Hi! I have an '01 Prius (V or 5? - unsure) w/160 K miles, bought used in April, ran fine till October it ran out of gas on highway, my roommate brought me 2 gallons or so of gas, but I didn't know it was snowblower gas that had been sitting outside for 6+ months. It limped down the road 100 feet 3 times and died. I added 3 gallons of fresh gas but it wouldn't move. Had to tow it home. It would start but stall out within a minute, then eventually it wouldn't even turn over. Couldn't find anyone knowledgeable and affordable to fix it. Finally took it to a guy who had a friend who works for Toyota who came over and gave it a quick computer check. He said the main big battery under the back seat was dead, and the guy who did that test is out of the country due to a death in the family for 2-3 weeks so I can't get any more info. I don't have the $ to go to Toyota. The next mechanic said that he could not get any codes to show up, just the orange/red triangle on the dash screen. Does anybody know someone reliable & honest who could help me figure out if it's fixable? Maybe replacing the bad cells if it's true the main battery is gone? I've been spending a ton of money on a rental car in the meantime and need good help. Not able to do the work myself. Any referrals or offers you have would be very appreciated!! Thanks!
i think you'll be pouring good money after bad. can you afford something newer, or a monthly payment?
Thanks, Bisco... The 12 volt was load checked out by both the last two mechanics and was OK. Not much cash flow, just need a clear answer between junk, fix up enough to sell, or fix to keep. hard to tell with a vague diagnosis. Know anyone good in or near MA?
The battery might not be "gone" (needing physical repair) ... it could be, or it could just be so discharged from cranking your nonstarting engine* and driving you 100 feet times 3, that it will need a charge before you can keep trying. That ain't convenient, because the corner gas station usually doesn't have a 300 volt battery charger, but if you can find someone who does, it could get you back in business (along with maybe cleaning out the fuel injectors....). The whole experience probably hasn't added to the battery's longevity, of course. -Chap *Everybody who drives a Prius with a nonstarting engine will insist the engine really started, ran for n seconds, and stalled, because that's what it sounds like, given MG1 spins it way faster than other cars' starter motors do.
Can we chat about your skills? For example, do you have any tools or have used a Volt Ohm meter? I'm willing to discuss some of the easier things non-mechanic folks can do to help diagnose the car. But I need to know you're OK with trying to follow the community suggestions. Bob Wilson
Find a taxi company that uses Prius cars. Call their office and ask who does their hybrid work. You need a hybrid mechanic, independent hybrid shops do exist and are more likely to give you the straight info and not suggest that you throw 3-4 grand at the car. Imho, and not having seen the car, I suspect the car is toast and not worth fixing. Sorry!
