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Help! Brakes, power steering, a/c died due to bad inverter coolant pump

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by howardbc, Aug 14, 2012.

  1. howardbc

    howardbc Member

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    Help! I need to get back on this forum and find out about potential problems with my 2008 Prius BEFORE they happen! Yesterday I had a horrifying experience but it could have been much worse. In 115 degree heat, the dashboard on my car suddenly lit up and bells/sirens went off. The a/c died. I pulled over and called the Toyota service place and he said I could probably make it in. Then about half-way there it died again - this time the brakes and steering went out! Fortunately I was near a business park and able to limp into it. So I called a towing service, waited an hour, and waited 2 hours at the dealership. The service tech acted like he suspected what it was and sure enough it was what he thought - a bad inverter coolant pump. Even a salesman strolling by me sitting in the waiting area said "Oh, do you have a 2nd Gen Prius?" Fortunately Toyota paid for the repairs and even the tow, but what if I had been barreling down the expressway at 70mph when the brakes and steering went out?!?
    When I got home I researched it and found that Toyota KNEW they had a problem. They recalled Priuses up to 2007 for the same problem but mine is a 2008.
    It has been some time since I went to this forum (it looks great now, by the way), but is there a way to sign up for notices of recalls or even potential problems for the 2008 Prius? Now I'm very nervous about something else just suddenly happening with NO warning.
    Many thanks for any direction.
     
    #1 howardbc, Aug 14, 2012
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    One reason that it is a good idea to keep the 12V battery in good condition is because that is one line of defense you have when the inverter coolant pump fails, the inverter overheats, and the DC/DC converter shuts down. A battery in top condition will run the Prius electric system a reasonable amount of time so that you can gracefully move over to the side of the road. This is why it is a really bad idea to try to eke out the last dregs of life from the 12V battery, tolerating occasional no-start situations, etc., as some owners on this forum do.

    The last line of defense that you have is that the 2G and later Prius have an emergency brake power supply (basically, a bank of large capacitors) located next to the 12V battery. This also will help to power the brake system so that you can come to a stop without sticking your left foot out of the driver's door and trying to touch the ground like Fred Flintstone has to do.

    If your Prius has a current vehicle registration and your address information is correct, then you should be automatically notified by TMS USA if a recall is applicable to your model year. You can also ask your dealer to check your car's VIN against applicable recalls.

    If you are concerned about potential problems that have not yet reached the status of a recall then you will need to monitor PriusChat regularly. Inverter coolant pump failures were reported frequently on PC, and I posted about how to replace the pump and suggested that owners replace this no later than at 100K miles, prior to the recall notice (aka a LSC or Limited Service Campaign in this particular case) being issued.
     
    #2 Patrick Wong, Aug 14, 2012
    Andyprius # 1, dave77 and PriusCamper like this.
  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    .
     
    #3 Patrick Wong, Aug 14, 2012
  4. howardbc

    howardbc Member

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    Thank you, Patrick. I do take my car to the Toyota dealership for all the recommended servicing and maintenance. But I am an old lady and not a DIY person.

    I will just try to remember to check this site frequently, although in this particular case, I don't know what I could have done. It wouldn't have made sense to have them replace the pump for $400 when it hadn't failed. My 2008 was not on the recall list but obviously Toyota put it on the recall list after the fact. But my service contact at Right Toyota has been very fair with me and if I'd known about the problem, maybe I could have talked to him about it and he might have gone ahead and had Toyota replace the pump. He said it was covered as being part of the drive train warranty.

    Thank you again.

     
    #4 howardbc, Aug 15, 2012
  5. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    Note that the power steering and the power brakes go with a total 12V loss. Both systems have a direct mechanical connection and continue to work but with more effort required.
     
    #5 nh7o, Aug 15, 2012
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