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2009 - No Start - Electric Problems?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by akaEli, Nov 9, 2022.

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  1. akaEli

    akaEli New Member

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    Hello All,

    Problem: 2009 Prius will not start/turn on. I put in the fob key, put my foot on the break, and hold the ignition button. The only thing that responds is the check engine light followed by a loud repetitive clicking noise which is coming from under the hood. The emergency blinkers work, horn works, headlights do not work. I am at a loss, without OBD 2 meter I have no idea how to diagnose.

    Things Tried:
    12V battery is fine
    15V Fuses under front hood seem to be fine
    I plugged in an OBD2 meter, but it is not receiving power. (Checked OBD fuse under driver side fuse box, its fine)
     
    #1 akaEli, Nov 9, 2022
  2. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    15 V? Do you mean 15 A. Which one?

    By fine do you mean you checked for continuity with an ohmmeter?

    You should probably check all the fuses one by one – pull the fuse, check it, replace it if bad or reinstall it if good. Pull the next fuse, rinse and repeat. Sometimes, it can be hard the tell if the fuse is blown by just looking at it.
     
    #2 dolj, Nov 9, 2022
  3. akaEli

    akaEli New Member

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    Yes, I tested the two large blue 15 AMP fuses under the hood. I checked them for continuity with an ohmmeter. I will be sure to go over every fuse. My thought is the rest of the fuses don't seem essential for starting the car, but I'm no car doctor.

    Let's assume none of the fuses are blown or defective. Focusing on the repetitive clicking sound from under the hood. Is that an indicator of any kind? I have messaged you with a link to a YouTube video that I recorded as a reference point. For some reason Prius Chat will not allow me to include a link in this reply.
     
    #3 akaEli, Nov 9, 2022
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    bad 12v connection? check the jump point under the hood
     
    #4 bisco, Nov 9, 2022
  5. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    When you put the fob in if you open the door do you have the classic beep beep beep beep beep that means the fob is in the slot and you open the door I leave my father in the slot all the time so whenever I open the door it starts to beep and I know that my father is in the slot and I'm ready to press the brake and hit the button no beeping generally no starting that's what I've noticed in mine sometimes I remove the remote from the slot and then reslot it with the door sitting open as soon as it starts to be I pull the door closed hit the brake and hit the start button. The clicking you describe sounds like you have low power or low amps in the 12 volt battery you might have 12 volts but instead of 45 amps an hour you've got six eight something not enough to be worth a darn. You may want to look into that 12 volt load test
     
    #5 Tombukt2, Nov 9, 2022
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you leave your father in the slot? doesn't he complain?
     
    #6 bisco, Nov 9, 2022
  7. akaEli

    akaEli New Member

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    The emergency blinkers work, and the check engine light comes on, so it is receiving juice. The 12-volt battery terminals get plugged in tthe back. Are you suggesting there could be loose connection on the jump point connected to the fuse box?

    There is no sound when I open the door. The Prius is unable to run on axillary mode. That means no lights, or dashboard of any kind other than the check engine light. I can't even put the car into neutral. The 12 Volt battery is reading at 12.6 so it should be good. The fact that the obd2 meter is not reciving power either is a real mind bender
     
    #7 akaEli, Nov 9, 2022
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 9, 2022
  8. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Don't talk about his father like that! People from Durham get very upset about those kind of things!
     
    #8 PriusCamper, Nov 9, 2022
  9. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Thanks for moving the conversation we've been having in email to PriusChat... Sounds like your OBD2 has failed... Here's a link to one that I've had success with and costs less than $20: https://www.ebay.com/itm/265484403768

    As mentioned, soon as we can read the engine error codes we'll be able to focus the diagnostics better. Either your engine has something wrong with it, or your hybrid battery is drained down too much to start the engine, or both.

    The clicking sound could be related to the start up sequence and that's the problem... But it could be a separate problem like the 3-way coolant valve, which is a common cause of clicking, but wouldn't interfere with engine starting up.

    If you could be more specific about location you hear the clicking in the engine compartment we might be able to tell you more.
     
    #9 PriusCamper, Nov 9, 2022
  10. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    The noise in that video was the brake accumulator pump. The clip was short and the pump sounded normal. If the pump is not cycling often or continuously then that is quite normal and is nothing about which to worry.

    At this point, I'm still going with a blown fuse.
     
    #10 dolj, Nov 9, 2022
  11. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    Do the stop lights at the back of the car light up when you step on the brake pedal?

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #11 mr_guy_mann, Nov 10, 2022
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