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12 volt battery, inverter coolant pump or something worse?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by char74, Jul 4, 2016.

  1. char74

    char74 New Member

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    On Friday morning the 2004 Prius with approx 140k miles started normally. It over-revved slightly for about 10 seconds while driving a short distance, but was fine on the return trip home an hour later.

    On Sunday morning when I started the car, several warning light came on. Master Warning Light (red triangle exclamation mark), orange Check Engine, orange (!), and VSC.

    The warning lights and diagnostics mode screens are shown in photos

    The battery voltage was 12.1 in ACC mode, and 14.1 in normal driving mode.

    Forum posts suggest there may be a 12 v battery problem or problem with the inverter coolant pump.

    I have not noticed a reduced gas mileage. For the entire time I have owned it (since early 2014), it has been slow to show the gas level at full after filling up (may take a minute and a little driving, usually by the time I pull out of the gas station), which I have been told is a warning sign that hybrid battery cells are going bad. This behavior has been somewhat intermittent, and I'm not aware of other symptoms of battery cell failure.

    I replaced the 12 v battery less than 2 years ago. It has mostly been driven in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

    My local auto parts store told me that I should not replace the battery myself, and that I need a certified hybrid mechanic to do it. Over a holiday weekend, that is sad news, since everything is closed, and the soonest I can find any appointment (through online appointments) is next thursday morning.
    Am I likely to cause damage to the vehicle if I drive it to my Prius specialist in SF (25 minutes away) or am I better off finding something closer (a dealership is a 12 minute drive away)?
     

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    #1 char74, Jul 4, 2016
  2. jadziasman

    jadziasman Prius owner emeritus

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    It's something worse, char. The icon at the upper left of the MFD indicates the HV battery has failed.

    You need to get the diagnostic trouble codes to determine precisely what is wrong with it.
    IMHO every Prius owner should be capable of reading the codes on their own. I now have three different
    ways of reading them as of last Friday LOL!

    Which "gas level" do you mean? The vertical one on the MFD or the horizontal one on the combination meter. If it's the latter, that one has nothing to do with HV battery issues. If it's the former, that's the HV battery state of charge gauge and if that fluctuates between two purple bars and seven green bars in less than a minute, that's indicating the HV battery is weak.

    Not likely since you're not going to try a DIY repair on the HV battery. The worst that could happen is the car could go into limp mode or stop altogether.
     
    #2 jadziasman, Jul 4, 2016
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i don't think i've ever seen a pic of the battery icon empty.
     
    #3 bisco, Jul 4, 2016
  4. jadziasman

    jadziasman Prius owner emeritus

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    That's what the display looks like on the first press of the start button without putting ones foot on the brake pedal first. The start button LED is green on the first press and amber on the second. This is for the Gen2.
     
    #4 jadziasman, Jul 4, 2016
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  5. char74

    char74 New Member

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    I was referring to the horizontal bar that appears on the combination meter.

    I just read that the Gen 2 has 10 years and 150k mile warranty on the battery. Does it matter if the car has changed owners? Is that a transferrable warranty?
     
    #5 char74, Jul 4, 2016
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2016
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    btw, plenty of people here have replaced their own hybrid battery. there is some high voltage danger, which requires thorough preparedness and diligence, but it's actually quite an easy job.
    plenty of threads here with directions and pics.
     
    #6 bisco, Jul 4, 2016
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  7. jadziasman

    jadziasman Prius owner emeritus

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    Replacing the HV battery with a rebuilt like Dorman is relatively easy, yes - but not on the pocketbook, OUCH!. Digging into its guts to replace a module or three is not easy. That's what I meant by a DIY repair.
     
    #7 jadziasman, Jul 4, 2016
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    agreed. i was referring to what the local auto parts store told him.
     
    #8 bisco, Jul 4, 2016
  9. ILuvMyPriusToo

    ILuvMyPriusToo Senior Member

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    Unfortunately the 10 year, 150K warranty is whichever comes first, so the HV battery on a 2004 would be out of coverage. :(
     
    #9 ILuvMyPriusToo, Jul 4, 2016
  10. jadziasman

    jadziasman Prius owner emeritus

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    The 12V battery was mentioned more than once so I assumed that was what the auto parts store was referring to.

    The HV inverter electric coolant pump might have failed on char's car. I have a vague memory of these warning lights turning
    on when that coolant pump died on my Prius. The easiest way to tell if the HV coolant pump is not working is to check for
    coolant turbulence in the overflow container. If there isn't any, that might be what's wrong.

    Still need the DTCs before continuing on. Why didn't the auto parts store read them? Autozone and Advance Auto
    offer this free service in the eastern US. Aren't they in SF CA too?
     
    #10 jadziasman, Jul 4, 2016
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  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    the warranty is transferable. you could try calling toyota for some goodwill help on a replacement.

    also, you can check the inverter pump by removing the reservoir cap and observing fluid movement or not while the car is in ready.
     
    #11 bisco, Jul 4, 2016
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