First 'trouble' at 10900 miles

The trouble code should still be stored. I wouldn't wait untill the next service to find out what went funky on you.

 

I agree with Wolfman. If you got all the warnings and red triangle, then a code has been stored, so you're entitled to have it checked out under warranty. Better safe than sorry.

 

EFUSCO the only time I have experienced something remotely similar was while trying to peal out from a standing stop. I assumed it was the anti skid kicking in. Sorry this problem has happened with your car.

 

Your problem sounds really similar to what I experienced earlier, and you may want to check out my "Prius Down!" thread for more info on that. The only difference was my red triangle wouldn't go away. Turns out the inverter was bad, and it is a semi-common issue. Just out of curiosity, had it rained recently?

You definetly want to get it checked out ASAP tho... if the same thing happens to you on a freeway, you could be in a world of hurt.

 

Wonder if you had the same failure that we had. Similar symptoms, Same lights, similar mileage. Turned out to be the HV computer (said to be the "drive" computer in the acronyms thread). Waiting for the replacement to show up.

Jon

 

Yesterday it looked like I had my first problem (8, 000 miles). I had just driven down the long hill from Placitas to the freeway, got onto the freeway, got up to speed (~ 75 mph), tried to set the cruise control and it wouldn't set. Furthermore, the engine started reving when there were slight elevation variations in the road.

Probably most of you have guessed by now that I had neglected to switch back from B to D after going down the hill.

I'm going to throw in an 'oh by the way' here though, my average mpg increased at a quicker rate than usual while taking that freeway drive while in 'B' mode (from about 47.2 to about 48.9). Hmmm.

 

Evan,

I actually don't have the error codes or the exact sequence of events. My wife had the car. Red Triangle light on diminished power though my wife wasn't too concern as she has just the opposite of a lead foot. No VSC light but would be alarmed if we got one as this Pruis is a pkg. #3 (no VSC for those who haven't got the #'s down yet). Red Triangle haunted her all day but was gone the next and the car seemed to behave normally. Wife took it in and after querying the computer, the tech attached and monitor to the car which apparently sat inside the passeger compartment and drove the car around some. Reported "wide voltage swings" (I think she said -100 to +100). Conclusion: "Needs a new HV computer. We think we can get one in 2 days. Meanwhile you can continue to drive the car safely." Wife forgot to get the codes and just wants it fixed before our vacation in 2 weeks.

Wish I could give you more but that is everything that my wife has told me. I can call Mark and ask for the codes if you would like. (I must admit to being a little concerned that I am on a first name basis with the local Prius tech already.) How is the new Prius lover doing?

Jon

 

well i for one would be very interested in how this is resolved and any info passed on would be appreciated i suspect by more than just me.

 

Evan, you should realize that the DTC's are only stored for 40 start cycles. If your going to get them retrieved, do it before the 40 cycles.

 

Sorry to hear about the trouble, Evan.

Is it similar to what people have been discussing in this topic: Prius Online Engine Trouble Chat??

 

I wonder... is your enthusiasm for the Prius intact?

 

well let me tell you about a former co-worker who bought a dodge minivan. this was a year or two after it had won several awards and was considered best in class, etc. etc.

after being stranded on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge twice when the van suddenly lost power, he petioned successfully to have the vehicle declared a lemon and was refunded his money...but that doesnt mean he broke even. besides missing several hours from work from the unexpected breakdowns, he had to make several inconveinent trips to the dealer for repairs that essentially didnt fix anything.

and it took 14 months for him to have his loan forgiven to free up his finances to be able to purchase a replacement vehicle.

needless to say, he has sworn off Dodge for life.

 

Evan: I asked if your enthusiasm for the Prius is intact because my mine dwindled substantially after a series of unexplained red triangles a couple of months ago. I was scared of getting stranded far from a Toyota dealer, given that other mechanics don't have the slightest idea of how to fix this car. I was hoping for a trouble-free car, at least for the duration of the three-year warranty.

The red triangles are gone and my enthusiasm is back. Now, a total power loss at freeway speeds, like has been reported in this and other forums, could greatly reduce that enthusiasm again. :roll:

 

'k, just checking

And you're right in your other post, these kind of things can happen to a car like this, but it's not something to NOT buy the car for. I've had my share of trouble with my current ride (Peugeot 206), nothing serious, but all kinds of minor issues that needed to be fixed (door locking mechanism, engine shutting down right after you start it, blinker problems, that sort of thing). I still like the car a lot.

