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Hybrid system failed...pull over

Discussion in 'Prius c Main Forum' started by Marktwo, Jan 23, 2020.

  1. Marktwo

    Marktwo New Member

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    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    I have a 2014 C with 264,000 miles
    Two weeks ago in the driveway all night, no snow, no rain and not freezing.
    I went to start the car and got bells and flashing warning, hybrid system failed pull over.
    Had it towed to a dealership where they said the first check for codes showed all kinds of problems.
    Battery, transmission being the two most expensive. Could be over 10,000 dollars. The offered for 550 to do a more involved check up.

    After reading threads here I suggested checking the plug connection under the drivers seat.
    Using a tooth brush to clean the corrosion, all error massages vanished.

    This week, 2,500 miles later, on the highway, the alarm we off again.
    Towed it 64 miles to the same dealership...passing three others.
    I waited to the morning to pay 395 dollars instead of the 1,800 dollars they wanted for the night before during the snow storm.

    Again the code said the hybrid transmission...for 5,500 dollars.
    They will give me 300 for car as is....which has new tires.

    There has been no fluid leaks, no noises, no burning smells.
    The car ran fine for the 2,500 miles between error messages.

    I take really good care of my car.

    QUESTION:

    isn’t there some other test?
    Check the fluids for metal files?
    Better diagnosis of the electrical circuitry inside?

    I feel there was no indication that something was wrong?

    Any ideas?


    I bought the car because my mother at age 95, health was failing.
    She is in a nursing home now and 100+, the old women veteran from a combat zone in Illinois...maybe even the country.


    As friend said, “To bad Toyota can’t make a car to out live you mother”.
     
  2. topshot

    topshot Member

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    It is hard to say much without the exact error messages and OBD codes. A bad 12v battery can cause all sorts of bizarre behavior and errors so you might check the health of that first.

    I'm curious about this connector under your seat as I haven't read about that issue before. There's not much space down there with the stupid jack in the way. Why would there be corrosion on an internal connector unless they used dissimilar metals?
     
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  3. davecook89t

    davecook89t Senior Member

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    If you paid a dealership for a diagnosis, they should be able to give you all the codes, not some vague indication about what might be wrong. Report the exact codes here and there will be experts weighing in.
     
  4. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Have you ever replaced the trans fluid? If not you should asap and look carefully at the condition of the fluid. I do not own a 2014 so not sure if it has a magnet on the dump bolt like the G2.
     
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  5. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    Have you kept the hybrid battery cooling fan clean?

    Has anyone tested the 12v battery?

    Get the specific error codes from that dealership. That data is exactly what you've paid for in having them diagnose the car. If you can't get their printout then you need to get your money back. Additionally, $395 is quite high for even that level of service.

    In any case, a dealer is not a good place to seek repair for a car that is more than just a few years old. Their style of repair is extremely expensive compared to what you'd get from an independent garage.
     
  6. Marktwo

    Marktwo New Member

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    Four
    Here is the code

    Hybrid Control.
    FFD is yes
    DTC is POA3F

    ABS/VSC/TRAC
    FFD is no
    DTC is C1259, C1310 & B1473

    yes, I believe the fan is clean. I drive over 1200 miles a week.
    The car is in for tire rotation and safety check every month.

    I read the thread here about the connection underneath the driver seat.
    Someone posted; take the seat out and use a tooth brush.

    The dealer said they cleaned that connection and all the code cleared.

    Last night I went to my dealership, who trust and show them the paperwork from the first visit at the place my car is now...373 miles away.

    Their response to my story....
    They should have cleared the codes first, then see if them come back.
    Looking the official Toyota protocol/repair procedures,
    The code could be one of three things. Motor windings, failed circuit with a capacitors or wiring harness...anyone of seven connections.
    Concluding with...
    The scale of production verses a highly trained technician. It is less expensive to replace the unit than rebuild it.

    It is never a good time for catastrophic failure.
    I figured that is I could get 300,000 on the car, the fuel savings - compared to my trucks mileage - would pay for the purchase of the car. Almost made it. Fixing the car isn’t going to happen. It was good car.
     
  7. Lukey51

    Lukey51 Active Member

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    I called an Imported car repair place and they seemed expensive. I asked about getting my door lock actuators replaced and he told me it would be a $91 charge up front before they even look at the car, which kind of shied me away from this place.

    The fact that a Prius is so unusual and unique causes the people who work on them to be specialists who charge more than the average car repair garage.
     
  8. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    There's a continuum of service to be had.

    Some places don't want to work on hybrids, they don't have the tools or confidence. That's fine, at least they're being honest.

    Dealers are typically bound by policy- they are only allowed to use brand new parts from Toyota. A genuine Toyota door lock actuator is about $430 from the dealer, plus labor to install. Typical dealer labor near me is around $170 per hour, and that's after you've paid the flat $125 diagnostic upfront charge.

    Meanwhile the guy up the road from me charges $85 an hour and has no problem installing the $50 actuator available from Amazon.

    Of note, it's the same actuator used in Corollas and has nothing to do with the hybrid powertrain. You could let the neighborhood mechanic fix everything except the propulsion and save money that way too.

    One of the advantages of an older car is that people have had time to figure out cheaper methods for repair, and some of the other cars like it have been crashed resulting in used parts available for a discount. You don't have to take advantage of these savings if you don't want to, but if you go to a dealer they won't even be on the menu.
     
