Not switching to gas engine...

Hi Everyone,

Today, I was driving on the street when I got the dreaded red triangle icon and the word "problem" appeared across the top of the MFD screen. I then noticed the bars on the battery screen kept lowering down to where they became purple when stopped with the transmission in D. The engine would usually start up at this point, but it didn't. I put it in B and gave it a bit of gas to force it to start up. Once I started driving again, the bars went back up, but it has happened two more times (every time the battery depletes to purple). Has anyone experienced this before? Can you tell me what it is before I have to spend money in taking it to the dealer for a diagnostic?

FYI, I do have the check engine light on, but I checked the code with an OBDII and it said I need a new catalytic converter (as of about a year ago). I doubt that's it, as it's been running fine. I replaced the 12 volt battery a few months ago with no problems. Thanks for your help!

 

I have about 185,000 miles on it. Engine oil is fine.

I don't know how to update my profile info. I'm in Southern California (San Bernardino area).

I didn't know there was a Prius-specific reader. Can you tell me where I can get one? Is there any setting on the MFD that can give you codes, etc.? I've always wondered why you can't see, for example, your coolant temperature, as in other cars, or is there a way to know that I haven't discovered?

As for the purple bars and the ICE turning on, it did always turn on at a point, usually, before it got to purple. Now, it goes to purple and the A/C continues to work even though it stays on purple and the ICE doesn't turn on. I haven't pushed it to the limit of it completely dying, though, as I don't want further problems. That's when I switch to the B setting on the transmission and give it a bit of gas to force the ICE to turn on.

 

Well, my error! I guess I wasn't reading the oil dipstick properly and it was low on oil. I took it in for an oil change and read it just afterward, realizing my mistake. Now that the oil level is fine, the problem went away and it is working as it should. Thank you all for your input and I hope someone else can learn from my blunder!