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Door jamming not opening

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by ayagirl, Aug 17, 2018.

  1. ayagirl

    ayagirl Junior Member

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    Video:


     
  2. ayagirl

    ayagirl Junior Member

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  3. ayagirl

    ayagirl Junior Member

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    Not sure why I cant link my video to Google drive. I'll try again later.
     
  4. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    The video worked if I clicked on the ARROW:
    upload_2018-12-4_12-54-13.png

    Yes, it's (the unlocking that is) definitely not working.
     
  5. ayagirl

    ayagirl Junior Member

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    What do you make of the constant
    sound when I'm trying to open the door. It baffled the mechanic. He thought maybe the battery might be dying.
     
  6. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Can you try a few things? I'm just clutching at straws though - some of these questions might mean nothing, just thinking aloud.

    1. Do you normally lock by pressing the section on the door handle (or the button on the FOB)?
    2. do all your power windows work?
    3. when you do unlock the car successfully - do all 5 doors open normally?
    4. If you unlock it using the button on the fob, does it unlock normally every time? And can you open all 5 doors then?
    5. it shouldn't affect it - but are any of the child-locks on on the back doors?
    6. do the courtesy lights work on all 4 doors - sit inside each door, close it, wait till the light turns off and ... does it come on when you open the door again?
    7. Is your spare FOB - out of range of the car?
    8. When it beeps 10 times like the 1st and 2nd times you tried - did anything show on the dashboard?
    9. The 3rd time you tried on the video when it just went "thunk" "thunk" "thunk" etc - did anything show on the dashboard?
    10. does your INSIDE door Unlock/Lock button work?
    upload_2018-12-4_14-5-3.png

    Not sure why it's continually clicking - it sounds like it's trying to activate the mechanism inside one of the doors (or maybe all 5), but being unsuccessful.

    BUT what I did wonder about was the 10 beeps in a row. That was the 1st and 2nd time on your video. The 3rd time, there were NO BEEPS. That is very odd - and wrong. I wonder if "10 beeps" is a code? Or an alarm?

    Touching the sensor should get the Body ECU to send 2 beeps and to send signals to the 5 door unlock motors (unless you've got the security "only open driver's door" option activated). Does yours normally unlock all 5 doors, or just the driver's?

    It should just beep only twice (for unlocking) at the same time as one clicking sound for EACH door (ie 5 clicks - but all at the same time - but if you put your head near the back door, you'll hear it unlock at the same time).

    My gut suspicion is that one of the doors isn't unlocking properly. Or maybe there are position sensors which aren't sending the right data back to the ECU so it doesn't know if it's unlocked it or not, so keeps trying.
     
  7. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Hmmm - I'd be surprised if it was the battery - there are ways he can test the battery, and it works at a wide range of voltages. How often do you use the car?
     
  8. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    From page 282 of the manual (most likely causes in red):

    ■ Note for the entry function

    ●Even when the electronic key is within the effective range (detection areas), the system may not operate properly in the following cases:

    • The electronic key is too close to the window or outside door handle, near the ground, or in a high place when the doors are locked or unlocked.

    • The electronic key is on the instrument panel, floor, or in the door pockets or glove box when the hybrid system is started or power switch modes are changed.

      ●Do not leave the electronic key on top of the instrument panel or near the door pockets when exiting the vehicle. Depending on the radio wave recep- tion conditions, it may be detected by the antenna outside the cabin and the door will become lockable from the outside, possibly trapping the electronic key inside the vehicle.

      ●As long as the electronic key is within the effective range, the doors may be unlocked or locked by anyone.

      ●Even if the electronic key is not inside the vehicle, it may be possible to start the hybrid system if the electronic key is near the window.

      ●The doors may unlock if a large amount of water splashes on the door han- dle, such as in the rain or in a car wash when the electronic key is within the effective range. (The door will automatically be locked after approximately 60 seconds if the doors are not opened and closed.)

      ●If the wireless remote control is used to lock the doors when the electronic key is near the vehicle, there is a possibility that the door may not be unlocked by the entry function. (Use the wireless remote control to unlock the doors.)

