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Triangle of Death, no OBD codes

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Fadlou Shalhoub, Dec 13, 2018.

  1. Fadlou Shalhoub

    Fadlou Shalhoub New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2018
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
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    N/A
    Hello, Prius community! New member, here, long-time Prius owner.

    I have a 2006 Prius with 130K-ish miles - the dashboard lit up with the triangle-of-death. I went to Advance Auto, used their OBD reader and it came up with "No Codes"... a little background:

    1) The traction (hybrid) battery was recently replaced by Green Bean battery a month ago - after replacement I had no issues. No warning lights, car drove fine - even better than before.
    2) Just the other day, the keyfob stopped communicating, wirelessly, with the vehicle. The touch sensor on the drivers door handle didn't sense the keyfob when touched, and the start button didn't work unless I put the keyfob in the "key port" under the start button. I replaced the keyfob battery, no resolution.
    3) Last night my father-in-law was driving it and the dashboard lit up with the Triangle-of-death and it's sister-warning lights...
    4) I took the car to Advance Auto, plugged in the OBD reader and got "no codes".
    5) Tested the 12V battery when the car was off and it showed 12.2v... the alternator was producing 13.87v under load and no-load. 12v batter was replaced about 2 or 3 years ago by Toyota...
    6) I've confirmed that the engine oil level is fine.

    I just plunked $1700 into the hybrid battery and I'm hesitant to take it to the dealer for a few-hundred-dollar diagnostics, if I can avoid it.

    I've heard that the Keyfob issues can be symptoms of a dying 12v battery, so I'm not sure if it's related to the triangle-of-death.

    Can anyone advise me on what to check, next? Does anyone know a dummy-proof prius-aware OBD reader that won't break my bank account?

    Thanks, in advance!
     
  2. exstudent

    exstudent Senior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    There are codes. If you are NOT using Techstream software, you will be missing codes. Remember, Techstream was specifically written for Toyota/Lexus, and it is what Toyota/Lexus dealers use.

    Don't waste your money buying toy bluetooth OBD2 readers, as those will miss many codes. Spend the money and get Techstream from Amazon ($25-$35); doesn't matter who you buy from, as there is probably only one or two produces in Panda Land that sell to everyone else. For security and ease of installation, get an obsolete Win 32bit OS laptop (XP, Vista, 7). As friends/family if they know anyone in IT; this person will have access to such laptops collecting dust somewhere. So, for $25-$35, you will have dealer level diagnostic capability, if you get a free laptop. Mac install possible, just search. The Techstream software is hacked, thus the recommendation to use on a spare laptop that will only be used for Toyota diagnostic/maintenance purposes.

    Sorry, man, you waste $1700 buying a used HV battery that will not last as long as a new OEM HV battery.
    Read post#9 and see post #11 for the pricing I was able to find.
    Indianapolis area battery repair? | PriusChat
     
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    Vehicle:
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    welcome!
    start by charging up the 12 volt. if it doesn't hold, test another good one in your car. 12,2 can be low. it should be under warranty