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2007 prius remote lock issues and hv battery issues

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by dani1166, Oct 13, 2014.

  1. dani1166

    dani1166 Junior Member

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    2007 Prius
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    Hi guys,
    Having a few issues with the old girl lately. Firstly, i went to unlock my car this morning with the remote lock and it wouldn't unlock. I automatically assumed the battery was dead but then I noticed the little red light was still lighting up. So I used the little key to manually unlock it. Then proceeded to go about my day. When I parked at the local shop it seemed to lock and unlock normally. As soon as i got home and parked in my spot it refused to lock again. I walked all around the car to try and lock it and can now only lock and unlock it from the rear left passenger door using the remote. Could this be a sensor problem?

    Next issue is my hv battery. Does anyone know what the warranty on it in Australia is? I'm convinced it is loosing its ability to retain charge and is losing charge very quickly after i first start it for the day and let it run for a few minutes. It does charge back up to normal normally but it seems in the 4 years i have had the car it has slowly started to lose its charge hold. Although i have had no warning lights come up. I'm seriously considering taking it to the dealer to get it looked at but dont want to be told there isnt a problem or at worst take it there after the warranty is over on it and be told i need to pay for a new one. Can anyone help on this?

    Next issue is in regards to my water pump. My mechanic tells me mine has a leak and needs to be replaced but i know i got it replaced when it was recalled from toyota a few years back. Does the pump from toyota come with a warranty and if so how long is it? Wondering if they would fix it for nothing considering it was changed not long ago by them.

    Lastly my rubber trunk latch is melted and is making it near impossible to open my trunk. My mechanic rang toyota and he could get a new one for about $150. Is this reasonable or is it worth me trying to find one and install it myself?

    Thank you for reading and if anyone can help i would really appreciate it.
     
  2. valde3

    valde3 Senior Member

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    Maybe just key battery or key itself and has to do with key temperature?

    Recall was for inverter water pump and leaking pump is probably engine water pump.
     
  3. exstudent

    exstudent Senior Member

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    Does your car have the Smart Key System?
    Are you locking with the remote button or the small square black rubber button on the front door handles?

    If you have a Digital Voltage Meter (DVM), or access to one, check the voltage of the battery directly to get a true reading. Maybe the battery is at 2.85V, enough to still power the LED, and sporadically lock/unlock the car.

    Have you tried using the second remote that came with the car?

    Do you have the Warranty book that originally came w/ the car?

    Have you tried Toyota Warranty Overview
    According to Toyota-Australia, HV battery warranty is 8years/160,000 KM. Your model year could be different?

    The USA Toyota dealerships will only replace a HV Battery when HV Battery specific codes are present. You will know codes are present when you see the red triangle of death and other dash warning lights. You can always go to your local dealership and pay for a diagnostic test.

    Vlade3 is correct. But to be sure, ask your mechanic which water pump: engine or inverter?

    The part that Toyota replaced would come with a warranty (months/kilometer). Look at the invoice you were given, it will be stated clearly.
    In the US, the dealership service invoice states the warranty period, 12months/12,000 miles. Unless the replaced part is covered by the cars longer remaining warranty.

    Have you shopped around for this replacement part? Maybe you might be able to find it for < $150?

    The search function w/in Prius Chat is your friend. Type: "trunk hatch rubber"
    Only you can determine if replacement is something you can do.
    Searching other words will reveal other threads and their repair (search: "hatch opening switch").
     
    #3 exstudent, Oct 14, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2014
  4. dani1166

    dani1166 Junior Member

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    2007 Prius
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    In regards of the remote i dont have smart key access. Its just the base model prius. I tried the second remote and it does the exact same thing. I do have the original warranty book for the car. I need to look at that further when i finish work. Im pretty sure my mechanic told me engine water pump not inverter so thank you for clarifying that for me. In regards to the boot latch, i have tried to find one online but have had no such luck so my next step is to talk to the dealer and see if they sell the part. I might try and buy one and install it myself.
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    maybe your 12 volt is taking the mickey.
     
  6. dani1166

    dani1166 Junior Member

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    Went to unlock it this morning. Worked fine. This has happened before. Perhaps there is something interfering between the remote and car sensor sometimes.
     
  7. exstudent

    exstudent Senior Member

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    Have you checked the 12V battery voltage, at the terminals, w/ a good DVM?

    Have you checked the 3V Lithium coin battery in both remotes? A new battery should measure 3.27 or 3.28V, no load.

    Look at page 2 of the Energizer product data sheet for the CR2032 battery (same battery in your remote). Look at what happens to the voltage under a 100 Ohm load at a one second pulse (~ 2.9V), and at a two second pulse (~2.83V). If your battery measures 3.0V, no load, depressing any button on the remote, is putting a load on this battery, decreasing the voltage further. At times, this voltage drop may or may not be sufficient enough for the remote to send out a remote lock/unlock/panic signal to the car, but is still sufficient for the LED to light up. This is the likely scenario.

    I will speculate that the batteries in both remotes are original: 7 years old. Come one, batteries don't last forever. Since it seems you have not measured the remote battery voltage, do yourself a favor and just change the battery in each remote. CR2032 batteries should be cheap, and readily available.

    If the problem still exists, now you have other variables to eliminate:
    • the button on the remote circuit board is going bad, making intermittent connection to send out a remote signal.
    • the remote has been damaged by water.
    • the receiver in the car is going bad.
    • powerful radio interference by a jammer or other devices, operating at the same or similar frequency of the remote.
     

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    #7 exstudent, Oct 15, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2014