Would like to start the ICE in shop to check ICE

See also posts 15 ff in the same thread. I'd say that the OP wouldn't need to buy any hobby chargers. He probably should discuss with Jeff, who I'm sure will be able to steer him in the correct direction and also advise on the best strategy to charge and balance.

 

Was aware post #15 w/in the thread.

We have differing views on this matter.

Ultimately OP can go do whatever he wants as its his car, money, and time.

 

I believe it comes with cables you have to install on vehicle. I may have it wrong, maybe some one can confirm?

That's not a deal breaker, but keep in mind you'll subsequently need to uninstall the cable or purchase another.

 

well, i wouldn't buy the grid charger until i had the mini vci and retrieved the codes and read the battery voltages.
the engine is not turning, you would know it. kinda strange that it goes ready though.
there is a system that uses the engine to burn off excess energy when the battery is full. not sure how/why that would apply here though.

 

I don't mean this in any kind of malicious or disrespectful way, but yeah, you do have some funny ideas. Like you said his car, his money. I'm just trying to give him options and doing it the hard way isn't always the best way.

 

Do not do anything else until you have been able to charge the HV battery to a least 3 Bars. Who knows you could have already destroyed your HV pack with what you have done already.

Have you had a chat to Jeff about whether his charger is suitable for your needs?

 

i've never heard that, but if you're out of fuel, the ice will shut down and the dash will light up.

 

Three things your Prius needs to run:

1) Fuel (in the fuel tank) at least 11 litres (3 gal (US))
2) Electricity (in the HV Battery) at least 2 bars, 3 and its happier.
3) Electricity (in the 12 V). Make sure it's healthy and fully charged.

If you take care of those things first and then start looking at what DTC's your car has logged.

Post your DTC's and then we can give you an informed opinion of what is wrong.

All the best.

 

Does this mean that all ten bars on the fuel gauge are blinking? If not, how many bars are blinking?

If the Prius has detected a no-fuel problem, then the car will refuse to start until the fuel gauge reports that at least 3-4 more gallons of fuel have been added. If you are not able to add that much fuel, you can get around the problem by disconnecting the 12V battery to clear the existing DTC and force the fuel gauge to read the existing fuel level in the tank.

However I do not think this is the problem if you were able to make the car READY previously. I do not think it is a great idea to run the engine and transaxle in D while the car is up on a lift because the front wheels are turning while the rear wheels are stationary, and at minimum this will cause the skid control ECU heartburn.

 

No offense taken. We have different views/approaches to achieve the same result: a working HV Battery.

Yes, my approach (rebuilding HV Pack) is not easy. However it has some advantages:
1) Any visibly defective modules (ie leaking) will be seen immediately.
2) 3 discharge/charge cycles could point to suspect modules immediately; Post #26 & 27, Gen II Prius Individual Battery Module Replacement | Page 2 | PriusChat
3) You can better match capacity, voltage, and resistance of the modules to help maximize longevity; Post #32, Gen II Prius Individual Battery Module Replacement | Page 2 | PriusChat

Grid charger would be great for a known working HV Battery, and used in a car that will sit unused for extended periods of time like snow birds.

 

I think the sticking point is the "rebuilding" the pack vs rebalancing the pack. You also assume, based on no evidence, that there are definitely one or more bad modules.

However, if you have Techstream, it is not necessary to dismantle the battery and test each cell individually to assess whether there are any defective modules.

If your assumption is correct, then I whole heartily agree with all your points above. But if the battery has only self-discharged and otherwise is in good health, then all that is required is a full balancing charge and then a discharge to between 40 to 80%. Just from sitting for a long period will not lead to bad modules (or even cells). In fact, it is a good way to store NiMH cells.

I think this is my fundamental point of disagreement. I think if you read post #8 and post #15 in the thread you linked to earlier again -- Prius sat for 2 years | Post #8 | PriusChat -- it says it better than I could.

I hope that helps you and others following this slight diversion O/T to see where I'm coming from, but I think this all I will say on this.

 

how about towing it with all 4 wheels on the ground and using the braking system to generate power to recharge the battery pack..
remove the 12 battery and charge it and add a few gallons of gas..I never trust these gauges...I let it drop to two bars once and ran out with in 12 miles...now I fill up every 300 miles no matter what the gauge says

if the car was hit in the back Id bet the 12 volt battery damaged internally ...check the web to see if these cars have a fuel safety cut off relay like the fords do, it kills the fuel pump in a rear end hit or roll over