URGENT: Stranded with ! PS Battery Engine All on 2001 Prius

I am going to say your pump is shot.get it replaced, do not drive it. There are write ups on here on how to do it. if your dad or a friend of his is mechanically inclined get the part from a dealer and have them do it. if not. than its got to go to the dealer before you leave, and it has to be towed there. dont drive it.

Ok to tell if the inverter is bad start the car. will it drive in reverse? and go forward? does the 12v battery charge stay around 13.5v if all those check out. your ok i would assume. Guys jump in here if im wrong on testing this inverter.

 

Well I would take it to the dealer. they have the equipment and know how to bleed the air out of the inverter system. a normal mechanic may not. I would not risk that. its probably going to be close to 100 for the pump and for them to remove and install, im not sure but would plan on possibly around $250 $300 to do the job. I dont think the inverter is shot. from what I have read, when they go. nothing works and they dont just work then not work.

 

There is a write up on this site about replacing that pump and how to bleed the air out of the inverter coolant system after changing out the pump. what may have happened is your car when into limp mode once the inverter heated up and it protected itself by not moving the car. once cooled down or once the pump decided to work again, it was able to come out of limp mode and function normally.

anywho, I would strongly recommend reading how to replace the pump and bleed the air. then see if your dad can tackle it or see if he knows a friend that can do it. but my best bet for you is to get it to a dealer and have them take care of it. call a couple dealers and ask if they have the pump for it. then tell them your situation and see if they can get you taken care of right away. DO NOT drive that car.

 

Your welcome, thats what we are here for. I am sure some of the others will chime in. especially if usnavy, chap, bob wilson or patrick wong chime in, listen to them, they know these cars.

 

Exactly!

Bob Wilson

 

Inverter is still working.

We do not know if you are anywhere near a known, Prius-aware, independent mechanic. Even in the world of Toyota dealership, skills and abilities are not the same.

It is OK to be afraid but not if the fear leads to inaction. So let's take stock:

1. A failed inverter pump does not 'instantly' fail the inverter . . . otherwise you would still be 20 miles from home. It overheats and begins showing warning lights. That is when the car should be parked and allowed to cool off.
2. Mechanics, whether under-paid at a Toyota Service Center or at the corner shop, wake up each day like you, get dressed and head to the shop hoping they'll figure out the problems of the day.
3. There may be more than one problem but ordinary folks like you and me and others have and continue to work the problems day-after-day, week-after-week, month-after-month . . .

Without instrumentation and tools, the warning lights and noises are not enough to understand what is going on. So let's go over some basics.

12V Battery System

If the 12V battery system has or is failing, the car will soon stop running. The 12V system provides power for the six, control computers that operate the car of which three are critical to operation. But in reality, the 12V battery system has these normal voltages:

• 13.8-13.9 V - the battery charging inverter is working and providing power to keep the battery working. This can be measured with a cheap $5-15 volt ohm meter (aka., Radio Shack, WalMart, Harbor Freight, e.t.c.)
• 11.95-12.85 V - the normal, 12V battery range with higher being better.
• ~11.5 V - the minimum before the car stops running.

Onboard Diagnostic Bus (OBD) Scanner

This is a small system that plugs into the diagnostic port located on the bottom of the dash just to the left of the steering wheel. Although prices and capabilities vary, I recommend a Scangauge II, $120-160, because it has the ability to read out 30 NHW11 Prius specific codes and values from three of the most important control computers: engine Electronic Control Unit (ECU), hybrid vehicle ECU, and traction battery ECU. Out of the box, it can read your 12V battery voltage as well as about a dozen generic car codes. But prices vary.

In engineering we say, "Good, Fast, Cheap", pick two. You can find it cheaper but usually with a one week delay getting it shipped. You can get it faster but it will be more expensive including shipping. However, you might get a 'free' scan from an AutoZone or other car parts store.

They want to sell you stuff but if you ask the counter man, they often have a 'generic' scanner. They can read some codes but they don't know the Prius specific control computers. Worse you won't know if anything you've done has fixed a problem without . . . driving back to the store.

So let's take stock:

• Do you have a covered place to work on the car? Working in the weather is rough because there are times when you can't do stuff . . . like in the rain, snow, dark, cold . . . This limits what sort of repairs can practically be done.
• Do you have a 'car' friend who can help? Friends often have other commitments but sometimes they can provide an hour or so of help.

We're here to help with advice and pointers but you have to decide this is something you want or need to do. Still it would be helpful if you tell us the nearest city and state which lets us understand climate and resources that might be close.

Bob Wilson

 

The OP currently is located near Salt Lake City, UT.

It sounds like the inverter coolant pump has failed, but that may not be the only problem.

The driveability issues and associated warning lights in cold weather *may* be due to the throttle body interior and throttle plate needing to be cleaned. With the car IG-OFF, I suggest the OP needs to check that by removing the air cleaner housing lid and air filter, then using a flashlight to look at the throttle plate. Rotate the spring-loaded throttle shaft to view the underside of the throttle plate.

If black residue is seen on the throttle plate and throttle body interior, use throttle body cleaner spray to clean this off. Use the minimum liquid required for this purpose, do not flood the intake manifold with spray. Do NOT contaminate the mass air flow sensor with throttle body cleaner.

While the air filter is removed, look at it. If light cannot be seen when the filter is held up to the sun, replace it.

If the 12V battery is weak (turn on and look at headlight brilliance when the car is IG-OFF) then replace the battery now.

After the pump, throttle body/throttle plate, and 12V battery are addressed as issues, then if the car still has a problem the diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) will need to be read. If warning lights reappear, I suggest the OP should immediately proceed to the nearest Toyota dealer. Leave the car READY in the service dept driveway and request that a tech immediately connect a diagnostic laptop to the car to retrieve the DTC. Do not make the car IG-OFF as you have learned that some DTC may go away and not be retrieved.

In particular, DTC P3191 and P3101 (those codes mean engine no start and engine low power) would point to a problem with the throttle body, as was previously pointed out..

Good luck.

 

Scotman,
You did a great job of helping this poster out. Keep up the good work.

When I started reading the symptoms, the first thing that popped in my mind was "inverter coolant pump" then I saw your diagnosis.

 

Forget the dealership then, get that thing overnighted to your parents house. Find the blog on replacing that pump. maybe we can get someone here to Chime in with a pump replacement/ air bleed procedure. Your going to have to do this yourself. You cannot drive that car, you will destroy the inverter.

 

Thank you usnavy, just trying to do my part being a member here.

 

I agree. This is an easy job to do but really, the dealership should accept it. Even if you can't get the dealer to accept it or maybe you don't want to DIY, any good mechanic should be able to install this w/ no problem.

 

I an not sure, that may an updated pump part number, I know toyota updated the pumps

 

Are you serious, they won't let you talk to the mechanic, what kind of dealership is that. wait a minute, they won't even put a part on that is a genuine Toyota parts that you can order and give to them to put on. sounds to me like you need to stay away from them, they have no clue of customer service, sounds like a stealership to me.