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Scanner tool I can purchase locally at store

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Shayski, Apr 18, 2021.

  1. Shayski

    Shayski Junior Member

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    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I want to go out and pick up an auto scanner tool that i can purchase today at a local store, such as Auto Zone or Walmart etc. Something that will work on my 2nd gen 07 prius and works with the prius and reads everything such as speed sensors, ABS, ECM, and hopefully the hybrid battery levels if possible. CAN I BUY A SCANNER THAT WILL READ BATTERY LEVELS AND TELL ME IF THE BATTERY IS BAD. Ive read that need to get the Dr. Prius app and a special bluetooth plug and i need to order it over Amazon especially to get one that will work with my I-Phone, Is this true, or is there other devices i can get that will read the hybrid battery levels? If you know of an auto code scanner that i can buy to tell me whats wrong with my car and give me the codes to identify the problem. I will be forever grateful for the information. Thank You
     
    #1 Shayski, Apr 18, 2021
  2. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    No, the scanner will give you data points and you will need to study and interpret those data points to make a judgment about the health of your HV (hybrid vehicle) battery.
    No, you could find these Bluetooth readers in bricks-and-mortar stores however, there are likely fewer to choose from and maybe harder to find. You need to appreciate there are two parts to this equation:
    • A Bluetooth reader to get data from the car's network(s)
    • a phone/tablet application that will interpret and display the data in a way that is understandable.
    Some apps will have some specialist knowledge built into them and so will give you a percentage level of the state of your battery's health.
     
    #2 dolj, Apr 19, 2021
  3. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Texas Hill Country
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
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    Three
    I have seen the bluetooth obd2 scanners at auto supplies for vastly inflated prices like $100. Dr Prius will give you enough information to tell the story. Rarely is a hv battery terminal, often the diy and rebuilder crew will swap in better modules for the weaker units and gain a few months between codes.

    Symptoms are equally informative as a go no go. Does it drain the hv battery gauge sitting at a long traffic light with the ac on? And then charge back up in a few minutes? Does it get so low the engine lugs or pings on takeoff? Is the hv battery at 175k miles or more?


     
    #3 rjparker, Apr 19, 2021
  4. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Maybe the price is right and it's the quality that is vastly inflated. Bricks-and-mortar stores tend to dislike frequent visits (because, you know, you can actually find them unlike the interwebs) from unhappy customers so would put more effort into finding reliable products.

    Perhaps the divergence in price between bricks-and-mortar and the "internet" demonstrates just how big the counterfeiting problem really is.
     
    #4 dolj, Apr 19, 2021
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