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Red triangle, no codes

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

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  1. mohater

    mohater Junior Member

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    Hi Folks,

    Searched and read, no dice on similar issues, figure it's time for yet another one of these threads:

    Volunteering with a couple non profits running their car programs. A 2005 Prius came our way, dead 12v battery. Jumped it properly and drove to the non profit, (red triangle came on during the trip, no codes on el-cheapo OBD2). Removed 12v battery to charge and test, won't charge. Replaced it with a aftermarket battery from O'riellys. Car behaves normally, checked the battery in diagnostic mode, over 12v on the 12v battery and over 14v when the car is running. Red triangle and no codes on el cheapo OBD2. Took it to our trusted mechanic, said the red triangle was giving the thermostat code. Thermostat replaced and red triangle is intermittent. No code showing up for his snap on scanner.

    Oil level is fine.

    Anything else to check?
     
    #1 mohater, Aug 13, 2020
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I don't think there even is a "thermostat code".

    A Toyota dealer will have the Techstream software, which will be able to list the codes you have. Many on these forums have also repurposed a leftover (or craigslist, etc.) old beater laptop to run Techstream on themselves, after getting tired of not knowing what trouble codes they had.

    PriusChat really needs to have an automatic page that pops up with those links, any time somebody tries to post "lights no codes".

    If you don't have the stuff to run Techstream and get your own codes right now, one trip to the dealer one time to get codes read shouldn't hurt too bad. Maybe they charge $75 or so.

    It can be viewed as incentive to set up your own code-reading ability for next time.
     
    #2 ChapmanF, Aug 13, 2020
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  3. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Longo Toyota in SoCal charges $125 to read codes (1 hour of labor).

    A PC educated guess for the red triangle would probably be the inverter pump has failed (his translation is the thermostat code). You can open the inverter coolant reservoir and see if there is movement in the fluid when the car is ready. No movement in the fluid, the pump has failed.
     
    #3 JC91006, Aug 13, 2020
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  4. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Intermittent triangle does seem to me to point to the inverter coolant pump. Techstream on an old laptop would cost about a third to half of one dealer diagnostic visit. There are plenty of threads about that here. Another option is a bluetooth OBD adapter and one of several phone apps that will read the codes. Most generic code readers are not conversant with the multitudes of computers in a Prius. But they really should be by now.
     
    #4 jerrymildred, Aug 14, 2020
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  5. Jmack111

    Jmack111 Member

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    Only time this happened to me was after swapping out the Hybrid battery one of the plugs under the shield I didn't plug back in no code But the triangle

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #5 Jmack111, Aug 14, 2020
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  6. mohater

    mohater Junior Member

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    P0128 is a code that exists across a few cars. It means the spring on the thermostat has atrophied and the car it taking too long to reach operating temperature.

    To answer question (bolded above): that is a feature when posting new threads. There's logic that suggests threads to see if this new one is really needed. I went through all of those, and either the situation was different, or the OP ghosted and never followed up if said solution was correct.

    I drove the car an additional 100 miles today, red triangle still there, still no codes detected by the shops ALLTEL scanner or the snapon scanner (both work with reading hybrid system issues). I know the read works as another client by the non profit had a bad hybrid battery (red triangle again) and the same code readers at the shop detected the problem. Replaced the hybrid battery and the problem went away.

    Bay area shops to read codes start at $160.
     
    #6 mohater, Aug 15, 2020
  7. mohater

    mohater Junior Member

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    I'll call around to see if I can beat that the normal price ($160 is the regular price around here). Otherwise, I'll check if anyone around me has the cable and software.

    The shop has the higher end readers, and picked up no codes and no faults any system (the system gave a positive confirmation the cooling system on for the hybrid parts are working).

    Good to know. The car was parked for a long time, dead 12v battery. You're talking the shields between the back seat and the trunk where the hybrid battery is, right?
     
    #7 mohater, Aug 15, 2020
  8. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Ah, so it is. Well, on a Gen 2 Prius it means "from a cold start, the coolant did not reach 75 ℃ within the time estimated from starting temperature, load, and speed, and this happened on two driving cycles." (That's the detection condition, which is really the only thing a code can "mean". Conclusions like "that happened because the thermostat spring atrophied" are for a human to draw after looking at other things the computer can't.)

