Help Please ☹️ Quit Again While Driving

How much of an idea is necessary?

What is the next step when there are two ideas left viable, and needing one or the other to be ruled out?

 

Is it a Toyota TrueStart AGM battery that you have?

Because I tested my 12V same as yours, used a multi-meter, used the onboard systems diagnostics, even brought it to a local auto parts repair store for their machine to test if the battery was good. On an off-chance, it tested bad once, yet I took it back about two more times and it tested good.

After reading a crapton more support material on here and elsewhere, found that the 12V going out can bring ghosts in the machine and cause all kinds of crap.

Took it to Toyota with a remainder of an 84 month warranty on the battery and guess what? It tested bad. Apparently, it had some sort of bad cell that was not detectable without the testing process they used at the dealer. Even the folks at the dealership couldn't believe it.

Try working with a known good 12V and see if your ills are gone. Hopefully your 12V AGM is under a warranty and can be tested accurately.

As for the parasitic draw, do you have Smart Key function on your Prius? Might explain some of the draw. Of course, I'd pull the fuse for the door jamb switches first to see if the door switches are bad. In my experience, that's the usual culprit. Another time it was someone that wired an aftermarket radio to always use battery power without ACC. Why, I have no idea.

 

That gets overstated a lot, and too often used as a crutch for "I don't want to diagnose why it's doing that" ... but here, where we have independent history of OP's battery getting hammered, and then falling from 12.58 to 8 blindingly fast, yeah, this is a case where I would say "let's do something to separate the influences here."

 

AND your protests are WAY overstated too.

If done right, checking the battery is quick, easy and cheap.
And in the process of doing that, one might find something else significant......like loose connections.

And yes, as long as you persist in trying to sell this unreasonable theory, I will keep right on pointing out how UN-helpful it really is.

 

Good work with the fan! That is pretty important to keep clean. However, I believe your problems are 12V battery related. Also, it is very simple to check the inverter coolant pimp operation. When in ready mode you should be able to see turbulence in the reservoir. No turbulence, most likely bad pump. Pump is cheaper to replace than the 12V battery, believe it or not. It's a simple DIY project. So in either case, I do not think you are up the creek here. Just need to learn a bit and get through it. It's not rocket science, from the way you sound, you are more than capable.

 

I agree, yet very unlikely that the inverter pump is bad (OP said it was throwing the code) only after their hauling of stuff. It would be hell of a coincidence yet maybe a reset of the ECU and hybrid ECU to see if codes pop up again.

I'd also recommend OP to ask a mechanic shop for their compressed air to blow the fan blower out (hold the fan blade portion in place if you can) and then also the trunk lock jamb for your concerns with the dirt being in there. Also check the trunk lock mechanism to see if its clean and functioning, it might not be engaging/disengaging if caked with dirt. Air that out, spray with a good lubricant/seal and see if that works.

 

i was being sincere, it's just internet advice. no harm meant by it. it's just that things can go south quickly on these cars

i do understand taking it one step at a time, especially if you're not in a hurry

 

Snarks with friggin laserbeams attached to their head!



Prius 250K miles and replaced hybrid battery | PriusChat

When I posted, folks kinda snarked me for spending too low on a hybrid battery. I was in a bind, stranded, and needed to get to work the next day (due to a really crappy boss that was intent on trying to get me fired for any reason) and that hybrid service responded. Yes, I could have done more time/more research, etc, yet sometimes we just walk into things unknowingly. That's where forums like this can make a difference to collectively help each other to work through problems that we may encounter. Everyone has an EXPERIENCE that should be solid input. Opinions, well, I don't know about those...unless they're constructive. My 2 and 1/2 cents.

 

Just for future reference, it is NOT necessary to remove or disconnect the 12 V battery just to charge or test it with a voltmeter.

 

Careful, we have to be pretty specific on what type of plug-in conversion you're speaking on.

 

Meaning what exactly ?
That you can't park the car where you have access to 120 VAC power ?

That has nothing to do with what I said.