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2002 Prius ICE won't start after oil/ATF fluid change

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by romanlutsk, May 1, 2015.

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  1. romanlutsk

    romanlutsk Junior Member

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    It's finally working - thanks a lot for everyone's help. The problem was ... bad connection at the service plug. One of the contacts got pushed all the way into the battery, so it wouldn't make a connection with the service plug. Once I pushed it back out, the car started right up and no more error codes.

    Again, thanks for all the help.
     
    #41 romanlutsk, May 8, 2015
    Patrick Wong likes this.
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    That's great. I am wondering how it came to be that a contact at the traction battery interlock was "pushed". Now that you've studied the situation, was that push likely to happen on its own or was some form of external encouragement needed?
     
    #42 Patrick Wong, May 8, 2015
  3. romanlutsk

    romanlutsk Junior Member

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    I think the last time the service plug was re-inserted (probably during that Toyota recall), some technician at the Toyota Stevens Creek didn't pay attention and got one of the contacts pushed out. So, it was just barely making a connection and a good road bump/vibration finally got it dislodged. The design of that receptacle is clearly flawed, since it allows for contacts to be easily pushed out. In fact, it happened again a few hours ago on the highway and I had to remove the battery cover and push that terminal out from the other side while the service plug was in place. Will have to remove that whole part and bolt it in or something, so it doesn't happen again.

    On the bright side, with all your help guys, I feel a lot more confident fiddling around the battery now.
     
    #43 romanlutsk, May 9, 2015
  4. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Sounds broken.
    Addendum: or perhaps assembled incorrectly.
     
    #44 SageBrush, May 9, 2015
    Last edited: May 9, 2015
  5. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I'd have to agree. To be fair, the service plug is designed for those contact blades to be replaceable - when you buy the battery replacement parts kit 04003-35147 it includes all the bus bars and power wiring, including those two at the rear that simply end in service plug contact blades. You are supposed to be able to release the old ones from the service plug body and insert the new ones. I haven't done it myself, so I'm not sure exactly how the retention mechanism is supposed to work - in most other connectors it's a releasable clip formed into the plastic somehow - but I can affirm this forum is not full of messages like yours saying the service plug blades just pushed out.

    The SSC 40G pdf isn't very informative on that point ... step 16 says "Insert the new wire harnesses into the SMR and the service plug assembly." :)

    -Chap
     
    #45 ChapmanF, May 9, 2015
  6. romanlutsk

    romanlutsk Junior Member

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    Actually, it's one of the contacts in the receptacle, not the service plug, that got pushed out. The contact that connects to the wire, which goes to the battery
     
    #46 romanlutsk, May 9, 2015
  7. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Exactly what I was talking about. Nomenclature-wise, that receptacle is part of the service plug assembly, G3830-47040, not just the plug part that comes out when you pull. The wires with the contact blades inserted into that from the back, that attach to the modules at the middle of the pack, are exactly the ones I referred to in the previous post.

    -Chap
     
    #47 ChapmanF, May 9, 2015
  8. romanlutsk

    romanlutsk Junior Member

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    Ok, I see.
    Ok, I see. I'll take the whole thing apart and check why one of the contacts is moving back and forth so easily - perhaps some plastic has broken off in the retention mechanism.
     
    #48 romanlutsk, May 9, 2015
  9. romanlutsk

    romanlutsk Junior Member

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    Just took the whole service plug assembly apart and the "retention mechanism" for that contact is just a plastic clip with a tiny hook at the end, that's very easy to bend off when the service plug is inserted. The design is just inadequate and I'm surprised there are not more people with these issues. Anyway, I stuck a wad of electric tape on the side to jam that hook and it seems pretty solid so far.

    So, here you have it: spent over 22 hours just to find the bad connection. Anyway, I've learned a lot. Thanks again for all your help.
     
    #49 romanlutsk, May 10, 2015
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