2008 Prius Red Triangle light

No, but it would be SUPER helpful for us to have all the DTCs aka error codes. We have a number of repair experts here on Priuschat.

 

Sorry to hear this. I thought the inverter would shut down non-essential functions to protect itself in the event of overheating. And it may take some time on the highway to find a safe spot to stop the car. What speed was the car running at after the warning lights came on? What was the ambient temperature? It's scary to think that the inverter would die in a few minutes. I am hoping maybe the dealer made a mistake and the inverter is actually OK. Again DTCs would help. Please post. Good luck!

 

First of all, IF it is the inverter, get one salvage. This is a $1000/- repair. But I would only believe it is the inverter if they replace the inverter cooling pump and make sure that the 12V battery is fully charged. If it is the inverter due to IC pump shutdown, yours might be a Prius Chat first. Many, many times, the IC pump has died on someone, and shortly thereafter the 12V battery runs down too far to power all of the sensors and computers on the car's network, which leads to the immediate shutdown and a whole slew of trouble codes. On the other hand, people with really strong 12V batteries were able to go for miles and miles in the middle of summer after IC pump shutdown, because the inverter will scale back its duty cycle, including shutting off completely the 12V power/battery charging system.

 

When the inverter has cooled down, then if the car will become READY the inverter is probably OK. If the car refuses to become READY then I would agree that the inverter died. In that case, the best bet would be to purchase and install a salvage unit, probably will cost ~$1K for the part and 3 labor hours to install.

 

I don't recall, but Patrick, since the inverter coolant pumps are on recall, and much of the HSD components are warranteed to 150K in CARB rules following states, I'm wondering if the NY shop might cut 'em some slack.

 

Wouldn't hurt to inquire into that.

 

I suggest that you consult your maintenance and warranty booklet, since this issue is potentially worth $5K to you. The inverter coolant pump would not be covered but the inverter might be if your car is covered under the same warranty as provided in California.

 

New York is a CARB (California Air Resources Board) state and thus has the same warranties as CA. I second checking your warranty booklet.

 

Looking in the back of my 06 Prius WIB, "inverter with converter" is part of the parts list for the California Emission Control Warranty, Long-Term Emission Defect Warranty which is covered for 15 years/150K miles.

Near the front where there's a graph of all the warranties, it does mention that the California Emissions warranties apply to NY and a bunch of other states.

Unfortunately, I don't think the inverter coolant pump is warranted for anywhere near that long. The "recall" (actually LSC) for the inverter pump that others are referring to is http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...ump-dealer-letter-technical-instructions.html, but it doesn't cover 08 models as they should already have the improved, redesigned pump. :/

 

Hopefully you can do that since replacing the coolant pump is FAR cheaper than a new inverter.

BTW, if you feel this issue was a legitimate safety issue, you should report it to NHTSA via Home | Safercar -- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It won't necessarily help your case though... However, if a recall or another limited service campaign is initiated due to the problem being found widespread enough, you'd likely get reimbursed for your repairs. If something like that happens, it could take months or even years.

 

I am puzzled. The temperature was cool and speed moderate. The inverter should have a good chance surviving. Did you block the grill?

 

That should be what happens in your case. I wonder if the service department is backpedaling now that they know they will need approval from Toyota for a warranty replacement of the inverter, which quite possibly is fine.