    #8 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Jan 24, 2020
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2020
    davecook89t, dig4dirt and Lukey51 like this.
  9. Lukey51

    Lukey51 Active Member

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    There's another place just up the street that charges about $85 an hour for labor and they will work on a hybrid but will only work on the gas engines in them, not the electric motor side of it.
     
  10. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    I'm a little confused at the structure here. Bare with me.

    You have a high mileage Prius c.

    So they did a scan for codes? Pointing to Battery and Transmission problems? Quoted you upwards of $10,000 for repair? Asked for $550 for a more "involved" check up?
    That ALL sounds at least unethical. A scan is a scan, getting the codes is getting the codes. They should be able to get them, in one scan, and tell you exactly what codes they are...and what exactly they are pointing at as a problem. What is this $550 for a more "involved" check up? If they think that's necessary to know what going on, how can they quote you $10,000 for repair? They either know what is needed or they do not.

    So they charged you an additional $395 for another diagnostic scan? Or to look at it?
    And now where did you get the $1800 figure?

    Unfortunately, if the codes were reset, going 2,500 between them re-appearing probably doesn't mean there was a miraculous healing.
    But immediately I think the problem is you have a dealership that seems to be charging you a lot of money, to return very little diagnostic information or answers, other than threats of $10,000 repair bills.

    So before I did anything, I'd recommend NOT passing one of the 3 other dealerships pick a different dealership, and getting the codes read, and direct, clear feedback as to those specific codes and what they are pointing to...there should not be any vagueness.
    And this shouldn't cost you $395 or $1800, you can get codes read for free at some auto parts places.

    Once you get the codes, yes return and post them, plus the information given you at the time, and the knowledgeable Priuschat posters should be able to offer guidance as to what options and direction you may want to go.
    But the big problem right now, is it seems you are repeatedly being charged a lot of money for vague diagnostic information, that IMO should be more definitive, clearer and NOT cost so much.
     
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  11. Marktwo

    Marktwo New Member

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    Model:
    Four
    The failure happened twice.
    First time the codes were gone with cleaning the connection underneath the front seat.
    The was a 120 plus dollars for the commuter code.
    I wanted more information. The waved the 120+ and I paid 500 plus for a technician to actually look for the problem.

    Roughly 2,400 miles later it happen again.
    Unfortunately 60 plus miles away from the dealership where I took it before.
    I called and asked if they were standing behind their work...sue get it here.

    I waited until after the snow storm because it was a forth of the cost of towing late Friday night in a snow/ice storm.

    The second time at the dealership the codes -listed above- showed it was the hybrid transmission.
    I’m on my way back to Naperville, Illinois to settle what I may owe them yet.

    Yes I drive on average 1,300 miles every week for four years to see my now 100 old mother.

    Using a Prius I almost got the car for free, based on the mileage compared to my T100 -that has 364,000 miles on it-.

    ml
     
  12. topshot

    topshot Member

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    For the former, check the harnesses. If it isn't that, it could be expensive (new motor or ECU). See this post.

    The latter seems to be an A/C inverter issue. See this PDF

    And blessings to you for being such a great son!
     
  13. Bim05

    Bim05 New Member

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    newbie here, and on a 2yr old thread, BUT....
    My wife was driving in traffic in our Prius C i-tech, and when she moved off from traffic lights (she was the front car) the Prius just died but she had enough quick thinking to put her arm out the window to signal the traffic behind, and pulled over to the side of the road. When I got there 30mins later, the error on this thread was showing. After getting it towed to the Toyota dealer, they said they couldn't look at it for 3weeks due the backlog of work. Long story short, they diagnosed the fault after downloading the codes to " HV Inverter Failure" and charged me $500 for the diagnosis (that's OK I guess). They've quoted us $4150 for the inverter, plus $430 to fit it. I've done some research and it seems that the Prius V and Prius C have had systemic issues with failing inverters. Has anyone here had that failure, and did Toyota offer any compensation to fix it? Our's is way out of warranty, 2013 Prius C i-Tech. Clutching at straws......
     
  14. Pri3C

    Pri3C Active Member

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    The drive motor inverter / HV inverter is most expensive inverter part I could find via a quick search on the Toyota parts website with an MSRP of $2500. If that’s the same part they’re trying to charge you $4150 for they’re ripping you off and I would seek a second opinion. The $500 charge just for diagnosing the issue seems very high as well.
     
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  15. Bim05

    Bim05 New Member

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    Yep, that's the part! And you're right, I would have thought any Toyota dealer with Hybrid knowledge would not take 4hrs to decipher the codes......I think the issue is that there is very little knowledge in dealer land on Hybrid repairs, and I'm paying for them to learn on the job!
     
  16. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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  17. Bim05

    Bim05 New Member

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    $140 AUD per hour here - pretty much the going rate at dealers, but to take 4hrs to do the diagnostics tells me they're not too familiar with Hybrids!
     
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  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    iirc, there isn't much inverter failure here. in fact, good ones are stacked as high as mt. everest in salvage yards and sell for $1-200.
     
  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    iirc, there isn't much inverter failure here. in fact, good ones are stacked as high as mt. everest in salvage yards and sell for $1-200. and it's an easy replacement item
     
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  20. Sonic_TH

    Sonic_TH Active Member

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    What failed on Marktwo is not the inverter, it's the hybrid battery. If the inverter ''failed'' he should check the inverter coolant pump and see if it's working, if it's not working the inverter will overheat and shut down.