Red Triangle as I was driving home from purchasing :(

Just bought a used 2009 Prius touring model 114k miles. Not sure of the exact model typle but it has back-up camera, leather, navigation, is this the four touring?

Anyway, I took it out for a test drive and everything looked fine, no leaks, or warning lights. After I purchased the vehicle about 15 miles on the freeway the:

Red triangle came up
orange (!) came up
VSC light came on.

Car drove fine, no changes except it wouldn't allow me to use the cruise control. On the "Energy" display the battery appeared to be charging normally, no erratic behavior. I pulled over and shut off the vehicle. When I turned it back on the red triangle was still illuminated but NOT the orange (!) symbol or VSC symbol. After driving another 2-3 miles the (!) and VSC symbols did come back on.

After reading the other threads I'm really hoping this is just the inverter coolant pump. I haven't been able to check for circulation yet as it was dark at the time.

My question is does this sound like the pump or the dreaded hybrid battery? Did the 2009 models have this issue like the previous years?

Thanks in advance, I'm kind of depressed after doing all my research and then having this warning light come on as I'm driving home.

 

Thank you, I really hope it is. Another thing I remembered: the check engine light was on before I purchased the vehicle, the codes came back as the coolant temperature sensor and gas cap. Not sure if that helps.

 

Yeah I'm not real happy with the seller. Seems like a nice enough guy and it looks like he's going to help me out but it is odd that the light came on while I was driving home from the purchase... a little shady. I was fine with the check engine light for the gas cap and he said he would replace the coolant sensor "no charge".

 

Good point, I don't know its the gas cap but it happened right after filling up the tank (according to him) and I had the codes checked by a third party mechanic and he told me it was most likely the gas cap. Of course the codes don't specifically say "gas cap" but it was the one that has to do with vapor or something like that.

 

I called the dealership and spoke with the guy who sold me the vehicle. He was very nice and said that he would come by my work and fix it (if he could) otherwise he will take it back and fix it at the garage. I don't believe he's a shady guy but who knows.

Do you mean the main battery or the auxiliary battery? I don't mind paying a couple hundred bucks for a small repair but I really don't want it to be the main hybrid battery.

 

That would be great. I was reading a few of the other threads but couldn't find one specifically for the 2009 model and was wondering if it too had a coolant pump issue.

Thanks again for your help. I'm sure it will all get taken care of I just don't like the unknown and stress about it until a plan is made. Just my personality I suppose

 

Thanks SFO. I'm originally from Santa Rosa just about an hour from San Fran.

I really should have taken a photo of the error codes that was foolish on my part to not record them.

I purchased the vehicle from a used car dealer here in El Paso, not a certified Toyota dealer.

The mechanic came out and replaced the gas cap, coolant sensor, and reservoir pump at no charge. All lights are off for now, I'll keep you updated if any pop up on my ride home.

Looks like I got lucky dealing with a reputable seller who is willing to fix it. He could have left me hanging and it may have been a bigger issue. I appreciate all your comments and willingness to help. I'll definitely be visiting this site more often.

 

Haha, I like you JC always thinking. Yes asked to see the old parts that he took out. I was working while he was doing most of the repairs so there's always a chance he had some spare ones he showed me.

I got his personal cell phone number and he gave me his home address and a photograph of his driver's license.

I agree that it would be odd if all three parts were bad all at once but I did know about the gas cap and sensor before purchasing the vehicle so really it was just that coolant pump that surprised me.

 

After he replaced the coolant pump all the major dash lights went off so that's good but recently the check engine light came on. Pulled the codes at Autozone.

P1116 - Coolant Temperature Sensor Circuit Stack for Coolant Heat Storage System

According to Autozone its either a blockage in the coolant system or the coolant temperature sensor. On my way to work this morning I turned on the heater full blast and it was coming out hot. To me that shows there is coolant flowing through the heater core (unless these Prius' are different). So maybe the guy didn't replace the sensor?

 

Also, this car was bought by the dealer from an old lady in New Mexico. El Paso is in far west Texas, no where near the hurricanes but anything's possible I suppose. I'd just like to rule out the "easy" fixes before jumping to ground faults.