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When selecting drive Prius will only go into neutral.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Banksy, Apr 22, 2020.

  1. Banksy

    Banksy Active Member

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    Sometimes after hitting the power button the car will only go into neutral and won't allow drive or reverse

    After a restart it will go into drive

    This seems to happen at random

    What's possibly causing this?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    is it making ready the first time?
     
  3. Banksy

    Banksy Active Member

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    I'm not quite sure what you mean?

    Do you mean for the first time starting the car for the day or after a repair?
     
  4. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Anytime the 12v is reset it will take two (2) power cycles to "ready" the vehicle.

    How are you currently starting the vehicle? (foot on the brake pedal, etc.)
     
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  5. Banksy

    Banksy Active Member

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    Just hitting the power button and trying to put it into drive with foot on the brake

    Can't be that

    Just drive it to Walmart and tried to start it with the same thing happening

    I've put nearly 40 miles on this car since it's its last repair
     
  6. Banksy

    Banksy Active Member

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    I just posted this on Reddit and someone said it's possibly the inverter or a leak in the HV battery

    What do they mean leak in the HV battery?
     
  7. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Try pressing down on the brake, and hitting the power button twice. This is assuming your single power button push isn't long enough.
    If there was a HV ground fault (leak) a DTC would be thrown.

    Sounds like the advice given (inverter or leak) was in relation to DTC P0AA6, which you don't have.
     
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  8. Banksy

    Banksy Active Member

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    Ohhh you meant the power button needs to be checked twice.

    Sure hold on I'm knee deep in techstream atm haha
     
  9. Banksy

    Banksy Active Member

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    SFO I think you're right

    I just tested it like five times by pressing the power button rapidly twice and it went into drive each time

    do not know if it will help but in accessory mode it's reading 12.12 volts off the 12v
     
    #9 Banksy, Apr 22, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2020
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  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    yeah, that's getting down there
     
  11. Banksy

    Banksy Active Member

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    Change it for sure?

    Dude this thing doesn't hold a charge

    I mean it's died soooo many times this month

    It's a recent battery from the previous owner

    Manufacturer date says 12/19 which is why I've been holding off but I think I toasted it

    Anybody on here selling replacements that are not terribly expensive?

    I mean like WOW these batteries aren't cheap
     
  12. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Make sure you always put your foot on the brake first, before hitting the power button, not just before trying to put it into Drive.

    The car also needs to be "READY" before it can go into Drive. When Drive fails, is the "READY" status light on?
     
  13. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Pretty sure the power button isn't being depressed long enough, which is why I suggested pressing the button twice instead of once.
     
  14. George W

    George W Active Member

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    after I put my foot on the brake, I press the start button until I hear the first beep
     
  15. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    It sounds to me like the OP is putting it into ACC, then puts his foot on the brake and hits the Power button again which makes it READY. Then it goes into D. But not sure if you can put it in N in ACC, but if he has actually hit the Power button twice with foot off the brake, he will be in IG-ON and it is possible the put it into N, but not D (obviously). Again from here if he puts his foot on the brake and hits the Power button again it makes the car READY and then it will go into D.

    The table below describes the various Power states of the Gen 2 Prius:

    To get to this state ... Do this ... then this ... Notes
    1 ACC Foot off the brake press start button once.
    2 IG-ON Foot off the brake press start button twice. (Once again if in ACC)
    3 OFF Foot off the brake press start button a third time. (Once again if in IG-ON or READY).
    4
    5 READY Foot on the brake press start button once.

    NOTES:
    • Pressing the Start button once, with your foot ON the brake, from any of the above states (ACC, IG-ON, OFF), will start the car and make it READY to drive.
    • When in READY and you press Power once (with your on OR off the brake), it will turn the car OFF.
     
    #15 dolj, Apr 23, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2020
  16. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    I believe these two statements are the keys. I've had the same thing happen in a couple Prii.

    When you press the Start button, it energizes relays that take time to latch. Give it a half second push rather than a quick jab. The situation is worse with a weak 12V because the relays move slower thanks to a weaker magnetic field in the coil.
     
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  17. ciro ochoa

    ciro ochoa Junior Member

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    How many volts should the battery have ? is there a way to test the HV contriller? im getting several codes all pointing to that, i bought a used one and cleared the codes and it came back the same ((
     
  18. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Nothing in a Prius is cheap. Its a poor choice for a used car buyer.
     
  19. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    You should have at least 12V. 12.4 is better. But it would need to be down around 11V or so to cause anything to malfunction. I had one down under 10V and it started OK except that the brake pump took a long time to come up to pressure.
     
  20. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    We can help more when you tell us the codes.