Hello, This is my first post here, and I would like to thanks for the great forum! Now back to the root of the issue. A friend of my has Prius with very strange problem. The car could be started normal only with jump start. When the car is started via jump start it could be driven (not every time) for about 1 mile. Suddenly it die again. No power, no light, no dashboard, nothing. A stone on the road. The aux battery is a new one. Sometimes it could be started independently (with it's own aux battery), then drive it for 1+- mile and died. It could be started only via jump start terminal, attached with a booster. When the booster is disconnected form the jump start terminal, the car die again. No trouble codes stored so far in any ECU. I've never seen such an issue, this is why I'm asking here for help and any guidance where the issue could be. Thanks. p.s. It's '06 Prius, European version if this could help.
welcome! what is the stone cold aux battery voltage? are you using toyota tech stream code reading software?
After the vehicle is READY, you should be able to completely disconnect and remove the aux 12v battery from the vehicle and have it function normally until the next reboot. If the vehicle is dying that way after it is started, then you most likely have a problem with the inverter system. Could be the inverter is overheating, could be the inverter is bad, don't know. What is very strange is no codes. However if the aux battery is very dead, then any code being set could be cleared by the lack of 12v power before the next boot.
The voltage is ~12.6 as it is a new one, as I said. Yes, I'm using Techstream 10.30.029 if this is also important. What I'm missing is to measure aux voltage at the jump start terminal, but the car is not here, and now I cannot do that. But I don't think that the issue is related to aux battery at all, because the Prius could work with disconnected aux battery since it is switched on. This is why I think there is no DTC stored, because when the car is started via jump terminal and reading it, it's shows that DTC has been cleaned since 0km/0min ago.
Yep. The inverter pump is working. Also I don't think that the inverter could overheat for let's say 2-3 minutes of work with no load. The strange here is that when the car died, there is no electricity at all. Even hazard lights are not working. As there is no aux battery at all and pres power button to shut it down. Example - start the car with booster via jump start terminals. You can drive the car without issues, but when you disconnect the booster from the jump start terminals, the car die at all - there is no remote control, no central locking, nothing.
I suppose you are asking for dash lights (sorry for my bad English)? Then yes. Nothing. As there is no any power source (aux or traction battery) onbord.
is this a fairly new low mileage prius in good condition, or are we chasing a vehicle problem due to age, miles, accidents, aftermarket mods, etc.?
Let's consider it in bad shape (obvious). Actually my friend bought the car just a few days ago. There is no reliable history.
When it is in ready does it have any fault lights? What lights? -If yes then connect the code reader (Mini-VCI is good and cheap) and read the codes when it’s still in ready. -If no then problem is very likely with 12V system. Check the voltage at jump start terminal when off? At the battery when off? If different then problem is between those points. Check the voltage at jump start terminal when in ready if not steady 13.8V…14.4V then it has some problem with charging circuit.
