1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

2006 Prius not going into ready with multiple warning lights

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by CJ56, Sep 17, 2021.

  1. CJ56

    CJ56 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2021
    7
    1
    0
    Location:
    UNITED KINGDOM
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    first time post here. My 2006 Prius has problems with not going into ready mode.

    Issues started just over a week ago when suddenly the warning lights came on saying "problem" and the red triangle with what looks like an engine symbol. Car would hardly go and I had to limp home at about 3mph then suddenly the petrol engine came on and I was able to go a little faster but it still seemed hesitant. A few days later I managed to get it into drive mode and drive it up to the Toyota dealers and all seemed fairly normal.

    Toyota phoned me the next day and said it was water damage to the nsr B1 multi-connector (I'm in the UK). They said around £700 to fix it! Then they would look at any other issues!! As I work in electronics I thought I'd look at it myself. When I went to pick up the Prius they said they were having difficulty getting it into ready mode for driving. After about 30 minutes they said they had it running. I got it home.

    The next day I looked at the plug and there was corrosion so I cut the wires and soldered all the connections with colour coded wire I have using heatshrink to cover the joins.

    It will not go into ready and I can hear clicking of the relays in the hybrid battery. Any ideas on what could be going on. I've attached an image of the corroded plug. Any help appreciated. thumbnail_IMG_0869.jpg
     
    #1 CJ56, Sep 17, 2021
  2. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2012
    7,483
    3,762
    0
    Location:
    Wellington, New Zealand
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Even though nothing you have stated would lead me to believe that you might have 12 V supply issues, it would do you no harm to check the 12 V battery and make sure that it was 10 to 14 V. If the voltage was at the lower end it should be charged up. While you were in that area you could also check the connections were all clean and tight.

    After that, your best plan of attack is to read the diagnostic trouble codes (perhaps the dealer has already done that?) which will give us a good idea of where your issues lie.

    Once you have the codes, post them here and we can advise further.
     
    #2 dolj, Sep 18, 2021
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2021
    kenoarto and jerrymildred like this.
  3. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2018
    7,035
    2,782
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    But before you do that, you NEED to test the 12 V battery and it's main connections.

    "Some people" stubbornly refuse to admit that is the logical and necessary first step.
     
    #3 sam spade 2, Sep 18, 2021
    kenoarto likes this.
  4. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    23,257
    15,060
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I'm probably (at least one of) the "some people" being alluded to here. :)

    If you're looking to cut through a layer or two of the "some people" / "some other people" business, you can look to Toyota's repair manual (more info):

    [​IMG]

    That's for a Gen 3, and will advise you before getting too deep into any other diagnostics, make sure you get at least 11 V out of the battery, or give it a charge or a change first, and then move ahead with getting your problem identified and fixed. That's a simple car-off reading, by the way, nothing fancier than that.

    You'll find the same language in the Gen 2 manuals, only I don't have a handy screenshot, and it was 10 to 14 V then. No reason not to use the more conservative 11-to-14 threshold from Gen 3, if you'd rather remember just one rule of thumb.

    Where the "people" begin to part ways is where you start getting advice that you still can't begin diagnosing your problem because you haven't got the right decimal places after the 12 and maybe the computers in the car are just gibbering random diagnostic codes, the same way your smartphone gives you all those fake voicemails from Halle Berry when you've had it off the charger for too long. (I hate that; she always sounds so annoyed when I return them.)

    But yes, do make sure there isn't an obvious low-supply-power problem to interfere with your efforts ... and then move ahead with getting the diagnostic info as dolj suggested, and post it here, and there'll be more to say.
     
    #4 ChapmanF, Sep 18, 2021
    kenoarto and JohnPrius3005 like this.
  5. CJ56

    CJ56 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2021
    7
    1
    0
    Location:
    UNITED KINGDOM
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A


    Thanks for the replies so far. I'm attempting to get the codes from the Toyota dealership but may be Monday before I do - don't understand why I didn't get them on the report they did, seems like they don't want you to know! I changed the battery for a new one a couple of days ago - showing 12.5v now - no obvious connection problems that I can see.

