Hi guys! This is my first time in the forum so please forgive me if I'm doing anything wrong here or repeating any threads. I have a 2008 Prius that I purchased used last year. It has just shy of 139,000 miles on it. Recently the check engine light came on, and I dropped by AutoZone to have them pull the codes. They are as follows: C1241 P1121 P3193 I haven't been able to find a full explanation of the codes online, so I figured asking here would be the best route. I need to know what they mean, how much it would cost to fix, and how urgent the repair is. I will be going on a 5 1/2 hour road trip next week, so I want to make sure I'm not going to break my car (or myself!) by doing so with the engine light on. Thanks so much!!
I did a quick search on the forum: ABS: "C1241 (too low or too high battery volts)" "Code p1121 which is the water coolant valve. P1121 is one of those codes (particularly in the summer) you can ignore until your financial situation improves." "P3193, ... a out of gas DTC" This is the Prius v station wagon forum, you want to be in GEN II forum (where the moderator will probably move this to shortly). I would also suggest you put your location in your profile so it's possible to recommend a qualified independent mechanic or trusted dealer. When you are searching go to the GEN II (Generation 2) forums and you will get the above results and more but not always in very concise form. What I read is the ABS (antilock) C1241 issue is likely a battery voltage issue, not a real ABS issue. There is a way to check the 12v battery from the MFD screen (youtube link here). The P1121 code is a water coolant valve that needs to be replaced but some say it's not a deal breaker while the last P3193 should go away on it's own if it was caused only by running out of gas. GEN 2 Prius gas tanks have a bladder that sometimes gives inconsistent readings causing some to run out of gas when one bar would get them 40 miles one time and not another time. I ran out of gas once in my 08 GEN2 but it continued 2 miles on battery into a station. That was years ago and I don't remember checking codes at the time. I do know Autozone or someone else can clear the codes and you could then see if they come back. What I would do is call around and find a dealer that would pull codes for free and give you advice or find an independent Prius repair shop that would do the same. Then ask for their opinion. Much better than an autosupply who only wants to sell you parts.
Thanks so much for your reply! I'll fix my profile momentarily. So essentially the only one I need to worry a smidge about is the C1241 code?
I would try to get the codes cleared and get some advice. I know the battery issue can strand you, so I would check that asap. It's not always easy to get a Prius 12v battery from autosupplies (if you need one), you need instructions to change it and the dealer will usually charge a premium. I don't have personal experience with any of these at a code level other than what I searched. You should do your own search and read through the threads.
Driving seems to be fine, but it did drop about 5mpg from normal (running at about 40 to 41, normally about 45 to 46). Other than that I think anything else is mainly paranoia.
