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Check Hybrid System (P0AA6-613) Diagnosis

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by JDF99, Apr 29, 2021.

  1. JDF99

    JDF99 New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 26, 2021
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    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Evening. I’m hoping to get some guidance on the following:

    Vehicle: 2011 Prius - engine recently replaced with Gen 4 engine - all working well
    Vehicle Mileage: 255k
    Engine mileage - ~20k

    Trouble Code - P0AA6
    Sub Code - 613

    So I know I’m dealing with a High Voltage isolation fault somewhere in the transaxle or inverter/converter. After watching way too many YouTube videos and reading in this forum, I purchased a Vici VC60b+ Megohmeter (cheap Chinese tool but others on this forum have successfully used it for diagnosing this code). Tonight I safed the batteries, opened the inverter, and disconnected MG1 and MG2 cables from the inverter/converter. Following instructions from a YouTube video, I connected the negative to ground and the positive to one of the MG1 cable leads. Using the megger, I sent 500v and the display read “1” indicating, I believe, no HV leak/short in MG1 or it’s cable. Same test was performed at 1000v with same result. I ran the same test on the MG2 cable and it behaved a little differently. With a 500v test, instead of the display starting and staying at “1”, it immediately began climbing from around 50 up to 200 megaohms (max ohm reading at 500v) when it then switched over to 1. When retesting with 1000v, it took roughly 25 seconds for the the reading to climb to 2000 megaohms. I think MG2 passes the test due to adequate resistance but why the slow climb compared to MG1’s immediate infinity reading??? And if both MG1 and MG2 pass the test, then does that suggest my inverter is faulty and throwing the code? Does anyone know how to specifically test the inverter?

    Of note: the code is very intermittent. Sometimes it immediately comes back after being cleared. Sometimes, like today, I can drive 70 miles and the code won’t come up at all.

    Thoughts?
     
  2. Jungenas

    Jungenas Junior Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    did you find out where the problem was? I have exactly the same problem. Driving with it for over a year now. I noticed when i disconnected mg1 and mg2 cables from inverter and checked their resistance, problem went away for about 3weeks, i tried this 2 times.
     
  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    The slow climb of the reading to its final value shows the time needed to charge the motor to a voltage matching the tester's.

    The motor takes a charge during megger testing because of two effects: its capacitance, and dielectric absorption. A motor isn't built to be a capacitor, but it does have a bit of capacitance (because its windings and its winding core are conductors separated by a dielectric, and that's how capacitors are made; can't be helped). Building it up to match the 500 or 1000 V from the tester requires storing a charge in it, 500 or 1000 V times the capacitance.

    Past that point, at those kinds of voltages, more energy is still going in, more slowly twisting around the molecules of the dielectric to align with the electric field; that's the dielectric absorption effect.

    MG2 is a bigger motor than MG1, more windings, more capacitance, more dielectric, so what happens quickly and less noticeably in MG1 happens slowly and more noticeably in MG2.

    These things are explained in Megger's booklet A Stitch In Time..., which would be recommended reading for anybody getting a megohm tester or thinking of getting one.

    If you buy a tester from one of the more expensive traditional suppliers, it probably comes with a manual that goes into those topics. If you pick up a cheaper offshore version on the internet, you're likely to get not much more than a folded page showing how the batteries go in and you turn it on. But you should still learn about using it, and the "Stitch in time" booklet is a good way to do that.

    Especially remember this: while you are counting off the seconds it takes for the reading to stabilize, your tester is storing energy in that motor to build up to the tester's 500 or 1000 V output.

    That energy is still stored in the motor if you say "ok, I'm done" and unhook the test leads. The motor ... might ... remind you of that later ... if you forget.

    Good megohm testers generally have a feature to bleed off the stored charge at the completion of your test, and tell you when it is safe to unhook the leads. But it's up to you to know that feature exists, and know why it's important.