corpus as its only 30 miles. They found the problem in minutes since i told them that the maf sensor had just been replaced. The mechanic at Red MCcomb toyota left some tube on the intake disconnected! Thats all that was wrong. They charged me only the 70.00 diagnostic fee.....was pretty happy about that.
     
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  13. PapaWill

    PapaWill Member

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    Following this discussion... Did anyone find a solution? I have an '07 with P0A0F/205 and I am pulling my hair out. IU have tested EVERYTHING!
    Anyone?
     
  14. Elektroingenieur

    Elektroingenieur Senior Member

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    Keep in mind that the cause of the trouble with @Jim Caldwell's car may not be the same as the cause of the trouble with your car.
    The Repair Manual (more info) procedure for DTC P0A0F, Engine Failed to Start, says there should, ordinarily, be one or more DTCs stored in the engine control module (ECM), which may help you know why the engine failed to start. As I suggested earlier in the thread, have you checked for those, and if so, which DTCs did you find?

    If you’re not finding any DTCs in the ECM, can you at least access the Data List for the ECM, to prove that the ECM is working and that your diagnostic system or scan tool can communicate with it?
     
  15. PapaWill

    PapaWill Member

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    Thanks for your response Electroingenieur! I won't try to pronounce that.

    The code previous was P0121which Does not seem to appear any more... just the P0A0F code. So the throttle position sensor... Just to back up a bit, this car belongs to a friend's son and they replaced the throttle body with a used part from a junk yard. The original part was faltering, as far as I know. The original part was causing the butterfly to "chatter" at idle and I believe the above P0121 code was thrown at that time.

    They turned it over to me since then because they felt it was over their head. The car is a no start currently. I have tested EVERYthing as I have said, including MAF, fuel pressure (43 psi), fuel pump relay cassette, camshaft position sensor, fuel injection rail, HV ECU. I have TS. We also have a 350 mAmp charger on the hybrid battery to keep it from going dead whilst I check things out. The charger is not ON while I am working on car... just for a couple of hours before or after working on it. So should I install the old TPS onto the used throttle body? Should i take it apart see if it is in need of a cleaning? What are the next steps please!
     
  16. ozmatt

    ozmatt Active Member

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    you are overlooking a couple things, and the biggest thing you are overlooking is this code!

    you do NOT get P0A0F on a running engine, quit bothering about the hybrid battery

    As Priucamper pointed out in his first reply, what you are hearing is the ice turning over, but it is NOT running, trust me on this, if you have P0A0F = engine FAIL TO START. it is NOT starting, its just winding they sound 99% the same winding as they do running, its the atkinson cycle way!

    Try these two things ...

    1. Check the injectors are actually pulsing with a test light, globe or analogue multi meter

    2. Reset the 12v or do whatever you need to do to make it attempt to start the ice, while its winding over (at the stage where it sounds like started but really its just winding) spray some sort of engine start spray or alcohol based whatever down the throttle body and see if it actually starts


    good luck
     
  17. PapaWill

    PapaWill Member

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    Ozmatt, I realize the difference between engine spinning and actually starting.
    I tried the starting fluid in the throttle body and yes, the engine did attempt to kick over once or twice while spinning.

    I am using TS with AllData.
     
    #57 PapaWill, Feb 12, 2021
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2021
  18. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Well, not so much to do with the Atkinson cycle as just the way the engine gets started.

    Gasoline engines typically idle at around 1000 rpm. Conventional cars have a starter motor that only cranks the engine at somewhere around 200 rpm, just enough for it to start firing and shake/splutter its way up to idle speed.

    A Prius has a big electric motor MG1 that just goes and spins the engine right up to idle speed to begin with, and then the fuel and spark get turned on. That's why the cranking sounds just as if the engine started.
     
  19. PapaWill

    PapaWill Member

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    Chappy, that’s all great and thank you! I’m trying to get the bigger running again! What happens is: I clear codes, spin engine, no start, code comes back!
    Where to go from here?
     
  20. ozmatt

    ozmatt Active Member

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    there is hardly no difference that's the thing,

    if you have P0A0F its not starting so you think you know its starting, but the laptop is telling you its not

    good luck with it, hope you get it sorted