So, I've got a weird situation. My 2012 Prius with 179,000 is driving fine. However yesterday, the display went a little nuts! The Engine Light is lit, the orange triangle with the exclamation point is lit, as well as a message "Check Hybrid System. Stop Vehicle in a Safe Place." I drove it to the dealer and they tell me that my hybrid battery must be replaced for $3600. I did find a business on the internet HybridBatteries911 that says they can replace it with a refurbished battery for $1200. On the main display panel, the hybrid battery shows fully charged, however the flowing arrows that show the battery powering the engine have disappeared. It won't go into ECO or EV mode. I just drove 20 miles home & my monitor says 40 miles per gallon. Please HELP. What should I do?
Download Dr. prius app and take screen shots of the voltages. Check for any codes and write them down. Then at least you will know what you need when you try and get it fixed or fix it yourself. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
In both instances, the businesses you talked to didn't want to fix your battery pack, or even diagnose what specifically is wrong with it. All they care about is making a large amount of money off of your misery. Meanwhile myself and others on here can often detect very minor problems with the hybrid system and have you back on the road for just a few hundred dollars. It's so disappointing, not to mention wasteful, how often your situation has become the norm... But if you can find an honest local mechanic that works on packs, or a friend or family member that wants to learn via our help on Prius Chat, let us know and we'd be happy to help.
Before you spend a penny on anything else....... You need to get the 12 V battery tested to be SURE it is not failing. That means insisting that whoever tests it do it two or three times in a row a minute or two apart. And if that battery is more than 5 years old, just pony up the $150 or so to replace it. The 12 V battery might not be the cause of all of your troubles, or maybe of none of them, but ignoring that possibility and going right for the obvious and expensive things the codes point to is just not prudent. Note: What exactly makes you think that the hybrid battery is NOT going bad. With that kind of mileage, it is a good possibility.
You can get a small multimeter from autozone or walfart for about $10. Check the voltage on the 12v battery, right rear corner in the trunk. If it doesn't read 12.5 or above, it's probably due to be replaced. Is it the original battery? Being 8, almost 9 years old, it's due to be replaced. Pretty easy to do with a few simple tools. If you read through Prius chat, you will find similar problems like what you are experiencing which are related to the 12volt battery. That doesn't mean the hybrid is NOT bad, but it's not necessarily likely. Do you have anyone who can help you that is mechanically incline, IF you are not?
Nobody reading this thread even knows what the codes are yet, so making assumptions about what "obvious" or "expensive" things they "point to" is getting a little ahead of the story. Often they end up pointing to rather simple and inexpensive things. Not always, but often enough that not to read them and find out is just not prudent.
Don't NEED to know what the codes are.......to KNOW that anyone with any troubleshooting savvy at all will know that the reasonable thing to do it to check the power supply first. YOU can choose to ignore that and run off in some stupid chase of un-verified codes.......but recommending that others do that too is just being irresponsible. But it appears that you will CONTINUE to give irresponsible advice. And I will continue to call you on it every time that I see it. YOU are in total control here. YOU can stop it anytime you choose.
