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2008 Prius won't start

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by noname87, Jun 13, 2020.

  1. George W

    George W Active Member

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    Which is why I wrote work around, not work on. But Thank You for emphasizing safety over my careless wording.
     
  2. noname87

    noname87 Junior Member

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    Thank you for the link. I will check the fuses. The car is 3 hrs away some not easy to troubleshoot. Safe to assume that I would need to replace the whole fuse link block? I assume individual links are not replaceable. Also how likely is it that the 120 amp fuse blow. Since the car is so far away, I will probably buy the parts before hand.

    Am I being naive that there is a change to recover without replacing the inverter?
     
  3. noname87

    noname87 Junior Member

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    I looks like I can buy just the fusable like assembly. How difficult is it to replace it? My plan is to replace it, check all the fuse, charge the 12V battery and reinstall and see what happens. If it looks like the inverter is fried then I will probably cut my losses and sell the car for parts or just junk it.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    if you decide to junk it, someone is going to get a great car. how many miles on her?
     
  5. noname87

    noname87 Junior Member

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    155k.
     
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  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    like brand new. if you can't fix it, invest in a pro
     
  7. noname87

    noname87 Junior Member

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    How long can I let the Prius sit without driving (assuming the smart key system is off) before the 12V battery dies?

    I know it seems weird that the car sat for 3 months. This is my daughter car. Due to the cronovirus she came home without the car. We went to pick the car up to bring it home when this all began.

    At her apartment there is no AC available for battery maintainers. Hindsight maybe the battery should have been removed. We only thought she was coming home for a few weeks.
     
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  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    a new battery should be good for a few months, if the car is operating properly
     
  9. noname87

    noname87 Junior Member

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    If it was me I would but with the AC issues ($1700), also $1000 (water pump and hoses), also the future traction battery replacement ($1500-$3500) and maybe a new inverter ($$$$) it just doesn't make sense. At this point, I would rather put the funds (along with whatever i get selling it) towards a new Prius. I can get a used 2019 with low miles for about 20K and have another 10 years of low maintenance and better safety features or spend $3000 now and wait for the traction battery to fail and spend another 1,500-3000. This is my daughter's only car so reliability is critical.

    I love the car but it is an expensive car to service. It has been extremely reliable and low cost but things do wear out.

    The car owes me nothing. I have ordered a new fusible link block. If I can't charge the battery I will spring for a new one. If it works then I will reevaluate.
     
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  10. noname87

    noname87 Junior Member

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    It was operating fine. I had it service and also had the battery checked. The mechanic said it was fine. Less than three years old purchase from Toyota.
     
  11. noname87

    noname87 Junior Member

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    Finally got the 12V battery charged. Started at 6V and now reads 12.96 after trickle charging for 48+ hours. Is it safe to assume the battery is good?

    Next week I will replace the fuse link and see what happens.
     
  12. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    NO. Not until you let it sit for 48+ hours completely disconnected and see if it is still at 12.8 or more.
     
  13. Glen2007

    Glen2007 Junior Member

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    you can use the multi function display to check your 12v battery voltage. if it was at 6v that aint gonna cut it . For me if that battery is over 4 years old I would buy a new one. Replace it before you get stranded.
     
  14. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    How are things progressing?
     
  15. noname87

    noname87 Junior Member

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    Not going well.

    I charged and installed the battery. In Maintenance mode it reads 12.4 V. When I try starting it jumps to 14.1-14.4 and the car dies. The engine ran rough for about 5 sec.

    I am getting the red triangle, brake warning light and a red car with a slash on the monitor.

    I checked all the fuses and they were all good except the 5 amp fuse that sits on top of the battery.

    so is this a inverter or traction battery issue. I don't have a way of getting the codes. Will a standard OBII testor give the codes I need or do I need a toyota testor.
     
  16. noname87

    noname87 Junior Member

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    I also replaced the main fuse link.
     
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    some decent code readers will work about 90%

    look into phone apps and cluetooth dongles

    dr prius, el, torque, hybrid assistant
     
  18. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    If the voltage reads 14v, then you know the inverter is functioning enough to charge the 12v. But the engine running for 5 seconds means that it never actually "started", and was only turning over the engine in an attempt to start it.
    Time to find a compatible OBD2 trouble code reader and retrieve the codes (DTCs) that are stored in the ECUs.
    At the moment you have enough of a charge in the HV battery to turn over the engine, but you only have a limited number of attempts left.

    Try one of the "free / loaner" scanners at an auto parts chain, do try them all as each store within a chain may offer a different device.

    The gold standard for reading OBD2 codes (DTCs) is a 'mini-vci' cable and a copy of techsteam (same software the dealer tech uses). Others get by with using a OBD2 bluetooth adapter and an app like Dr Prius or Torque, which can be helpful for retrieving DTCs.
     
    #38 SFO, Aug 10, 2020
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2020
  19. noname87

    noname87 Junior Member

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    Thanks for the replies. I did recheck all the fuses with a tester. Dome fuse and the fuse on the battery were the only ones blown. I actually pulled the fuses recommended and used a meter to check. I have power to lights, horn, power steering?

    At this stage, I disconnected the 12 V battery so it won't discharge until I can back to the car. Life is making it difficult to troubleshoot a car 2.5 hours away. I did talk with a mechanic that I think is trust worthy. Just need to get the car towed.

    If the traction battery is discharged how does that get recharged? The mechanic I mention seems to have a lot of history with Prius so I am sure he could handle it but the engineer in me is curious.

    See attached file for image of lights.

    I appreciate the help guys/gals. As I mention, I am trying to decide if the car is worth saving. Currently leaning toward either fixing and selling or scraping. I know this goes against the spirit of this group as well as my engineering personality. However, the car has a fair amount of body damage as well as a recorded accident (fully repair by a Toyota dealer) which will probably seriously hurt the resale value. If it is the inverter, the mechanic places the repair at 1200+ for a use one.

    What do you feel about a used 2010-2015 Prius. There seems to be a oil burn issue but how wide spread is it. I know that there is a service bulletin about it. I also found a recall for issues with the inverter shutting down at high speeds due to overheating.

    FYI I love this car. Owes me NOTHING.
     

    Attached Files:

  20. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Most will use a commercial product like Prolong or Maxxvolts, others may use LED power supplies or Electrophoresis power supplies.
    Generally speaking, if there are warning lights displayed on the dash, there will be trouble codes (DTCs) stored in the ECUs. Scan them?
    Once you know the OBD2 trouble codes (DTCs), it would be easier to determine the path and potential outlay. If you are looking for someone to buy a fixer, maybe @BrennaR would be interested, as they have a gen2 that is currently having issues as well.
    Personally I would avoid it, and jump on a gen4, or just wait for the gen5.
     
    Raytheeagle likes this.