Hi it's been an awful day - my mom suddenly passed away and my wife and kids are about 600 miles away when the red Triangle came on - they have no idea what it means or if it's safe to drive back home - I really could use them about now - darn car. Please let me know if there is a way that they can get some further diagnostic information - it's a 2004 - i believe Gen2-not sure - It has the Nav computer - I am not sure if there are diagnostics - if so could someone provide a step by step method of accessing the appropriate diagnosis code? Also they are in a fairly remote area so I am going to need to relate this over the phone - so please explain as if you were talking to a 12 year old. Thanks in advance - Gary staley 510-583-6410 Pacific time
You need to check or engine codes if any with an odbii scan tool. And report the code back (might be the Prius battery, the one that drives the electric motor or the inverter or some other major thing or check the MAF mass air flow sensor (the one connected to the air inake, might be dirty or needs a new one depending of I'd u get a code reading Check the 12 volt in the back of car on the right side to see if it needs replacing
Not possible to get codes without a scan tool. Most common cause of red triangle for your model year and the current season is the inverter cooling pump. There is a recall, with a free repair at a Toyota dealership. They can also reboot the car by following the steps in this thread: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...le-vsc-transmission-problems.html#post1363946
I agree with the above suggestions, on the battery: if you do not have a multimeter for checking 12 volt battery voltage, do a search on Priuschat and it will give you a link to check the voltage level of the 12V battery, which is located at the right rear of the car in the trunk, under the right shelf. Take everything out of the trunk to have access to the battery. The 12V battery is the key to starting the Prius! Check connections, they must be clean and tight. If voltage is under 12V, you may need a new battery. In an emergency, anything will do as long as it is around 30ah. Again, read all previous post! on: 12V, cleaning mass air flow sensor, air filter, AC filter and REBOOTING. IF: none of the above fixes the problem, then go to a auto store where they can (perhaps) get the codes. SO, that is enough work for now, Good Luck! From Germany.
thanks for your responses - do you think it might be okay for them to drive back from southern california to Northern california about 600 miles or is it critical they get it to a toyota dealer ASAP?
If it is the inverter pump, only short distances following a cold soak are appropriate. Once the car triggers the code, the DC converter goes offline, and the 12V battery is responsible for running all sensors and computers. If stopped quickly and left to cool, the car can continue until the inverter overheats again. If not stopped quickly, within minutes in most cases, the 12V battery will be drained and the car will be completely dead.
Condolences on your mother's passing. If the master warning red triangle is the only warning light that appeared, I suggest that you ask your wife to check engine oil level using the dipstick, when the car is IG-OFF. The oil level should be between the two dimples on the dipstick. It is possible that the engine oil level is low, which would cause that warning light to turn on. No other warning or message would be provided in that instance. Your wife should check all other fluid levels visible in the engine compartment: engine radiator coolant (reservoir located behind the radiator), inverter coolant (reservoir located next to the inverter), and brake fluid (passenger side of the car). If those are all OK, if no other warning lights are on, and if the car does not exhibit any driveability symptoms then she can try to drive back, but should have her cellphone battery fully charged in the event she has to call for help. Obviously it would reduce the risk of the car being stuck along the side of the road, if she took a few hours to have the car checked by a local Toyota dealer this morning. Good luck.
The first time I had a red triangle - it turned out I had not completely closed the hatch. Do check to be sure all doors and the hatch are closed properly. Sometimes that red triangle comes on for things that are easy to fix. Springtime
I have a 2007 Prius that in the last week or so has started showing the red triangle on startup, but it goes right off. It doesn't happen all the time, but often enough that it has me wondering. Last time I started it (from being parked overnight), I heard a short buzz that also went right off. No other warning lights and fluid levels look OK. Any ideas? The car drives fine, but I'm on vacation 1200 miles from home and don't want to be stuck. If it's OK, I'd rather drive it home and have it checked by the dealership there. Any ideas?
Maria, please run the test in the thread linked below in the morning and report the results here. http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/73400-weird-stuff-happening-mpgs-dropping-test-battery.html
