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Triangle of Death appeared today...

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by pumpanddump, Mar 30, 2020.

  1. pumpanddump

    pumpanddump Junior Member

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    Background info:
    My wife hasn't drove the car in over 3 weeks.

    I started it up today and drove less than 20' to give it wash in the backyard. Triangle of death appeared. I checked all fluids - all seem fine. When I drove it, the READY light came on, engine came on, etc. Everything seems normal.

    At this time I can barely read the middle console because it is so sun burnt and old. but I do see the hybrid Warning Red Icon in the upper left.

    Called the dealership, and he told me that I could drive it around in "B" drive to help regenerate some power to the battery.
    However, even though the middle console is hard to see... I do see plenty of green bars on the battery.
    I cant read it till after the sun goes down, really. It's that bad.

    Do you think its just simply the car sitting for so long? The battery was reconditioned by the dealership about 3 years ago by a master mechanic who knows prius inside & out. So I trust he did a great job - the car has been bulletproof up until today.

    I haven't pulled any codes - because from what I heard locally - the local auto parts stores are not doing that due to Covid19.

    I drove the car for a bit around town, and highway - the car seems fine. though I cant read the middle screen and confirm if it is regenerating any power to the battery.

    Getting the codes would be my first move, right?
    I do know that the spark plugs have not been replaced in a timely manner. but if the the car started up, and is driving - I assume the 12v battery is fine, since I am not having a starting problem.
    Is this considered "limp" mode?
     
  2. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    If you have to ask, then nope ;) because you'll know what limp modes means when it does happen.

    Yup, need to read the codes; otherwise it's just guessing.

    GOOD LUCK!
     
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    how many miles on her?
     
  4. pumpanddump

    pumpanddump Junior Member

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    208,000 miles I believe... its not my car. So I dont know this by heart.
    Im gonna check out the 12v battery's date... Im curious.

    I went into the diagnostics screen...

    in Accessory mode its a little low... 11.7? but when its underload ( engine on).. it roared up to 14.4v which is normal.. maybe this is telling me something I am too dumb to not see.
    Watched another YT video about water leaking in around the 12v battery via the rear lights and causing problems.. so I am going to pull out the trunk and take a look in the morning.
     
  5. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    11.7 in ACC mode indicates the 12 volt battery could stand to be charged (as is often the case in a Prius, where with short trips or periods of disuse, the battery rarely gets quite fully charged). Wouldn't hurt to charge it, but that also isn't the issue with the car.

    You see 14.4 in READY mode because in that mode the power is coming from the traction battery via the DC/DC converter, and the higher voltage is normal for that. The measurement is no longer revealing anything about the 12 volt battery at that point.

    Reading the trouble codes would be the obvious next step. Perhaps you can get delivery of a J2534 dongle for use with Techstream, and not have to go visit a COVID-shuttered shop.
     
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  6. pumpanddump

    pumpanddump Junior Member

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    I'm on ebay and walmart.com right now looking for a obd reader... if you got a recommendation for one - fire away.
     
  7. pumpanddump

    pumpanddump Junior Member

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    got it.. getting techstream and the dongle now.
     
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  8. RobertK

    RobertK Member

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    The 14.4 volts in READY indicates that the 12V battery is very low. You'll see 13.8 volts when the car is in READY with a fully charged 12 battery. If the car in question has SKS, allowing it to sit for three weeks will drain the 12V unless SKS was turned off.
     
  9. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Actually, more like 13.2 V when fully charged. You don't see this often, BTW.
     
  10. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    @pumpanddump

    Where are you in SC? Anywhere near Columbia? I'd be happy to throw my computer on it.
     
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  11. pumpanddump

    pumpanddump Junior Member

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    I got techstream up and running... and pulled a bunch of codes and took many screen shots encase I overlooked something.
    Link:

    Codes:
    POA80 - replace hybrid battery pack
    P3018 - battery block 8 becomes weak
    P3000 - battery control system
    C2318 - low voltage error ( power supply malfunction)
    B1421 - solar sensor curcuit passenger side

    and discovered these two little lovely items too:
    C1253
    & C1310 ( Hydro Booster pump motor relay & HV System Malfunction)
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i'm not a code expert, but i would measure the voltage at the front jump point. if it's 12.7 or better with the car off, you probably need a new hybrid battery, or rebuild.
     
  13. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Don't sweat the B1421, P3000, or C1310. The first only tells you whether the dash sun sensor in in the sun or not at the time you read the codes. The other two are 'gossip' codes, where one of the car's computers that doesn't have an issue itself will log a code because it heard from another computer that did.

    P3000 is the hybrid-vehicle computer saying it heard there are codes in the battery computer (the P0A80, the round things are zeros, and P3018). C1310 is the brake computer saying it heard there are codes in the hybrid-vehicle computer (the P3000, ha ha).

    C1253 should have some INF subcodes you can find in its freeze frame (the little snow cloud next to the code) that will help pin down what might be up with the pump relay.

