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Prius engine failure on the road

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by evgnat, Apr 29, 2004.

  1. evgnat

    evgnat New Member

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    Any similar experience ? Any advice ?

    Bought a Prius two weeks ago. Three days ago it showed engine check light, so took it to the dealer. Service dept diagnosed it as an engine coolant sensor failure (he said it was a sensor that senses when the temperature is very low and takes some action.) and he has ordered the part which will take one week to receive. He rebooted the computer in the car to get rid of the light and and said that the car is driveable and to ignore the engine check light if it ever came back on again. The failed sensor would not affect any other systems. BTW, it has been hot last few days.

    Yesterday, the gas engine just stopped while driving. The brake, engine check and a red triangle came on and display said "problem". Luckily I was near home and the car drove on the battery power but drained pretty fast to empty by the time I got home, around 1/2 mile. I turned the car off and on and the gas engine was dead, and the same warning lights came on.

    Called the dealer today, had the car towed in. This morning at home, the gas engine was dead and it still flashed the same warning lights when I backed off and loaded the car on the tow on battery power. However, when I got to the dealer and unloaded the car and turned it on to drive a few feet, the gas engine was now working with only engine check warning light on. I turned the engine off/on once more and now there were no warning lights at all.

    Have left it at the dealer's for tests and the replacement of the sensor when it comes in.

    Any similar experience ? Any advice ?
     
    #1 evgnat, Apr 29, 2004
  2. cybele

    cybele New Member

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    There's another driver on the Prius Online board that is detailing an experience that may be similar.

    Warnings - posted by moocatdog.

    You might want to check it out, maybe pooling information will help the dealerships narrow down the cause and fix it.

    I know how frustrating it can be when a new car has trouble. Good luck.
     
    #2 cybele, Apr 29, 2004
  3. eak354

    eak354 Member

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    2004 Prius
    Sorry about your car. Hopefully it only needs the SSC-40A ECU update.

    Here's a quote from letter sent by toyota to prius owners affected:

    On certain 2004 Model Year Toyota Prius vehicles, if the vehicle’s Hybrid Vehicle Electronic Control Unit detects a system
    fault, the master warning light and/or the hybrid system warning light may illuminate, depending upon the error identified.
    If this should occur, the vehicle will enter a “fail–safe†mode. Due to a programming error, if the vehicle is restarted in the
    “fail–safe†mode, a secondary condition may occur where the vehicle transmission may not operate smoothly.

    VIN range:
    KB20U 40001009 – 40012242
    KB22U 40001142 – 40012271
     
    #3 eak354, Apr 29, 2004
  4. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    wow what a bummer~!

    please let us know if they come up with an answer.
     
    #4 DaveinOlyWA, Apr 30, 2004
  5. siai

    siai Junior Member

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    I posted a problem like this under another topic. However, for anyone that has a problem like this, you might be able to get the car running again by disconnecting the 12 volt battery in the rear of the car for a few minutes. This will clear any codes that were set and if the problem was a one time event, it may never return. I know this doesn't help the dealer diagnose the problem, but it might get you moving again if you are in a jam. My car did this once. At the dealer, no codes were found (duh!) and after 3500 miles of driving the problem hasn't reappeared.
     
    #5 siai, May 1, 2004
  6. norman

    norman New Member

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    Is it a shear coincidence that some of these reported problems seem to be happening "2 weeks" after delivery?
     
    #6 norman, May 1, 2004
  7. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    well considering he just got his car in middle of April and it has this problem, and it sounds to me that the update Eak mentioned isnt the problem unless this fix came out this week.

    still interested in hearing if anyone knows more about this.
     
    #7 DaveinOlyWA, May 2, 2004
  8. evgnat

    evgnat New Member

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    Thanks for all the help and tips.

    The vin is much newer than the ones mentioned below that needed the ECU update.

    The service manager said that they ran dignostics and talked to Toyota. He said that the ECU did show a failure code (indicating that the engine had indeed failed) but don't understand how the ECU got there and are calling it a software glitch. A toyota engineer is promised to fly out here if it happens again. BTW, I didn't ask/get the failure code number or didn't get that toyota is working on this; both of which have been mentioned in a related message.

    I have driven for two days so far (~ 100 miles) w/o any warning lights. Keeping my fingers crossed and will try the 12V battery disconnect tip.

    thx.
     
    #8 evgnat, May 2, 2004
  9. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    hearing that the Toyota engineer is willing to fly out again makes me feel good and i think is typical of Toyota's commitment to building a quality product.

    has anyone ever had an experience with US auto manufacturers and recalls and similiar concern shown by US engineers?

    i would be amazed to find that it has happened with any of the big 3.
     
    #9 DaveinOlyWA, May 2, 2004
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