      ●Touching the door lock sensor while wearing gloves may delay or prevent lock operation. Remove the gloves and touch the lock sensor again.
     
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    have you ever tried it with the fob in pocket or purse? that's where mine always is. i've never tried opening the door with the fob in the opening hand.
     
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  10. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Yeah, I'm pretty sure it'll be fine if you keep your fob in your pocket or purse.

    Someone mentioned earlier a suspicion about a second fob. One to a different car might interfere, but my wife carries hers car's fob and my spare all the time and we have no issues. Just don't try locking the second fob to your car in the car because it won't lock.
     
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Watching the video, the fob-in-hand caught my eye too. I've never held the door handle to unlock with fob also in my hand, wouldn't think to do it. Yeah try: leave the fob in pocket or purse, see how it goes. And post the outcome.
     
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  12. krmcg

    krmcg Lowered Blizzard Pearl Beauty

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    Sometimes when my fob is in my pocket, it gets blocked by my iPhone the door doesn't recognize the fob and doesn't unlock. When I pull my fob out of my pocket and hold it in my hand - it always works. I don't see how holding the fob in your hand in close proximity to the handle could be a reason for failure...
     
  13. Tande

    Tande Active Member

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    Post #88......first likely cause..... (in red)........
     
  14. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    No way - I do it all the time. Did it yesterday - went shopping, emptied shopping bags, went back to car with fob in one hand, bags in other hand - always works. That said - it's normally in my pocket if I'm going to drive somewhere.
     
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  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i didn't see the door open :cautious:
     
  16. Tande

    Tande Active Member

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    Well.....since it's a quote from their own manual, I assumed that they just might have evidence/expertise to back/up that statement.......;)
     
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  17. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    It didn't - I opened the hatch/trunk/boot/luggage area - that's where I keep shopping bags :D.
     
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  18. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Worth trying - she's in a different part of the world from me, but I think the fact it's doing something (beeping - an odd 10 beeps!!), or click click click click - it's got to be a fault, I'd suspect with a lock motor or a lock position sensor.
     
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  19. ayagirl

    ayagirl Junior Member

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    Uodate:they brought in a field technician. They seem to be certain it is a door harness pin problem on the driver door so they are replacing the door harness and the 12volt battery tested week so they are replacing that. Not sure why it tested weak, the car has 12,000 miles and is 23 months.
    And I dont even know what a door harness pin is to be honest.

    Regarding holding FOB key. I NEVER do. I keep it in my pocketbook. Ive had a prius before and always kept it in my pocketbook. No issues.

    Toyota asked me to clearly hold it in my hand while videotaping. They wanted to see it when the problem was occurring.

    I will know in five weeks if they are correct. It always happens every five weeks. And it almost ALWAYS happens when I leave the car for a very short time and come back again. It has never has happened when the car was idle over night.
     
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  20. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    That sounds like it's got them thinking. It does make sense to check the connectors (what they've referred to as door harness pin).

    Odd that it's only if you've left the car after a short time? I can't really fathom that one.

    Good that you're getting a new battery - even if it proves not to be the problem, you'll have a new one under warranty. And it will prove whether that is or isn't the problem.

    The door harness pin?

    There is a bunch of cables called a HARNESS connecting the door "gadgetry - (motors, sensors, switches, relays etc)" - you can see it running inside a flexible rubber protector from the door to the car near the top door hinge.
    upload_2018-12-5_19-42-43.png

    It will have a plethora of cables going - one way goes to under the dashboard - the other way goes inside the door. The photo below isn't our car, but a typical car (an old PRIUS actually) - and I've marked in RED the cable protector like in the photo above. I've circled in BLUE where it goes under the dashboard and 3 plugs connect wires to the "Brain (ECU)" of the car or to other switches. The GREEN connectors are where it connects to the gadgets inside the door of your car. Likely there will be more on a 2016 than this one. But the connectors are often referred to as "Pin Connectors" or "harness pins".

    Each "pin" will be numbered - as to what it does. Looking at a wiring diagram will show where each pin goes to.
    upload_2018-12-5_19-45-55.png

    Hope it's fixed soon!!!
     
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