    This morning after about 10 attempts it went into ready mode and the engine kicked in and started charging the hybrid battery to about 3/4 of the way before I turned it off. So it seems something intermittent is happening.

    I may try and drive it on Monday if I can get it into ready mode (or get it towed) to a hybrid specialist garage I spoke to today. The guy seems on the ball and said the wiring can throw up lots of error codes and dash lights. Will keep you all up to date on progress and feel free to send any more info or advice.
     
    #5 CJ56, Sep 18, 2021
    kenoarto likes this.
  6. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2018
    7,035
    2,782
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    Did you check all 4 of the main battery cable connections too ??
     
    #6 sam spade 2, Sep 19, 2021
    kenoarto likes this.
  7. CJ56

    CJ56 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2021
    7
    1
    0
    Location:
    UNITED KINGDOM
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Do you mean the connections to the Hybrid battery? I've not checked anything on the Hybrid battery yet.
     
    #7 CJ56, Sep 19, 2021
  8. CJ56

    CJ56 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2021
    7
    1
    0
    Location:
    UNITED KINGDOM
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Quick update. Managed to get it to the garage that I mentioned and the guy put a fancy large screen diagnostic OBD on it. It came up with hybrid battery fault. He then ran another test which showed each individual battery voltage and 2 and 3 were fluctuating between 15.2v and minus voltage. He said this is almost certainly the bus bar set and wiring into the ECU as he'd seen this before. He said it would probably need both the ECU and bus bar set replacing.

    I left it with them. I'll post when I get the car back and share the results.
     
    #8 CJ56, Sep 20, 2021
  9. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2018
    7,035
    2,782
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    OR it needs some corroded connections cleaned and tightened.
    Did they tell you what his proposed "fix" is likely to cost you ??
    If not, you might be in for a shock.
     
    #9 sam spade 2, Sep 20, 2021
  10. CJ56

    CJ56 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2021
    7
    1
    0
    Location:
    UNITED KINGDOM
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    He said he would give me a breakdown of the cost on Wednesday or Thursday - hopefully not too much of a shock!
     
    #10 CJ56, Sep 20, 2021
  11. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    23,257
    15,060
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    For Gen 2 you could buy the no. 2 frame wire pretty inexpensively. It's definitely also worth looking at the ECU, as the corrosion often eats away at the pins in the big orange connector where the no. 2 frame wire attaches.

    [​IMG]

    Assuming both may need replacement is a good conservative estimate. If it turns out the ECU is ok or cleanable, then that's a good day.

    I don't generally recommend trying to clean or repair the no.2 frame wire. Those wires are all skinny and coated in some miracle thin insulation for the voltages involved, and not uncommonly some of them have just broken right off.
     
    #11 ChapmanF, Sep 20, 2021
  12. CJ56

    CJ56 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2021
    7
    1
    0
    Location:
    UNITED KINGDOM
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    " I don't generally recommend trying to clean or repair the no.2 frame wire. Those wires are all skinny and coated in some miracle thin insulation for the voltages involved, and not uncommonly some of them have just broken right off".

    Thanks ChapmanF.

    That's what the mechanic at the garage said and also about the ECU. He said he would look if anything is repairable. I expect the ECU will need replacing but we'll see later this week when he gets back to me - hopefully with news it doesn't.
     
    #12 CJ56, Sep 20, 2021
  13. CJ56

    CJ56 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2021
    7
    1
    0
    Location:
    UNITED KINGDOM
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Just a quick update. Got the car back today from ManchesterHybrids here in the UK and all is good - the car drives great again. The ECU and wiring were replaced with salvaged parts so the cost of repair was a very reasonable £288. I'm more than happy as Toyota wanted more than double to repair something that wasn't even the main problem. My trust in the main dealership is pretty much at an end now and doubt I will use them again.
     
    #13 CJ56, Oct 5, 2021
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)