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Any followup post catastrophe?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by PriusPaddler, Jun 10, 2021.

  1. PriusPaddler

    PriusPaddler Member

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    Last Sunday, I did it. I ran a ton of errands over many miles and NEVER checked my gas gauge. Yes, my life is overwhelming at the moment.

    So - car displayed check engine light and huge red triangle to shock me into realization of what happened. I was less than 2 miles from home and less than 2 miles from gas station, so I tried for the gas station. Didn't make it. Lost power and had to sit on side of the road until my son came with 6 gallons of gas. It was 95 degrees out, so yeah, that stunk.

    Poured that 6 gallons in, the car DID recognize it, so I drove to station and filled up. Still had the RED triangle, check-engine, and other light on the display screen. Those lights remained on after complete fill-up.

    Read on here that I could disconnect the 12V battery for a short time and fix those lights (reset) but I DID NOT do that. Over the next 2 days of driving short trips, those lights resolved themselves one at a time, until finally I am back to NO strange lights on.

    Noticed the battery SOC was draining awfully fast, but I don't usually pay attention to it, so I wasn't sure whether "fast" was normal or not. Had a road trip to make yesterday so I figured that would charge the HV battery fully. I did see 7 bars briefly a couple times yesterday, but also it was again 95+ degrees and the a/c was on virtually all day. I drove almost the whole time during 12 hours, with a/c on high most of that time, including a one hour time where I had to sit idling (engine on) for a phone conference (in the shade but a/c on).

    I briefly saw 7 bars a couple times during that road trip. Often it was 4 bars or less. Many times down to 2 bars.

    I researched here again and learned that a/c will draw down the HV battery quickly. So I am not panicking.

    Is there anything else I should do to confirm NO LASTING impact of the running out of gas? Car is 2009, with about 235,000 miles on it. I figure if it can drive and idle for 12 hours straight, it is probably as good as ever...? But all that driving was within a couple hours of home, so before I head off cross country, I thought I would ask you guys if I am missing anything...

    Thanks in advance!
     
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I’ve heard with gen 2 if you run out of gas the car will allow you to go EV mode further than normal, possibly to where a special charger (dealerships can get them) is needed to bring the charge back up. More savvy second gen’rs should be along shortly.
     
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  3. Samuel Williams Jr

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    Hmm, 95 degrees you say? I would say before you take off, I would check the HV fan to make sure it is clean. Look's like this. :


    I had been driving around with monitoring the Dr Prius App with a Panlong Bluetooth adaptor for a few week's, the day time temps were low and it was pretty much nothing to see here.

    But when day time temps went up ... thing's changed? The battery temps started to increase? And on one long outing it got to uh 95 degrees outside and the temp's went over 120 and turned Red, WTH?

    There was no drama with the car but I was concerned, so I went from wondering about the fan to actually checking it. And when I did sure enough it was a mess. I cleaned it up and reinstalled and of course the days temps have gone from 95 plus to low 60's.

    That's annoying but all look's good so far and temp's are well under 120. That seems to be the trigger point? IK would check the HV Fan out before I took it on a long summer time trip. All it takes is, well a few tool's and some time. :)
     
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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    nothing else needs to be done. i did the same with my 08, no ill effects, but it was only a few years old and low miles.
    it doesn't need the dealer charger unless it won't start, so that isn't necessary.

    12 year old battery withe 225k, no way to know. i would just keep driving it, unless you want to get into the whole reconditioning thing.
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    how's it going?:)
     
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  6. privilege

    privilege Active Member

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    the battery doesn't want to be 100%, it's actually better to be around 75% , so that it will have to for regenerative braking instead of friction braking.
     
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  7. Samuel Williams Jr

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    It's only suppose to charge to 80% on the flat. The only time you'll commonly see that (and it's not a joke) is going down a long hill. Then you'll see all bar's and full green. And if you hit the pedal going down hill, it will fly!

    I hit 101 mph in our 2005 before (I chilled out and shut her down) but the battery was full.
    Not a recommend thing to do but I was done with a tailgating SUV, driving A-Hole! My bad? :)
     
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  8. PriusPaddler

    PriusPaddler Member

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    Thanks, working on it a little bit (reconditioning) - might be burning a tiny bit of oil before each oil change, mpg is down. Gonna try PCV valve and BG treatment and then see. Still starts and survives MN winters and the a/c is ice cold!!
     
