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Low gas caused engine failure P0A0F & P3190??

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by spikespal, Nov 8, 2011.

  1. spikespal

    spikespal New Member

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    I took my 2008 Prius to Jiffy Lube to have oil changed. When driving away, I made it about one block and all warning lights came on: Master Warning, Hybrid System Warning, Brake System Warning, Malfunction, etc. I pulled the car over and stopped. I started the car again, lights still there - drove 2 blocks back to Jiffy Lube and lost momentum about one block away, with pedal to floor, I could drive about 5 miles an hour into the bay. They looked at it for about 30 minutes and claimed I had bird seed that dropped under the air filter.... I said "goodbye" called AAA and had it towed to my dealer. They said it was because air had entered the system due to my being low on fuel. I have never heard of being low on fuel and it causing the car to shut down nor did I ever get a warning of low gas, still on one bar. Each time I restarted the car at Jiffy Lube, it started fine, drove forward or backward, then lost momentum again. Still no warning of being out of gas. The ticket from the dealer states:
    "Vehicle low on fuel causing ECU to shut down fuel injectors when engine started to misfire. Found codes P0A0F, P3190 in system. Added 5 gallons of fuel and reset ECU."
    Could Jiffy Lube have done something in changing oil or can being low on gas seriously cause a meltdown?!!
     
  2. DetPrius

    DetPrius Active Member

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    I have not heard of this and I regularly run my 2010 down very low on fuel with no problems, as I have always done with past cars. I am sure some of the knowledgeable folks on this site will have more to say, especially since you have provided the codes.
     
  3. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    P3190 “Poor Engine Power,” and P0A0F “Engine Failed To Start.”
     
  4. firepa63

    firepa63 Former Prius Owner

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    Sounds like you ran out of gas. What was the gauge reading when you left 'Iffy Lube'?
     
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  5. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    This is an engine oil overfill.
     
  6. djras

    djras New Member

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    This sounds like what happened when I did get REALLY low in fuel. The day San Diego lost power I had expected to fill-up by work, but no power to run the pumps. On the way home the low fuel warning alert came on, but from my mileage I figured I still should have almost 2 gallons left (80-90 miles). About 30 miles later the engine shut off on the freeway. I coasted down the next offramp and into a shopping center parking lot. Turned everything off. It started back up, but had "!" warning on dash. Crawled at very low speed to gas station a block away. Filled with 10.8 gallons (523 miles - 48.5 MPG), warning went away and car has run fine since.
     
  7. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    The low fuel warning is fairly subtle. I'm guessing that you may have just missed the little pipe flashing. If you swear up and down that it was not flashing then you can always have the dealer check your gauge and sensor. Sorry you got stuck with a bill.
     
  8. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    Low fuel is a red herring here folks. This was engine oil overfill. Come on, this IS Jiffy Lube that we are talking about here!
     
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  9. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Readers -- note that this is an extension of OP's posts yesterday: Reading the gas gauge.

    My brief search for these codes, here and outside PC, found multiple cases of oil overfill, out of fuel, dirty MAF, and some other claimed causes.
     
  10. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Exactly. Why do we need two threads for this?

    Tom
     
  11. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    It would have to be seriously overfilled. I've had mine filled half an inch over the full dot and suffered no ill effects. Maybe my engine is just a pig? :)
     
  12. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Yes, seriously, if the car is low on gas then the engine will not run. I hope this is not a big surprise.

    Note that the dealer service invoice says nothing about an engine oil overfill situation. Unless you believe the Toyota dealer tech is trying to make Jiffy Lube look good, I would conclude that the OP had an out-of-gas situation.
     
  13. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Could it be that they didn't switch the car off when changing the oil, the engine fired up when oil had been drained and new oil hadn't been put it causing engine damage?

    It wouldn't be the first time this has happened where somewhere isn't used to dealing with the Prius.
     
  14. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    That would be plausible if the dealer tech noted permanent engine damage due to a lubrication failure. So far, that has not been reported by the OP.
     
  15. Chazmann

    Chazmann Junior Member

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    Did the OP ever answered it?
    So, actually he ran out of gas and he called it a meltdown?

     
  16. spikespal

    spikespal New Member

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    still one bar and no warning of low fuel.
     
  17. spikespal

    spikespal New Member

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    Pardon.
     
  18. spikespal

    spikespal New Member

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    thanks, I never had any change in the lights until failure. I watch them carefully.
     
  19. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Ok now you're scaring me. :eek: I'd never thought of that one before.

    But seriously in this case being low on fuel is the most likely situation. They added fuel and it fixed the problem, that seems pretty straight forward to me. Also, this wouldn't be the first time someone had reported running out of fuel with one bar remaining on the "guess" gauge.
     
  20. 2009Prius

    2009Prius A Wimpy DIYer

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    As someone suggested earlier maybe the gas gauge needs re-calibration.