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Red triangle and 300+ miles from Toyota-capable mechanic

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by lbman, Dec 29, 2021.

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  1. lbman

    lbman New Member

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    Specs: 2008 Prius, ~166k miles, good maintenance history, Hybrid battery was replaced (by previous owner) about 30k miles back.

    Alright, so here's the chain of events so far...

    I'm on a roadtrip in Texas, far from any metropolitan area. I recently got the red triangle, brake system, VSC, hybrid system malfunction, and check engine lights all on at the same time. Being in the middle of nowhere on a road trip, I did the only thing I could do, I reset the car by disconnecting the 12V for 10s. Afterwards, all of the dash lights went away. I continued to drive about 125 miles when the same dash lights came on. This time, I did not reset the lights but b-lined it to a local Autozone to check the codes. Their scanner came up with nothing. However, just before arriving to Autozone, I got gas, and in that stop the brake system and VSC lights turned off. I have reset the battery again and driven another 60 miles since then, no warning lights coming on yet. Overall, the car seems to be running as usual. Gas mileage is what I've gotten for the past 2 yrs (45mpg avg). Could use some new tires.

    Tomorrow I'll be able to check the car with a bluetooth OBDII sensor and might be able to get my hands on a multi-meter to check fuses.

    I understand it will be necessary to visit a Toyota-equipped shop for proper diagnoses.

    In the meantime, any theories as to what is happening here?
     
    #1 lbman, Dec 29, 2021
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  2. lbman

    lbman New Member

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    I also noticed the A/C blowing in the backseat which I'm told has to do with hybrid battery failure.
     
    #2 lbman, Dec 30, 2021
  3. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    You are experiencing a HV battery failure. A temporary solution would be to charge the HV battery manually.

    Without any objects in front of you, put the car in Drive, step on the brake and then the accelerator (press all the way down). Look at your battery SOC screen and you'll see your HV battery charging. This should work to get you home, until you find a solution to replacing the battery
     
    #3 JC91006, Dec 30, 2021
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  4. lbman

    lbman New Member

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    Thanks for the reply. That explains why I'm able to drive 60+mph on the highway but the failure only happens when I'm slowed down on 35mph roads?
     
    #4 lbman, Dec 30, 2021
  5. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    He is experiencing a failure in the HV battery system.
    Not necessarily the battery itself.

    It would be good to check the battery ventilation first.
    Then the 12 V battery and it's main connections.
    Then the 12 V charging voltage; inverter and it's cooling loop.
     
    #5 sam spade 2, Dec 30, 2021
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  6. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    You must have missed post #2. He is experiencing a battery failure.
     
    #6 JC91006, Dec 30, 2021
  7. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    Having a HV battery fault will result in the cooling fan running (more than usual), but AFAIK so will some other faults, like temperature sensor failure.

    The OP should find a way to pull codes from the battery ecu, then we can offer advise based on facts instead of guesswork.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #7 mr_guy_mann, Dec 30, 2021
  8. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Post #2 indicates that the HV battery is getting too hot......maybe.
    That does not necessarily mean that the battery itself is failing.
     
    #8 sam spade 2, Dec 31, 2021
  9. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Post #1, HV battery was replaced by previous owner.

    Well read it how you want. I'm not here to argue
     
    #9 JC91006, Dec 31, 2021
  10. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    It is not an "argument", it is a clarification.
    Without some additional information, you can NOT definitively say that the battery itself is failing.
    The odds might be high but it's not a given.
     
    #10 sam spade 2, Dec 31, 2021
  11. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    What additional information can you get over the internet forum? If you can get all the information you need to know the exact cause of the failure, the OP would have fixed everything themselves already. Symptoms and history are all you have here
     
    #11 JC91006, Dec 31, 2021
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  12. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Sure fooled me. :rolleyes:

    He will have a scanner and a multimeter later.
    Your pronouncement was premature at best.
    I quit.
     
    #12 sam spade 2, Dec 31, 2021
  13. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    At least you're clear about that. Post #1, OP asking for "theories of what might have happened"
     
    #13 JC91006, Dec 31, 2021
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  14. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    I'm sorry.
    I forgot that you don't know the difference between a flat statement of fact and the conditional statement of a theory.
    Have a nice new year.
     
    #14 sam spade 2, Dec 31, 2021
  15. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Happy New Year to you too!
     
    #15 JC91006, Dec 31, 2021
  16. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you can't quit twice :p
     
    #16 bisco, Dec 31, 2021
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  17. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I lost count how many times that has been uttered:whistle:.

    But I avoid seeing those posts ;).

    Ignorance is bliss and by the way @JC91006 was reacting, I knew the cause(y).
     
    #17 Raytheeagle, Dec 31, 2021
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  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    lost cause :cool:
     
    #18 bisco, Dec 31, 2021
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  19. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Agreed;).

    If only he would be introspective and see his effect:whistle:.

    Maybe a New Years resolution(y).
     
    #19 Raytheeagle, Dec 31, 2021
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  20. lbman

    lbman New Member

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    Alright folks, so basically the issue always repeats after I drive down a very long decline (45m at 50mph). Then, when I turn the car off (stopping for food), and then on again, the error comes up. So strange. Especially since the drive out to the location brings up no issues at all. It's always after the drive down.
     
    #20 lbman, Dec 31, 2021
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