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Walked in on my Prime buzzing in the middle of the night

Discussion in 'Prime Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Dmitriy Sokol, Feb 8, 2017.

  1. Dmitriy Sokol

    Dmitriy Sokol Active Member

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    I walked into my garage to check on something and heard a loud buzzing sound that got me worried. Started to look around and realized that it was coming from the rear of my Prime, under the battery pack. The sound cannot be heard from the inside of the cab. Just on the outside and the tone changed every few minutes. Then it stopped after about 10 minutes, as I was trying to figure out Wth was going on. Any ideas? Did anyone else had that happen? This could be normal and some sort of a battery pack maintenance, but seems weird. Anyone?
     
  2. Kramah313

    Kramah313 Active Member

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    This happened to my gen 3 twice in the last month or so. I hit the power button twice (on position) without the brake and it stopped. I then turned the car off and it didn't come back. Same thing, sounded like it came from the area of the battery or the battery fan and it was louder on the outside than the inside. Not sure what it was either.
     
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  3. mr88cet

    mr88cet Senior Member

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    I don't know whether this would have any bearing on the question, but it might: Was it charging at the time?
     
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  4. Dmitriy Sokol

    Dmitriy Sokol Active Member

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    Charging finished hours before. When charging, the internal cooling fan is running and it's a different sound entirely that's clearly heard on the inside. This one was coming from the exterior, right under the car's traction battery.
     
  5. gmcneil05

    gmcneil05 Member

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    Most likely the evap system test. Which is a noise from around the fuel tank. Happens after the car sits for a few hours.
     
  6. huskers

    huskers Senior Member

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    Maybe the car did not like being walked in on.
     
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  7. crewdog

    crewdog Acting Ensign Prius Prime

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    this happened on both the old Pip, and a couple of times on the Prime.

    I cannot figure out any rhyme or reason for it, but cycling the power switch turns off the noise.

    It is not an evap systems test noise, because the steady buzzing will go on for a long time. I timed 5 minutes once and decided to power cycle and go upstairs.
     
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  8. EspressoFueled

    EspressoFueled Junior Member

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    Still sounds like a high probability of being the fuel evap test to me.

    Per page 8 of the manual: "Approximately five hours after the hybrid system is turned off, you may hear sound coming from under the vehicle for several minutes. This is the sound of a fuel evaporation leakage check and, it does not indicate a malfunction."
     
    #8 EspressoFueled, Feb 9, 2017
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2017
  9. crewdog

    crewdog Acting Ensign Prius Prime

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    I stand corrected.

    Here's a vid someone posted with the evaporation test sound from a Prius C:
     
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  10. Kramah313

    Kramah313 Active Member

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    Yep that's it. That's the sound I heard. Maybe I shouldn't have stopped it then.
     
  11. huskers

    huskers Senior Member

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    Now that I think about it, my 2011 Prius does that as well.
     
  12. DavidA

    DavidA Prius owner since July 2009

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    ^ Vid... I have never ever heard anything like that from my 2010. That sounds really loud and annoying.
     
  13. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    I have come to realize that we all are driving a computer that is never completely "off". It constantly checks itself, making sure that all systems are "go". The car is simply amazing, whether other (non hybrid-owners) want to admit or not.
     
  14. Kramah313

    Kramah313 Active Member

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    This would be a good one for Coast Cruiser's Prius oddities.
     
  15. huskers

    huskers Senior Member

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    You really don't notice it unless things are really quiet.
     
  16. Dmitriy Sokol

    Dmitriy Sokol Active Member

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    Great find. I am too lazy to read the manual :(
     
  17. Dmitriy Sokol

    Dmitriy Sokol Active Member

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    Sounds about right. Glad to see that it's normal. Got me worried for a while.
     
  18. EspressoFueled

    EspressoFueled Junior Member

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    I'm shocked, only 788 pages and you couldn't find the time? I wouldn't feel guilty about that!

    Seriously, this is getting out of control. They have what now, TWO quick reference guides included in the manuals pack? I definitely appreciate Toyota going to the trouble to document everything and I do hope they continue that level of detail going forward, however the level of complexity that cars are getting to strikes me as perilously close to beyond human scale at the driver level. The level of trust implicitly requested of end users of modern cars is growing by leaps and bounds...
     
  19. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    That's new. I'm used to the brake accumulator buzz but that only lasts several seconds. (Both Gen 2 and 3).
     
  20. huskers

    huskers Senior Member

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    Yeah, I just want it to get me from point "A" to point "B" without needing a PHD.
     
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