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Driver door open/Red Triangle of Death

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Tony714, Sep 20, 2019.

  1. Tony714

    Tony714 Member

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    So recently I discovered something. When my Gen 2 (2005) is in drive and I open the driver's door, I get the Red Triangle of Death. Also, a warning pops up on the touch screen saying, "Press (P) to engage Park, the batteries will not be charged if the transaxle is in Neutral (N).

    What's up with that?
     
  2. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    That's the way it is designed. Always has been.

    If the vehicle is on and engaged and you open the door without turning the car off, it warns you that the car could run away from you.
     
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  3. Tony714

    Tony714 Member

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    Ok, I get that. But why when I simply open the door does it cause the batteries to stop charging? What if I want to dump out a cup of coffee on the ground at a stoplight?
     
  4. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    If you were to put the car in neutral and apply the parking brake, because you were going to exit the car you could easily drain the HV battery if you had the AC running. The car does not charge the HV battery when it's in neutral. One of the reasons we always warn people about going into automatic carwashes that require the car to be in neutral. AC system can put a significant load on the battery.

    If they didn't put that warning up, think of how many times they would be trash talked/sued because someone ran the HV battery down to Zero.....
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    it doesn't. it is simply telling you to put the car in park, and it will continue to charge the battery. in neutral, it will not.
    nothing changes when you open the door, those are just warnings to educate you by sending you to priuschat
     
  6. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Exactly... Everything still works... Even works better in some circumstances. Like sometimes when racing people at stop lights I swing my door open right as I floor it and not only does it make the car go faster, but if often confuses the person I'm racing which gives me that extra second of advantage because they think I'm crazy! BUT I'M CLEARLY NOT CRAZY.... I just like to win in the 0-10mph race away from stoplights. That's the category that Prius is fastest at....
     
  7. Tony714

    Tony714 Member

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    So then, how do I safely go thru one of those auto car washes?
     
  8. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Turn off your AC....

    and open the windows..:)

    JK about opening the windows.

    It will depend greatly on the condition of your HV battery. If its original, I'd probably turn off the AC completely. If it's in good shape, you could probably leave the AC on lowest setting and make it through with no problems at all.

    It's the owners risk to take......but getting the RTOD in the middle of a car wash would be rough...choose wisely young grasshopper...
     
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    if its the original battery, i wouldn't. find one where you don't have to put it in neutral
     
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  10. Tony714

    Tony714 Member

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    The previous owner said it was a replacement battery and showed me an invoice by one of these battery specialist places. I only halfway trust it because it seems to drain FAST. How fast? I drove from Orange County to Hesperia (90 miles) and by the time I topped the Cajon pass, the battery was down to like 3 bars. Scared the poop out of me.
     
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  11. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    If it is not a new battery it doesn't matter. It's a used battery. He could have 100% paid someone to put in a replacement battery. Doesn't mean the battery isn't crap. The best replacement batteries you can buy without doing lots of work yourself are the GreenBean and Dorman ones because they have so much equipment and material to choose from to make a properly paired pack. Having said that, most of them are crap. We have just aged out of the time period where replacement cells were possible and now replacement used packs are possible. It is now replace it fully with a new pack or junk the car.
     
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  12. Tony714

    Tony714 Member

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    Eh, in all reality I don't plan on having it that long. Bought it 4 months ago with 195K on it. Plan on having it for less than two years with a plan for 10K miles per year. Hopefully, it stays together till then. Whole reason I bought it was the dude had a new/refurbed battery and had an invoice for it.
     
  13. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    You're unlikely to get 2 years of driving at 10k year out of a refurb. Lower miles means more sitting periods which is detrimental and then 2 years is iffy with most of them.
     
  14. Tony714

    Tony714 Member

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    Good to know. Maybe I'll sell it in a year. What are the most common symptoms of a battery going kaput?
     
  15. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    Quick charge and discharge times is the easiest to spot symptom.
     
  16. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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  17. Tony714

    Tony714 Member

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    I, uh, am not following you. Could you be more specific?
     
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  18. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    There no signature if your using your phone.
     
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  19. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yeah, I see too: even if you click on his avatar (on a phone), doesn't seem to get you his avatar either. Unless I'm missing it. Anyway, His signature has this link:

    NewPriusBatteries

    As viewed on a pc:

    upload_2019-9-20_16-54-15.png
     
  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    all you can do is drive until you start having issues, then make a decision. in the meantime, stay out of neutral