Won't start

it is 16 years old, from a technical standpoint I don't know hardly anything about a prius, this is my first one I've seen. I can use a dodge stealth for transportation but not for long. Either way, all I really know is it started yesterday and was untouched till today and now the check engine light wont turn off. Sorry I dont have any more information but any help will be greatly appreciated

 

my fave manager! indians are looking good! as are the cavs.

 

You may not know a lot about a Prius, but what about cars in general? A check engine light (if that is all that is on), is essentially like troubleshooting the Dodge Stealth. But you need some smart tools (OBD2 scanner, multimeter,etc).

If it can wait until next weekend, I might be able to assist.

 

have the codes read. you can start at an auto parts store for free, but may have to take it to toyota, unless you are capable of diy.

 

that would be cool, my dad is trying to get a scanner to check the codes I'll try to keep you updated

 

Tito is a great manager. Just a shame Boston burned him out. Much more easy going in "The Land".

The celtics are in trouble and will have to abide by the "wait 'til next year" mantra.

 

My weeks are packed at work anymore (they just gave me a new "opportunity" which increased my direct reports from 9 to 26). But I might be able to sneak out a little early on Friday if you are still in the same position.

Keep us posted.

 

Does the vehicle make any sounds when you turn the key, like it is trying to do something? When my 12v died some time back, I heard some clicking sounds as various relays tried to actuate, but could not hold in with a weak 12v.
A dying 12v battery is the first guess (heat can cause them to suddenly fail / a cell shorts out), and is a "relatively" cheap fix IF that's determined to be the cause.
There are many threads in this forum about replacing the lawn-mower-capacity Toyota OEM battery with something more sturdy.
Best, of course, is to measure the battery voltage with a DVM. Should be 13.6v. The get-you-home remedy is to do the "jump start" with another vehicle's 12v battery in parallel with the Prius 12v battery (positive to positive and minus to minus ) and see if your car turns on.
Once home, trickle charge the battery for 12 hours or so; give the battery terminals a good inspection; make sure they're clean and tight, and that the negative (black, ground) wire has a good connection to the chassis (it's under the rug near the battery, in the trunk).
If terminals look okay, then just remember, lead acid batteries don't heal themselves; so if it failed once, it is LIKELY to fail again.
Do keep us posted with observations and measurements...

 

thank you for your reply, I just went and bought a code reader and it says that its C1259 I'm not too sure what exactly that means I'm going to google it right now but that was the only code that it read

 

Short answer, it means you don't have the right code reader.

(Ok, that's not really what C1259 means ... C1259 is a sort of 'repeater' code, it's a code in the brake system computer that only means that computer got a message from the hybrid system computer regarding a problem recorded there. The codes in the hybrid system computer will be the ones that tell you what's actually going on. Your code reader only showed you the C1259, because it is able to talk to the brake computer but not the hybrid computer, so it can't show you the other, real codes ... ergo, it's not a suitable code reader for a Prius.)

-Chap

 

what kind of code reader would you recommend me, I just purchased that one for a 100 bucks so I don't know why it wouldn't work

 

Here's a thread that might help you out. @ChapmanF made similar comments there and sited several similar cases:

Can anyone help with a dtc C1259 on 01 model?

Check it out and enjoy the light reading.

 

Techstream is the tool for the job. It requires an old Windows laptop and either a mini VCI or VxDiag dongle between the car and the laptop.

You got an old laptop?

$100 is pricey for a code reader. I have a Kiwi2 paired with an iPhone app. All in for ~$40.

 

I dont have an old laptop for that kind of job I just got a code reader from O'reillys the company that made it is BOSCH, it says it is an ABS,OBDII, and CAN scan tool

 

Hmmm... C1259 is a valid fault code, tho uncommon. Write it down... then clear the codes, check for adequate 12v battery, and try to restart the vehicle. My Toyota manual is cryptic, here I quote: "C1259/59: Malfunction in HV ECU [High Voltage Engine Control Unit]. If any trouble occurs in the HV control system, the ECU prohibits RBS [Regenerative Braking System] control." If the code persists, it would seem to point to a failure in the motor/generator system whch the car uses to charge the HV battery... and THAT system is outside my comfort zone for advice.
On the other hand, the first thing that the HV diagnostic procedure says to do is to inspect/measure the 12v battery and make sure it is healthy.
Good luck going forward, it's late at night where I am...

 

Thanks for everything man, my dad said it looks like a battery related thing, the guy I bought it from was trying to replace it with a different used battery so I might just pay the 1000 and get it all replaced and done.

 

No ... no no no no. C1259 is a valid code, yes, and it's also very common. Why? Because what that cryptic bit from the manual means is this: Any time the HV ECU detects a condition that it logs as trouble, it sends a message to the Brake ECU to prohibit regen braking. The Brake ECU sets C1259 when it receives that message.

All the C1259 tells you is that some trouble has been detected by the HV ECU. The trouble codes that tell you what trouble the HV ECU detected are the codes you get by asking the HV ECU.

Just because you know there is some trouble code logged in the HV ECU is not a reason to start guessing it's a big deal with a motor/generator or traction battery. There are about 300 possibilities (counting possible HV ECU and battery ECU trouble codes; that's from skimming a Gen 3 code summary but as a rough number it's about right) and they range from very straightforward to more involved to fix. You don't know what you're looking at until you read the codes.

A generic scan tool (even if it cost $100) usually can't read the HV ECU. Especially in a Gen 1, where some of the car's ECUs communicate on the same bus but at a different baud rate than the ones that respond by default, and some only respond to their own direct addresses, so a tool that doesn't know where to look will never know they are there. That's why Techstream is the go-to recommendation for many on PriusChat.

A bunch of addressing details were figured out several years ago (a lot of the work done by vincent1449p) so that it is possible to read HV ECU and Battery ECU codes and INF codes using a ScanGauge II, or the Torque app, or other ELM 327-based devices if you're game to figure out how to use the addressing info with them. There are threads on that stuff.

-Chap

 

Much as I'm tickled to be quoted, I don't think that's a parallel case at all. That guy was already using Techstream, so he definitely should have been able to see the underlying HV or Battery ECU codes along with his C1259, and the reason he couldn't involved a car fire, which is far from being the explanation for everybody who sees a C1259.

If the poster in this thread is using a generic, non-Techstream scanner, then no further explanation is needed for why he sees the C1259 but not the root-cause codes he needs.

-Chap

 

As it turns out, old windows computers that run XP are perfectly suited for making into a dedicated code reader computer. You only have to look on Craigslist for a cheap old laptop. I got mine for $36 and the mini VCI (techstream) and software were only about $20 from Amazon.

You can use jumper cables from a good car battery to the 12v in the trunk. With the jumper cables attached, you can turn the key to acc and read the codes with the mini VCI stuff mentioned above.

Basically you haven't given enough info to make any kind of diagnosis or suggestions for a fix. And it's kinda been like pulling hens teethe to get what you've given us.