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Prius Transmission Lockout After Wheel Slippage

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Woof, Feb 15, 2007.

  1. Woof

    Woof New Member

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    Here's my sad, but true experience in learning about the Prius transmission system...

    It all started on wintry day as I thought I would drive to work in my new, one-month old 2007 Prius. After removing the 3" of snow/ice, I hopped inside, started up the engine, and put the car in reverse to back out of my on-street parking.

    Then. It. Happened.

    On the first try, the front wheel(s) slipped in the snow, and locked out the transmission system. No "gunning," no redneck "yeehaw-I'm-in-the-mud-pit." Just a simple backing up. The electrical systems remained on, but the gear indictor (next to the speedometer) flashed. The car mistakenly thought it was in both "Park" and "Neutral." (Prius schizophrenia?) While I was free to place the shift gear in any gear I wanted, it failed to take mechanical action. An error message appeared on the console, "There is a problem with the..." (I admit, I gave the transcription to the dealer...). Something to do with the "transmission" and "Park the car on a level surface and fully apply the parking brake." I would comply if only the car would move!

    The Master Mechanic at the dealer recommended powering up the car six times to reset the computer. Done, didn't work. He also suggested disconnecting the negative terminal on the rear 12-V battery to clear the computer memory systems. Done, but didn't work. It did, however, convince the fuel gauge that it was critically empty of gas (even though the tank was over half full!). Swell. The gear indictor continued to flash-flash-flash its singular message: YOU'RE GOING NO WHERE.

    Yesterday, a flat bed arrived courtesy of the dealer, and away Peter Prius went. In their shop they were able to *drive* it into the bay. And that was it. They cannot engage the transmission, and the same error message ("There is a problem...") appears on the console. The guy who looked at it believes the transmission CPU might be the cause, but doesn't know if it also is mechanical related/caused. I'll know more tomorrow. So look for the update.

    My question: Anyone familiar with this kind of recalcitrant transmission lock-out? Do I pray the mammoth Tundras and Extinctions of the America forever eliminate winter snow and ice? Or am I the chosen one for a one-of-a-kind transmission defect?
     
    #1 Woof, Feb 15, 2007
  2. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    At first I thought it was a Traction Control issue, but from the details I would suggest an actual mechanical problem, or one of those hard-to-find wiring problems.

    Please keep us updated
     
    #2 jayman, Feb 16, 2007
  3. Woof

    Woof New Member

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    Update on the Prius transmission lockout

    Today the service department of the Toyota dealership called: After two days of diagnostics, they are unable to identify what malfunctioned with the 2007 transmission. Electrical? Computer? Mechanical? So they are replacing the entire transmission. (It will take 3-5 days for the new parts to arrive!) Grrrr...

    The new question racing through my mind is, "How reliably can a new transmission be installed for problem-free future service?" Totally ignorant on transmission issues of any kind. I had expected Toyotas to just run and run and run...
     
    #3 Woof, Feb 16, 2007
  4. SomervillePrius

    SomervillePrius New Member

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    No manufacturer is perfect, and the fact that they decide to replace the whole transmission under warranty even do they don't know what is wrong could be seen as reasonable support.

    I don't think replacing a transmission is that bad, but I'm no mechanic. I think you're car will run like new soon enough.

    I'm sad to hear you had such bad luck.
     
    #4 SomervillePrius, Feb 16, 2007
  5. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    The Prius doesn't have a transmission in the sense that you think. It has one set of planetary gears that always stay engaged. There is no clutch, shift bands, or torque converter. All of what normally is done with a transmission is done by changing the electrical fields controlling two motor-generator units. From the mechanical standpoint, it is actually a much simpler system than an normal automatic, and is far less likely to fail. I suspect you are just one of the unlucky ones who had a failure right out of the box. Don't let this one unfortunate event worry you about the ultimate reliability of the HSD drive system. It's a great design, and you should get many years of good service.

    Tom
     
    #5 qbee42, Feb 16, 2007
  6. samor

    samor New Member

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    simular thing happened with my mom's brand new prius. The smart key didnt open the door and nothing turned on. the manager of the service department said " have AAA come and charge the battery" so we did and the "there is a problem with the transmission - error light came on. and the car finally did start with some fiddling around by the tow truck guy. we drove it for 1 1/2 hours to charge it and then after 1/2 we tried to start it again and it wont start. It will be towed on monday morning to the dealer. I dont know if my mom (who is elderly and lives in a rural area and just wants to go marketing and visit her friends) will be able to feel this is reliable transportation. :unsure:
     
    #6 samor, Mar 11, 2007
  7. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(samor @ Mar 10 2007, 11:29 PM) [snapback]403646[/snapback]</div>
    Doesn't really sound the same at all...sounds like you have a bad 12v battery or something is draining it.
     
    #7 efusco, Mar 11, 2007
  8. samor

    samor New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Mar 11 2007, 12:39 AM) [snapback]403656[/snapback]</div>
    okay, not all the same but we both had the same error message pop up on the display screen. and the car just stopped working. I suppose it could be a bad battery right out of the box, that should be easy to diagnose. What could drain the battery so fast?
     
    #8 samor, Mar 11, 2007
  9. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(samor @ Mar 11 2007, 01:29 AM) [snapback]403646[/snapback]</div>
    That doesn't have anything to do with the OP or OT. However, one thing to keep in mind, the parking pawl is electrically activated. If for any reason you can't power up, you will NOT be able to get out of park.

    There are numerous TSB's regarding proper PDI for the Prius. But that doesn't mean all Toyota dealers follow it. Please read the attached pdf to verify the 12 vdc battery is supposed to be FULLY charged with the Toyota battery charger, which is a fancy-schmancy Associated automatic 10 amp unit.

    You can do the same thing yourself with any decent 6/10 amp charger. Lifting out the rear tray is easy enough, so is removing the passenger side trim piece over the battery.

    I have to frequently travel on business, and can be away for 2 weeks at a time, sometimes a month. I picked up at auction an older model of VDC's Battery Minder, which automatically keeps a float charge on the 12 vdc battery. Once a float charge is reached, it will then automaticaly desulfate the battery.

    I live in a condo with heated underground parking. I have my VDC charger hard wired directly to the battery, and leave the unit plugged in as there is a very handy plug on the wall where I park my Prius.
     

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    #9 jayman, Mar 11, 2007
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