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  9. PriusPaddler

    PriusPaddler Member

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    Still going OK - haven't driven at all for a few days, but it seems OK to me. Guess I won't try to find an issue where there is none!
     
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  10. PriusPaddler

    PriusPaddler Member

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    Good to know! Then it's probably still just fine!
     
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  11. PriusPaddler

    PriusPaddler Member

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    Thanks for the laugh. I've easily been in the 90s mph, but don't think I've hit 100 in this car. Impressive! I also hate tailgating SUVs and am always pleasantly surprised with the "kick" when I decide to pass on a 2-lane highway. She's never let me down yet!!
     
  12. PriusPaddler

    PriusPaddler Member

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    Ugh - I dread that chore. Not gonna tackle it while mother nature is a sauna for sure!! Maybe this fall.
     
  13. Samuel Williams Jr

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    LOL, sigh with my 89, 951 Turbo S (modded) it is still down, but with that one, I could blow away A-Holes SUV's at 85 mph with ease (it launched like a rocket, at 75 mph plus ... with down shifts to third at under 100 mph.) With a "Prius," you have to pick your battles. And pointed downhill, is the right spot! :)

    You have to choose your battles wisely in a "Prius," I use "B," all the time with A-Holes around town!

    The speed limit is 35 mph, so get off my A$$, A-Hole!! Prius is just a low powered ECO, car for the most part. But point it down a steep, curvy road and gravity is your friend! They will fly downhill! Only the truly insane would try and pass you, you know if your kinda nutty? :)

    My 2005, hit 101 mph with no issue downhill, I barely touched the gas pedal? I was stunned? I hear they can do 110 mph on a straight flat road but it's not good for them and I have not tried tried that. :)
    ,
    But really with a fully charged, battery the Prius acts like a "modest bottle charge of Nox??" I no longer notice the "Vacuum Cleaner sound," these day's, I have gotten use to it. :)
     
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  14. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Seriously?
     
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  15. Samuel Williams Jr

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    Oh yeah it's the Real Deal. :)

    It was,a tailgating A-Hole in a pick up truck! I was doing 70 and moved over to let him by and he moved behind me to be a "A-Hole!" That was it, he tried going by me at about 85? And I had had enough of his crap! I had to drop gear's to get into 3rd gear and full boost, and he pulled, half a fender on me? And I hit full boost in third gear and in a 951 that means "Game On!" And it sounded like the hounds of hell had broke loose! And it launched like a jet from an Aircraft carrier at 90 plus. That truck was gone. And it did that, with the Boost turned down. That was epic. :)

    It's a 89 951, ((944) Turbo S, 2.5 SOHC with Balance Shafts. I believe they are over square motors? The torque and HP curves closely match. And that is not the norm. It's a cool car but it does not "Bare Fool's, well." It's a front mid engine car, the engine is in the front and the tranny is in the back. The 85.5 (944) was voted by Car and Driver. The best handling car in America, back in the day. I have that one also.

    And the normally aspirated, 944 was a great and safe car. You can push that one hard and it won't try and kill you in corners. But a "modded," 951" if there is anything resembling a slight straight between corners? That comer, is gonna be 100 mph plus?

    So how good are you? But it's a German/Euro car, so it's is has been up on jack's for a very long time, ... I'm finally pretty sure, it's the Speed and Reference sensors? PIA, over complicated German crap! No one other than the Germans do that?But sigh as time goes by, that's Ok. Many 89 Turbo S's have been modded into oblivion? Blown up or hit something?

    My 951 is still in one piece, up on Jack Stands granted but that's beside the point. And when it ran, it did do 140 mph late at night. Before I shut it down. Factory say's 163 top end. I think mine could can hit the low 170's? It was the Baby SuperCar at the time.

    Our 2005 Gen 2, is boring by comparison. But it still runs! Check the oil and put gas in it and that's pretty much it. And I have had to school some A-hole's in It. It has to be "down hill." But It's a small price to pay really.

    And really a lot of hard core gear head's, find the technology fascinating in the Prii when they give them a chance! If your a car guy? You really can't drive a Prius for an extended period of time and not be intrigued?

    Kind of an odd car really? It can appeal to a larger audience than one would think think?
     
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