1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Suggestions sought: cold engine stalling at 240k miles

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by golden_bear, Sep 17, 2017.

  1. golden_bear

    golden_bear New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2017
    3
    0
    0
    Location:
    San Francisco
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    My 2006 inexplicably lost engine power as I was leaving work last night. Brakes and power steering still worked fine. Engine was cold. Dash lights stayed lit. I couldn't shift back into drive until I turned the car off and on again. Drove home fine after that. The red triangle was on along with a red car symbol on the top left of the touch screen. No new trouble codes to explain it.

    I searched the forum and saw that a failing inverter pump can cause stalling without a trouble code. Mine was replaced at 100k miles.

    Not sure if it is related but the car has had codes for the catalyst system, camshaft advance and inadequate engine heat for closed loop fuel control (she is very slow to warm up). Car also burns a quart of oil every 1500 miles and the engine sometimes knocks under light throttle.

    Car has high miles (245k) and I'm trying to keep her alive until I can save for a newer Prius. Thanks in advance for your suggestions about how to troubleshoot this!
     
    #1 golden_bear, Sep 17, 2017
  2. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2017
    5,289
    4,228
    0
    Location:
    Northern California
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Which scanner was used to read the codes, and which codes did the vehicle offer up?

    How old is the 12v battery?

    Inverter pumps are generally good for about 100k, give or take.
     
    #2 SFO, Sep 17, 2017
    golden_bear likes this.
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    108,038
    49,114
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    maybe the hybrid battery, how old is it?
     
    #3 bisco, Sep 17, 2017
    golden_bear likes this.
  4. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    18,200
    6,464
    0
    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Regarding the engine being slow to warmup, why not replace the engine thermostat.

    I doubt the inverter coolant pump is causing the engine stalling. However since the engine has some known problems I suggest you should try to address those that aren't expensive to fix.
     
    #4 Patrick Wong, Sep 17, 2017
    golden_bear likes this.
  5. golden_bear

    golden_bear New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2017
    3
    0
    0
    Location:
    San Francisco
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    It's still on its original high voltage battery - now I wonder how to inspect it.

    The 12v battery is a few years old. Could be bad, given how it has been drained fairly quickly in the past (a jump start was required a almost a year ago after sitting briefly with accessories on and engine off).

    I used a cheap bluetooth dongle and the torque android app to scan for codes. I gather that this isn't an optimal setup.

    Thanks for the responses so far. Hopefully I can get this sorted out soon.
     
    #5 golden_bear, Sep 17, 2017
  6. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2007
    10,096
    4,795
    0
    Location:
    Clearwater, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Oil eater and knocks under load, don't put any money in it because it's not long for this world.

    But cold stall is probably a gunked up throttle body. Read the codes it will tell u why it's stalling.
     
    #6 edthefox5, Sep 18, 2017
  7. golden_bear

    golden_bear New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2017
    3
    0
    0
    Location:
    San Francisco
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    So the red triangle and red "!" warning light on the touchscreen both went away today mysteriously.

    I wonder if it had anything to do with plugging in an elm327 obd adapter earlier that day and leaving it in when parked.
     
    #7 golden_bear, Sep 18, 2017
  8. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2017
    5,289
    4,228
    0
    Location:
    Northern California
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Have you tested the inverter pump to see if it is functioning.. you can check for vibration by touching the pump, or if you see a slight turbulence on the liquid surface inside the reservoir.
     
    #8 SFO, Sep 18, 2017
  9. jadziasman

    jadziasman Prius owner emeritus

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2011
    1,355
    487
    0
    Location:
    District 6
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I had that happen when I was using the ELM327 but I can't remember why it did and how it cleared. Wouldn't be the cause for the engine stalling. As to the engine not warming up, I had a 92 Camry that had a stuck open thermostat. That is likely to be the cause of your issue as Patrick just mentioned.
     
    #9 jadziasman, Sep 18, 2017
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)