    But that's a code from the engine ECU, which is more likely to light the Check Engine Light, less likely to give the Master Warning Light (triangle). The MWL generally lights when the HV ECU has something it wants to tell you. Sometimes one has a scan tool that doesn't display the corresponding info.

    I hear what you're saying, but it's hard to know what to say. The master warning light comes on because there are codes. There's a long history of oddball scantools not seeing those codes and causing people to start even more "lights no codes" threads on PriusChat. Maybe this time the universe is having a lark at our expense and you really have a warning light with no codes. It just doesn't usually seem to be the way to bet.
     
    #8 ChapmanF, Aug 15, 2020
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  9. mohater

    mohater Junior Member

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    My el cheapo OBDII wasn't picking up the P0128, but the shop's did (was probably a pending code).... thermostat replaced, drove the car 100 miles, no codes on the shops scanner.


    Thanks for that. Good to know the varying technical capabilities, even in light of the $3,000 snapon scanner. If I was going to own the car, I would buy the VCI and a laptop, but this is only the second gen2 prius ever to come through the non profit, and the first one where the shop couldn't read the red triangle. I posted in the bay area meet up thread hoping to find someone local with a laptop, VCI and scanner software. Here's to hoping someone replies.

    That's also what kills me about OP's ghosting their own threads without posting conclusions... I've only come here for help one other time, my sister's prius (gen2) where everyone was saying the brake actuator was dying. Thanks to @Patrick Wong and a few troubleshooting steps, ended up being the relay wasn't ALWAYS supplying the correct voltage through. A $1,600 part cost problem ($200 at junk yards) ended up being a $40 ($5 at junkyards) relay problem...
     
    #9 mohater, Aug 16, 2020
  10. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    I haven't read this thread, do you have a link or describe what the trouble shooting involved and solution?
     
    #10 JC91006, Aug 16, 2020
  11. mohater

    mohater Junior Member

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    Coolant gurgling as expected, 12v battery reading OK (it's brand new, old one wasn't holding charge or charging (jumped the car to drive it, wouldn't turn on after driving for 20 mins), hybrid battery reading using the onboard diagnostic appears OK (staying above 14v during all operations), shop couldn't find any codes using ALLTEL or Snapon scanners (same scanners have shown hybrid problems before). Vehicle is behaving normally.

    Found a guy locally with a VCI, laptop, and techstream, so hopefully swinging by tomorrow to see if anything shows up
     
    #11 mohater, Aug 16, 2020
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  12. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Someone off of Crow Canyon road:whistle:.

    Good luck with the diagnosis(y).
     
    #12 Raytheeagle, Aug 16, 2020
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  13. mohater

    mohater Junior Member

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    Thanks for the referral!

    Lunch or something on me after all this covid stuff...
     
    #13 mohater, Aug 16, 2020
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  14. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I'll take you up on it:).

    What's your specialty:whistle:?

    I'm down for whatever though(y).
     
    #14 Raytheeagle, Aug 16, 2020
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  15. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    over 14v when the car is in Ready mode just means the 12v battery is charging normally. The HV battery is significantly higher than 14v.

    Have you checked the inverter coolant reservoir yet? See if there's movement in the fluid when the car is in Ready mode?
     
    #15 JC91006, Aug 16, 2020
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  16. mohater

    mohater Junior Member

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    Yup, seeing the expected gurgling.

    No DTC, no detectable hybrid codes by two shops scanners...
     
    #16 mohater, Aug 17, 2020
  17. strawbrad

    strawbrad http://minnesotahybridbatteries.com

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    There is a short list of problems that light the red triangle without codes. The most common is low oil. Another is a failed headlight leveler. That also lights a "blinking headlight" warning light.
     
    #17 strawbrad, Aug 17, 2020
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  18. mohater

    mohater Junior Member

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    Oil has never been low since I've been driving this for the non-profit.

    Yes, this car has the failed headlight leveler. It has the icon for it on the top left of the MFD (always there). This also triggers the red triangle...

    worth fixing?

    Thanks!
     
    #18 mohater, Aug 17, 2020
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2020
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  19. ttou68

    ttou68 Active Member

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    #19 ttou68, Aug 18, 2020
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  20. mohater

    mohater Junior Member

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    Ordered.

    Thanks!
     
    #20 mohater, Aug 18, 2020
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