WHAT DOES THIS WARNING SYMBOL MEAN?

Discussion in 'Prius v Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Slater, Jul 31, 2026 at 10:23 PM.

  1. Slater

    Slater New Member

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    Recently I was driving through an automated car Image 1.jpg wash and a warning symbol appeared on my 2015 Prius V that I've never seen before (see attached image - the hand is pointing to the symbol, it was like a book with a large P on it and had an arrow pointing to it)
    I've searched through many images of the Prius warning indicators but can't locate what this is or what it means
     
    #1 Slater, Jul 31, 2026 at 10:23 PM
  2. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Almost looks like “shift to P” or put the car in Park.
     
    #2 Tideland Prius, Jul 31, 2026 at 11:23 PM
  3. Diemaster

    Diemaster Active Member

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    I hate to be that old man, but a good start would be posting in the right forum... that's clearly not a Gen 5.
     
    #3 Diemaster, Jul 31, 2026 at 11:58 PM
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  4. LRO

    LRO Member

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    P-Position-Request-Indicator.jpeg
     
    #4 LRO, Aug 1, 2026 at 12:57 AM
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  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk MMX GEN III

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    This. @Slater, the car wash was the pull-along style, requiring cars to be in Neutral? Prius don’t do well in that scenario, since the car has to be on, in Neutral, and for whatever reason, the hybrid battery cannot be charged in that gear.

    Car washes where the car is stationary and the equipment passes along the length of the vehicle are preferable.
     
    #5 Mendel Leisk, Aug 1, 2026 at 8:28 AM
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  6. Slater

    Slater New Member

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    You're correct - my bad and I will pay better attention in the future
     
    #6 Slater, Aug 1, 2026 at 12:16 PM
  7. Slater

    Slater New Member

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    Thank you for your reply. As I stated, this is the same car wash I've used for this 2015 Prius V (and my Prius 3rd Gen) for 6 years which uses the pull-along style with the car in Neutral - I've just never seen this warning indicator before
     
    #7 Slater, Aug 1, 2026 at 12:20 PM
  8. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    It means they took too long with the car in neutral to get it through the car wash and your hybrid battery was getting too low since it can't charge.

    If they had shut off the car without letting the engine charge the hybrid battery after the car wash your car might not have started. A jump would not help.
     
    #8 rjparker, Aug 1, 2026 at 5:43 PM
  9. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    That it hasn’t happened before at a pull-thru car wash, could that suggest the traction battery capacity has deteriorated?
     
    #9 Air_Boss, Aug 2, 2026 at 6:49 AM
  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk MMX GEN III

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    Not because it's not happening. Any protracted time in Neutral is pulling down the hybrid battery, with any generation. For various reasons, it was severe enough this last time to trigger a warning. I would heed it, look for stationary style car wash. In lieu of that, be sure to go into the car wash with minimum peripheral loading: cabin ventilation and music off, nothing plugged in and charging.
     
    #10 Mendel Leisk, Aug 2, 2026 at 12:03 PM
  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    the trigger is usually entering the car wash with a fairly low state of charge and a/c on.
    the older the battery, the higher the likelihood
     
    #11 bisco, Aug 2, 2026 at 1:31 PM
  12. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    The most common way I see to trigger low battery in a car wash is when the vehicle that just finished can't be moved which shuts down the conveyor.

    The guy moving the cars to the car wash tunnel should turn off the ac and lights which minimizes hybrid battery discharge.
     
    #12 rjparker, Aug 2, 2026 at 2:01 PM
  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk MMX GEN III

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    We've got a ban on washing the car in the driveway here, due to water restrictions (not that it stops a lot of people, the ones with the green lawns...). Anyway, I might just get out the bucket an' sponge out when there's a downpour. Maybe wear swim trunks. That'd be a sight...
     
    #13 Mendel Leisk, Aug 2, 2026 at 2:05 PM
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