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Having problems starting my Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by dman415, Jun 9, 2023.

  1. dman415

    dman415 New Member

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    For the last three months I'm increasingly having trouble starting my Prius. I continually get a message telling me to put the car into park before starting it, which I do, but then when I press the START button the PARK light on the dashboard automatically goes off and I get a dashboard message telling me to put it into Park and start again. It just continues. I'm now only able to start the car by pressing both the START button and the brake at the same time. I read in some forums that it could be a battery issue and had my 12v replaced with no change. Today I'm noticing that it's beginning to take several tries of pressing both the START and brake at the same time to be able to get the 'click' when I shift into Drive or Reverse... I also got the "Maintenance Required Soon" message, which concerned me but may just be coincidental with the usual 5,000 mile oil change suggestion. Has anyone encountered this issue or have any idea what night be causing it?
     
    #1 dman415, Jun 9, 2023
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    this is a fairly new car, any history? how many miles?
     
    #2 bisco, Jun 10, 2023
  3. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    #3 xliderider, Jun 10, 2023
  4. dman415

    dman415 New Member

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    I currently have 72,000 miles on it , purchased certified at 32,000 miles from Toyota in 2018.
     
    #4 dman415, Jun 10, 2023
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  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    could be rodente issue with chewed wiring. take a look at the engine and cabin air filtersfor signs of infestation.

    also, check the voltage at the jump point under the hood with the car off.

    make sure the brake lights come on before pressing the power button
     
    #5 bisco, Jun 11, 2023
  6. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    o_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_O
     
    #6 Grit, Jun 11, 2023
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  7. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Sorry but I don't understand this.
    It is designed so that you must press and hold the brake BEFORE pushing the START button.
    Every time. Always.
     
    #7 sam spade 2, Jun 12, 2023
    ColoradoBoo likes this.
  8. ColoradoBoo

    ColoradoBoo Senior Member

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    Sounds like an electrical gremlin....my worst fear when working on cars! The computer requires the brake peddle to be pressed before it will allow the car to start. Since you got some warning messages, I bet there's some codes you could pull up with a good scanner. If you don't have one, might be worth it to have a mechanic with one check it out. (It could be the ignition switch/button going bad) The car isn't old enough for ground problems, yet, unless you live in the rust belt, then I'd also check grounds.
     
    #8 ColoradoBoo, Jun 12, 2023
  9. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    The car won't "ready" unless you press the brake pedal, then press the start button.
    That is normal.

    Have you checked the 12v battery? Is it the original battery?
    EDIT: I just reread and see you had the battery replaced. Did you charge it?
    They do not charge them up at the stores. So put a 4amp or less charger on it for
    at least 6 hours, overnight is better. Then you KNOW it's fully charged.
    I'd bet that it's under 12.4 volts.... Just barely enough to fool you into thinking it
    is enough.

    When you do get it started, put the trip meter on "A". Shut the car off, then press the
    kph/mph button, press and hold the brake pedal and then the start button.





     
    #9 ASRDogman, Jun 12, 2023
    Last edited: Jun 12, 2023
    ColoradoBoo likes this.
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