    C2318 meant the voltage seen by the "transmission control ECU" at its B+ pin was 9.3 volts or less for one second or more at some point when the ignition was on. That can mean the battery voltage itself was pulled that low at some point, but it can also be a wiring or connector issue, because this reading isn't taken at the battery, but at a pin of the ECU. (Transmission Control ECU is the rather grandiose name for the computer that engages and disengages the "Park" lock; that's literally all it does.)

    I am not in the "codes are always bogus because battery" camp, but in this case, because you have that C2318, and you have already written these codes down so the information won't be lost, I wouldn't be opposed to giving the 12 volt a good long charge, disconnecting it to clear codes, and seeing which ones of these come back.

    I would read and jot down the INF codes for the C1253 (and for any other code showing a freeze frame icon) before clearing stuff.
     
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  14. pumpanddump

    pumpanddump Junior Member

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    I called a prius guy off of CL that restores batteries - he said more of the same thing. The car does start up and that fluid ( forgot the name) was churning which is a good sign. He said to to detatch the 12v battery and see if the codes come back.

    If the battery has charge in it, I assume that Advance Auto parts could recharge the battery to full power - without me having to buy one?
    Or is that too much positive thinking. Im going to check that area for any water leaks as well - since some YT videos have said there is a leak in the corner and it sometimes throws a code.

    All said and done, at this point does it seem like the car was sitting for so long.
    While starting it up a few times.. there are some mild odors and to me it seems that the fan in the back is blowing harder / louder.
     
  15. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    IMO, yes. Yes it is. Reports of a 12v causing an HV battery code is, again IMO, just coincidental. Cause and effect between the two has never really been proven other than anecdotal postings.

    A healthy 12v is paramount to hybrid operation so you're not wasting your time or money to make sure it's good to go. Just don't get your hopes up. The codes will reappear; it's just a matter of time for the 2007 OEM HV pack to die.
     
  16. Frank1234

    Frank1234 Member

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    Am expecting to see lots of people asking the same question after they comeback to drive theirs Prius after weeks not driving them become the pandemic, both batteries will get low and some lights and codes will appear, before you go crazy doing anything try to reset the codes by obd or by disconnecting the battery one minute, take the car for a long drive enough to charge both battery and if problem persist come back for more suggestions, good luck!
     
  17. pumpanddump

    pumpanddump Junior Member

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    Disconnected the negative on 12v Accessory, waited about 5-10minutes. Buttoned everything back up and drove it... at first No warning lights and the gas tank was flashing empty... which was odd. I know it was full.

    Less than 3 miles down the road... Triangle of Death came back, sadly.

    I have not replaced the 12v battery as of yet. At this point I think I need someone to check the HV battery with the codes I got.
     
  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    what do you mean by 'check the hv battery? you have tech stream, you can log the voltages under load.

    then you have to decide how much time and money you want to put into a 13 year old car with 200k on her.

    the more time and money, the more reliability
     
  19. pumpanddump

    pumpanddump Junior Member

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    Didnt feel the need to start a new thread... but if I get barely any responses I might. You can just read the bold text to bring you up to speed on the last 2 years ownership. Because now I have a new issue.

    It's been 2 years... since I had about 6 Hybrid Battery Cells replaced by a guy on CL. I have no idea how many miles its been since then - because the car was stabbed by a tree trunk that took out the dashboard lights. It's been replaced but it suffers from a useless 299k odometer and the (im using the wrong terminology here) "regulator that needs to be sodered out and replaced to stop it from randomly turning off... something I just never got around to fixing. The car was used a grocery getter literally for the last 2 years until September 2022 - around town only. Recently my wife is driving the car much further due to office work.
    RED Triangle of Death Reappeared today 9/26/22.
    Techstream
    found these:
    POA80 - replace hybrid battery pack
    POA93 - hybrid vehicle’s cooling system
    Possibly: Coolant system leak in the hybrid cooling system or
    High voltage coolant pump failure

    The hybrid coolant cap was pretty hot, so I am waiting for it to cool down before I confirm if its stagnant or moving around with the car on. I didnt see any smoke, I do smell something, but honestly this smell could have been here long before this I really do not know.
    Diagnosis of the invertor cooling:


    I attached some screen caps. for your review. the running out of gas, solar, thing, etc... are useless codes and unimportant to me.
    the two mentioned above stood out as very troubling.
    It's a 2005, and I would like to keep it on the road. Is this the correct part I am looking for from rockauto, Hybrid Drive Coolant Pump? More Information for SKP SK41503E

    I will try the disconnection of the accessory battery for awhile and see if the Red Triangle does come back after some short driving. I suspect it will. The levels on the pink fluid and all other fluids are normal.
    Thanks in advance for any advice.
     

    Attached Files:

  20. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Definitely fix the P0A93 issue; things in the car can shut down at inopportune times if the inverter isn't getting cooled.

    And then the P0A80 seems like now we know how long your replacement of six battery modules by the CL guy has held up, and now you will need to do some more of that, or spring for a battery.