 

I can understand your co workers feelings. First, he dealt with a domestic automaker. They don't care what the car does after they've seperated you from your money. It's the reason why they have to bribe people with these huge incentives, AND zero interes loans, despite the rise in the feds rates. They make junk, they sell junk, they know it, but are too arrogant to fix it. Personally, I had to look far and wide to get a full size truck that was both ultra basic, and was powered by an engine manufacturer known the world over for quality. I even had one stealership ask me if I was crazy for wanting a manual transmission - in a Chrysler product. I of course had to counter with why would I want to have a tranny in my vehicle that would gurantee that the truck spent more time in their shop, than on the road. :mrgreen:

Toyota has ALOT more riding on this design, as they fully intend to have it powering every vehicle in their model lineup, as well as sell the system to other automakers. They literally cannot afford the above attitude, as they are betting the farm on this technology.

 

i have to agree with Evan... events that dont result in problems are "non-events" in my book.

i think we have been spoiled by the "mushroom" mentality that came about by years of driving american cars. lets face it, there are several instances of flaky operation of your american car you simply dont remember because it didnt lead to any maintenance or downtime. it was just a quirk that went away as suddenly as it appeared. it remained in your thoughts just as long. so now comes the Prius and now we have an overload of info that many times we dont understand and that throws us in a panic.

now most if not all will dispute this fact. everyone has that perfect little car they owned years ago that NEVER gave them a problem. well, no... you are WRONG. the car never told you that there might be a problem. WHY?? well thats easy. the real story is your car didnt have the ability to tell you there was a problem. the Prius is designed to warn of every conceivable difficulty. even non issues. after all, its a computer on wheels.

so something happened like a back fire, didnt start right away like it normally did, or it missed a beat when driving down the road. well you never blamed your perfect car. after all ruining a perfect record is traumatic. so it was that gas station you always had concerns about anyway. or, it rained heavily the night before and you need to "dry" out the car a bit and it will be ok.

ever have your computer reboot from a power line dip that happened so fast you didnt even see the lights flicker?? so what happens?? either the system reboots or locks up.

now did you take the computer back since it was "broken?" or did you simply reboot it, bitch about the data you might have lost, then carried on for another several days, weeks or months with error free operation until the next power surge??

i think we need to realize that imformation creates as many problems as it solves. but would you rather go back to the "mushroom" life??

if so, then get a Ford. lets face it, in ANY OTHER CAR, the same incident would have hardly gained a mention. in Evan's case, since there was a momentary loss of power, that might have garnered some attention, but the fact that the problem doesnt seem reproducible tells me that in any other car, the incident would have already been long forgotten.

in the other cases when only the triangle showed up without any changes in the operation of the car tells me that nothing would have come of it in any other car since they simply dont have the sophisticated monitoring systems available.

i think the biggest reason for the "update" to the HV computer was that Toyota simply enabled system reboots that didnt require a technician. i can say that updates take months to write and frequently require a complete rewrite of the software.

what the update really was is probably a "workaround" if a bug is discovered in the software. most dont affect the overall operation of the hardware being controlled. so a fix that simply directs the software around the problem area is instituted. this is standard practice and can usually be done in a day or two.

now if anyone has some concrete info on what the updates did, then enlighten us. but it seems that no one has any specifics and i think that is the reason why. it didnt solve any problems, it simply made the reset easier and user friendly.

in my car i dont have enough mileage yet, but i baby sit a friends Prius and he is a travelling network techie dude and he has almost 17,000 miles at last memory and he hasnt had anything go wrong with his car (i think. i debate whether an issue as small as the ones described here would even be mentioned) he however isnt in town right now, but i intend to ask him.

now i realize that if it were MY Baby, there is no issue to small for concern... but at the same time, practicality will take over soon and my concerns diminished as the new miles of errorfree driving piles up and in Evan's case i think that is what has happened. as much as i would like to see the results of a diag. life comes first and priorities must be met daily and i am with Evan in putting this incident low on the list.