P3115

OK, back on my Prius that had been displaying the triangle but my ScanGauge can't read the codes. Recall that I thought I had this fixed when I found a lose connector among those mounted to the right of the inverter. Actually, I think that did fix that problem, and I have a new one, but not sure.

So, when the light came back on, it was again not showing up on ScanGauge. Still started and ran. I didn't have time to mess with it until today. However, yesterday, I was using an ozone machine to make all my cars smell better inside. It requires that the air circulate while it cleanses, so I left each car running with the AC on for the 30-minute cleaning cycle.

Today, I get back on this car, thinking I'll check those connections again. First, I went through the diagnostic procedure where you clear the code, the see at what point it reappears - with just the key on, with the engine running but in Neutral, and finally with the car in Drive. It didn't act like it did last time, when it came on when running in Neutral, but would turn off when I put it back in Drive. It came on immediately when I turned the key on, suggesting the problem is now in the HV battery. So, I hooked up my ScanGauge and now I'm getting a code - P3115.

So, I'm about to go out and check the 12v battery. Since I've not been driving this car and it has that cheapo lawn mower battery, maybe it's low, and I'm getting false codes. So, I'll hook up my spare battery to it in parallel and also put my charger on it.

From what I've read, and there's not much on the 3115 code, it's an issue in the HV battery's main relays? Or could it also be a sensor wire in the module harness? I've not messed with the battery in this car at all, so no telling what it looks like under the cover.

I've not messed with the main relays, and not even sure what they are (electrical nitwit - not a good thing for a Prius owner, I know). Does anyone have a diagram or pic of the battery that identifies the relays? I have one spare HV that seems to be all good except for a dead module, and two other batteries in my parts cars from which I might be able to pull good relays. I've read that part of the diagnostic procedure is to check the resistance with an ohmmeter. Again, I'm an idiot, can anyone briefly describe how to do that?

Just to be safe, am I correct in assuming that if I disconnect one side of the module harness, I will eliminate the possibility of getting shocked?

Any other advice? No clue whether I'm asking the right questions.

 

Yanked the battery and there's no visible signs of leakage or excess corrosion anywhere. However, on the power supply (?) there's a white component with four small connectors pointing up and one was bent over real close to another although I couldn't tell whether they were actually touching. But, I hoped that might be the problem, that they were shorting out, so it easily bent back out of the way and I put the battery back in, and no change. I also checked the modules and all read either 8.10 or 8.09. It also is charging the 12v while running to 13.9v. Also went through the diagnostics again, and same thing, the triangle comes on with just the key on without going to Ready, which points to the battery.

Not sure if this is relevant, but I went into the freeze data on my ScanGauge and PID02 shows 3009, which is the code I was getting before finding that loose inverter connector. Maybe that's left over from that procedure? Or is it setting again?

Other thoughts...could this have been caused by letting it run for 30mins yesterday with the triangle lit? Again, my SG wasn't reading a code before that, although the triangle was lit, now I got a code.

I don't think the original issue has anything to do with the coolant pump, but coolant still doesn't seem to circulate as fast as my other cars or as fast as vids I've seen, and that's right at the point of impact from the wreck that originally took this car out of commission.

I have a real interested buyer coming to look at this after the holiday and really need to figure out the problem.

I can swap a good battery in from another car just to confirm that my problem(s) are only in the battery now, but dang, I'm tired of moving these batteries.

 

How about this...the diagnostic procedures from the Snap-on app. In order to go through it, I need to identify the 1) system main relay, 2) the HV battery current sensor in the system main relay, and 3) the S8 connector of the system main relay. I don't know where any of these are. It provides a line drawing of the "sensor connector terminals" but I don't recall seeing anything like that inside the battery. Is it referring to one of the connectors on the exterior trunk side of the battery, or is that inside the case, or is it the connector that the module wiring harness plugs into?

 

Oh wow, you're right, it probably doesn't have anything to do with 3115. Dang, I need to get TechStream installed on some computer so I can know exactly what codes I do have. Honestly, every bootleg I found had install instructions that are too complicated for my old, barely working brain.

However, the info on diagnostic procedures in the Snap-on app I have access to have replicated those in TIS for other problems (according to the TIS procedures posted here by others) and seem pretty straightforward about this issue. My problem isn't that I don't know what to do, it's that I can't identify the components stated in the procedures. I'm not sure TIS would be any clearer in that regard.

For example, an old thread here includes a response from Patrick Wong that says there are 3 relays in the battery. Where are they? Which one of the three do the procedures refer to? The procedures also point to the "wiring harness," but don't say which wiring harness. I think the harness running down the modules is the obvious choice, but could it be the "harness" in the power supply? And which is the S8 connector? I'd think there would be some free source that could identify which connector that is.

I have a good module harness on my spare battery, and that battery only needs a module replaced (from what I can tell). Maybe swapping that harness on to this battery solves the problem, or swapping a module from this one into the spare. Or maybe, I first just swap the entire batteries to see if I still get the 3115.

I also read in an old thread here that one owner swapped the component with the three relays in it - I could do that, but in my ignorance, I don't even know what that component is.

My ignorance seems like something one of the experts here could rectify pretty easily - doesn't anyone know where these relays are, or the S8 connector, or which harness the procedures refer to, or the process for checking the resistance of those relays/harness/connectors? It seems like a waste of time to try to diagnose the problem when I have all the spare parts to just swap in and fix it that way.

 

My gut instinct is that this 3115 was caused by idling the car for 30 minutes with the triangle lit from some other, unknown code. I don't know how relays work, whether they burn up or just trigger off like a breaker fuse. If triggered, maybe it goes away if I repair the underlying code, whatever it is.

 

OK, I swapped in the complete battery relay assembly (whatever it's called that the power cables leading to the engines connect to) from my spare battery and I'm not getting a 3115 any more, or any other codes (on my ScanGuage), but my triangle still triggers. The touchscreen lights up the car, not the battery or powersteering icons. This is where I was to start with, so I think letting it idle for 30 mins yesterday blew one of the relays or whatever in that assembly.

 

Thanks. I'm going to let the local dealer diagnose it in the morning. Need to get this fixed asap and I have to work on my truck tomorrow, then the holiday. Just don't have time.