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Can I drive 34km to the dealer with hybrid system warning light on?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by DarylSomers, Jul 13, 2024.

  1. DarylSomers

    DarylSomers Junior Member

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    Hello Prius Chatters,
    Hoping to get some time-sensitive advice from the Prius hivemind on our Australian gen 2.
    We have a 2008 2nd gen with 363000km on the of odometer. Last service was 4 months ago, mechanically always been fine. I'd suspected the HV battery was getting long in the tooth for a little while (see my last thread). But no obvious symptoms of any major issues.
    My wife took our eldest to a theme park out Geelong way this morning, about an hour's drive from home (Melbourne). She just called to say that as they pulled up, the master watching light (red exclamation mark triangle of death) and hybrid system warning light (red car outline with exclamation mark on the screen). No other warning lights. Turned engine off and on again, same two warning lights appeared. Tried driving around the carpark, didn't feel any different but at low speed hard to tell if it's in limp mode. Watched the battery levels on the display screen but they stayed static on blue (not the crazy jumping from full to empty you hear about with bad HV cells).

    We always knew the day might come when the HV battery dies, so we've put savings away to pay for that. My plan is to take it to the closet dealer half an hour away on the highway (34km, or 21 miles for you yanks) and get them to look at it when they open tomorrow.

    Question is: is it safe to drive it 34km with those warning lights on? I don't have a scanner or DrPrius, so can't do any proper diagnosis of the problem. I've seen posts saying people often disconnect the 12v battery to clear warning lights and then keep driving short distances as needed, if that's the norm then I should be fine, right?

    Ideally we'd drive it home (87km) and get it looked at here in Melbourne, but don't want to push my luck any further than I have to.

    Appreciate the assistance folks!
     

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  2. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    No idea. Maybe it'll be fine. Or not.

    Can't tell anything without knowing what the codes are. (Scantools like Autel AP200 are pretty inexpensive, even Dr Prius with a generic adapter would likely give you something).

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  3. DarylSomers

    DarylSomers Junior Member

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    Guess we'll see, I'll update the thread for those playing along at home. Heading off now, warning lights haven't come back on so I'm getting less concerned... Will let you know if we make it, and what the dealer says!
     
  4. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    You'll be fine in Australia I'm guessing this time of year it's extremely hot I've driven my generation too which is just like yours same screen on it and everything for a month or two in 95° weather without an inverter pump working at all You can't beat on the car 34 miles when you get out of the car and touch the hoses of the inverter pump if that interests you they won't be seriously hot unless you're running 70 mph all the way for that 34 miles so I don't know what kind of speeds you're going to need to run for that 34 miles what kind of road you're on or anything but generally that's what you're looking at If you want to confirm your inverter pump is bad Just turn the car on make it ready get out put the hood up and behind the left side headlight there's this little pancake pump with two 3/4 or so size hoses One coming up and one going out the side put your hand or a drinking straw or a stick on that pump it should be vibrating You can open the jug and look in the jug and see if you can see the water moving which you probably won't sometimes the pump will be humming and it won't be moving water It no longer is driving the impeller it's like a mag drive fish pond pump a cheap version thereof or your washing machine drain pump a little bit differently shaped. And one of my generation two Prius like yours I put a 12 volt water pump that's used to cool the Italian scooters It's a little tiny thing It's been there for 4 years now never a hiccup I'll probably put one on the next car that needs one these things cost $70 they're on Italian scooters that go all over the world in India there's millions of them on the road vespa and Aprilia piaggio corp they also make airplanes
     
  5. fragglestickcar

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    It's winter in Australia.
     
  6. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Yeah I've been many years since I've hung out in the bush in like 1975 anyway whatever it is you're in winter you're good You can drive there at a hundred miles an hour I have done that here in North Carolina in 50° weather for a weeks this I do know so if you're in winter you almost have no issues You could drive the car until spring or summer unless like I say you're driving 300 mi trips every time you get in the car and even then in that cold the weather I bet you won't even see any throttling back of your charging of your HD battery in those temps I can't guarantee it but I'll do it in a minute My car hasn't broken down from doing it for months at a time so I would expect yours wouldn't under similar conditions but I'm in no position to offer guarantees and warranties.
     
  7. DarylSomers

    DarylSomers Junior Member

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    Thanks all for the replies. As you all somehow guessed, it was the inverter cooler (or pump?) that was the issue. Part and labour $700 AUD by the dealership. I think the electric engine is working better now actually, seems to be kicking in more often and drives more like it did when we first bought it 6 years ago. I guess I hadn't noticed the petrol engine doing more of the work recently. Does that make sense for a replaced inverter cooler or am I just imagining it?
    Cheers
     
    Brian1954 likes this.
  8. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    No but it's hot there where you are and you're driving any kind of way the inverter fluid will get hot and it will roll back the charging applied to the HV battery which will make some of the things happen that you had going on more than likely now you don't have that problem of the charging throttling back at temperature till it gets extremely hot.