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Diagnosing Shaking Issues

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Mogule, Feb 28, 2020.

  1. Mogule

    Mogule New Member

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    In short: 2008 Prius, 276XXX miles, car is "shaking" or "jerking" as if the TCS is constantly activating. No codes found on my OBD2 scanner. Engine won't turn on to regen the battery while idling.

    What I've done since issue appeared: Replaced Coolant Control Valve and main battery

    What issues were evident before: Just a few miles before the shaking (which started while driving at interstate speeds) got both rear tires replaced. ABS and VSC lights sporadically came on which made my brakes less responsive, they'll sometimes appear when I start the car but will go away in seconds.

    I think that's the end of the tl;dr, here's more details:

    I mostly use my Prius at HWY speeds, I live near I-95, and don't need to stray far from it for work. Visiting relatives, my rear tire went flat, and we got the rear two replaced (at Walmart FWIW). We went maybe 10 miles, and I noticed the car was shaking, so I pulled off to the side, and as the car got slower, the shaking got so much worse. Red triangles and warning lights galore. Got it towed, sat for the night then had a mechanic friend look at it. The codes were cleared then the car acted like nothing was wrong with it - drove it for about a mile, didn't go over 45. I NEEDED this car to make it home, so I to put my mind at ease I brought it to the dealership to let them handle whatever to make sure the car makes it home. They ran a diags (attached) and I ended up only allowing a replacement of the coolant control valve without much push back. The car got back to where I was staying just fine, and it started out okay the next morning, but within the first hour, the "shaking" was back. It made it 4 hours back home, but didn't make it out of the neighborhood when I tried to test it out again. Codes showed that the battery needed replaced. Got a reconditioned battery in there, but that didn't fix the issue. The dealership did show that the axle looked pretty exposed and that some bearings might be affected, and now that I look, the boot is separated from the tire side. I can't find any posts or videos showing a similar issue, and it's tiring throwing money at repairs that don't work. As mentioned before, there are currently no codes showing, no check engine, nothin. It'll move on and off my ramps at least, but even that little distance will give some jolts and even display the TCS light. The mechanic who replaced the battery said it felt like the TCS was sensing a tire was slipping and would stop the engine to get things back under control. Another mechanic has suggested that it could be the fuel pump, and I've heard general ABS issues or even ECM issues could be to blame.

    Any ideas what could be causing the "shaking"?
     

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    Priuslover09 likes this.
  2. Priuslover09

    Priuslover09 Member

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    Did you replace the tires recently by any chance???
     
  3. Mogule

    Mogule New Member

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    The rear two, yes. Just a few miles before the shaking began.
     
  4. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    #4 dolj, Feb 28, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 29, 2020
  5. 69shovlhed

    69shovlhed Surly tree hugger

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    did they put the wrong size tires on? that would definitely mess with the traction control. make sure they didn't damage the wires to the wheel speed sensors while doing the work.
     
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  6. eternalphoenix64

    eternalphoenix64 Junior Member

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    Can you post a pic of this? I think you're talking about the CV joint but there are a lot of possibilities.

    I wonder if you're seeing any misfire codes (p030x with x being 1-4 for cylinder number)

    We definitely need more info.
     
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  7. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    This is a (hybrid) electric car and the state of health of both batteries is paramount and should be determined first before chasing other tails.

    Vague, more info needed. There is a generic P3000 battery code that should have a sub-code.

    GOOD LUCK!
     
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  8. Mogule

    Mogule New Member

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    Tires are the right size. Will have to look at wires later.

    Here are the driver side (grimy/dirty) and passenger side (more clean) CV joints. The driver side isn't sealed anymore. The rubber boot got separated and you can see the grease behind it.

    There are no codes whatsoever at the moment. Prior to any repairs, there were no misfiring codes.

     

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  9. Mogule

    Mogule New Member

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    Oh, posted the wrong pic. Whoops.

    (And to edit the above post...)

    It definitely had the P3000 code, and I believe the sub code was P0A80 "Replace Hybrid Battery Pack", which I then got replaced. Neither code has shown back up, though I don't think I've run a battery specific diag on my device.
     

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  10. Mogule

    Mogule New Member

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    Update: Drove it down the road, and it dies on the way back. Managed to get it back in my driveway, though I couldn't back it in (it did NOT want to reverse). Check engine, red triangle, main batt lights all on. Got the codes P3190, P0A0F, as well as another P3000.

    Gonna try some steps in P0A0F and P3190 | PriusChat if I can get the supplies on my next day off. Any other suggestions would be helpful.
     
  11. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    What are you using to read codes? There is a computer inside the traction battery, that has three pages of different codes it can give explaining a battery problem. There is also a "hybrid control" ECU, which is more of an orchestra conductor for the whole car. The P3000 you're reporting comes from the hybrid control ECU and means it is aware of some issue with the battery, but you're not reporting any code from the battery ECU that would say exactly what.

    In your earlier post, the P0A80 was a battery ECU code. I'm not sure why you aren't reporting one now. That's not the same thing as a subcode on the P3000; the subcodes are three-digit codes. There are a handful of different ones if you can get them, which is better than nothing, but that's still only the hybrid ECU summarizing what the battery ECU knows. Codes from the battery ECU would be most helpful.