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Inverter Code and the Red Triangle

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by ChuckM, Sep 13, 2008.

  1. ChuckM

    ChuckM New Member

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    2002 Prius
    I have a 2002 classic with 150k purchased 6 months ago from original owner. Towards the end of a long road trip 2 weeks ago, all the warning lights popped on at once. Stopped within a mile and had it towed to nearest dealer.

    P3130 and a recommendation to just reset and then get to the dealer closer to home if it came back on. The rest of the trip and then 2 weeks of normal around town driving were uneventful until they all popped on yesterday.

    Fortunately, I was less than 3 miles from the dealer and they had an opening that afternoon. Diagnostics said P3130 and a P3125. They again recommended reset since they couldn't tell for sure what was going on. They prepped me for the big bill though if it was the inverter.

    Ran with no problems the rest of the day and then last night, they all popped on again. This time though, the engine shut down. Thinking that it was heat related I waited a few minutes, it fired right up and I made it the 10 blocks or so to home.

    Now, before I take it back to the dealer (and potentially get sold a bill of goods) I was able to find this fabulous site. Neither dealer ever proferred the secondary code set I found in the technical bulletins here on PriusChat. Sure sounds like coolant and or pump problems from what I've read here. Any suggestions, things I can do myself, or specific questions to ask the tech would be appreciated.
     
    #1 ChuckM, Sep 13, 2008
  2. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Your suspicions sound spot on. I look forward to hearing what some of the forum gurus think, and wish you the best.

    Try not to drive the car for now.
     
    #2 SageBrush, Sep 13, 2008
  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    The P3130 that you saw first is definitely a cooling failure for the hybrid system (according to my manual, which is for the 2001, should be similar). There are two possible "inf" subcodes that would hint you, if the dealer had given them to you, toward the coolant pump or the cooling fan, but you don't really need any stinkin' inf code to start checking those two things.

    The coolant pump is supposed to run continuously whenever the ignition switch is on (whether or not in READY mode). You can tell it's running by looking at the coolant reservoir next to the inverter. The coolant level should not be, well, level, because coolant is pouring in one end and being drawn out the other. If the coolant is just sitting there, something is amiss in your pump, or the relay or wiring that supply it. That shouldn't be too hard to track down, and probably not too expensive unless the pump itself needs replacement. The pump isn't cheap, but it definitely beats an inverter. If you can't find anything wrong with the pump, start thinking about the fans. (Low coolant or entrapped air could also cause the code; the ECU doesn't really monitor the pump or the fan directly, it can only tell that the temperatures are off.)

    The P3125 you got later is scarier. It's a generic code for something like a dozen different possible problems with the inverter (the different inf codes would be really helpful for that one). True, each of these problems could also be caused by a simple wiring defect in the harness to the inverter for that affected circuit, but they all could be internal to the inverter too.

    It's probably most reasonable to assume that whatever P3125 problem was detected with the inverter was secondary to the overheating detected with the P3130. Best case, it's a temporary malfunction from overtemp operation and won't recur once the cooling issue is corrected. Worst case, it could mean the inverter actually took some damage from the heat. I hope it's the first option.

    Anyway, the first order of business seems to be, get the cooling system working. Good luck.

    -Chap
     
    #3 ChapmanF, Sep 14, 2008
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