Master Warning Light & (!) indicator light on

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Lena Mendoza, Jul 17, 2020.

  1. Lena Mendoza

    Lena Mendoza New Member

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    Four
    Hello, I have a 2007 Toyota Prius with 160k miles. While driving this evening I saw two lights come on: the red master warning light and the small (!) yellow indicator light. The fan in the back also started blowing loud and hard. I checked the handbook to see what it means and did some googling and ended up calling a tow. I bought it not to long ago, and I know the previous owner said the 1st owner had the hybrid battery already replaced. So I don’t think it can be that. Could it be the smaller regular battery then? I also know a few months ago I got a code for the engine coolant having a malfunction....any help on what this can be will be greatly appreciated!
     
    #1 Lena Mendoza, Jul 17, 2020
  2. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Welcome to PriusChat!!

    Happen to have any OBD2 codes (DTCs) that you could share with us here?

    It sounds like you have a failing HV battery, and that (!) is just one of the tire pressure sensors telling you something is wrong.
     
    #2 SFO, Jul 18, 2020
  3. Lena Mendoza

    Lena Mendoza New Member

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    No I don’t have any codes yet. I went to Toyota today and that’s what they said was wrong along with coolant valve. Almost 4K in repairs, so that really sucks.
     
    #3 Lena Mendoza, Jul 18, 2020
  4. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Thought not exactly around the corner, I bet Todd could recommend someone or sort you out at :

    Home - Tampa Hybrids Inc.

    Tampa Hybrids Inc.
    Todd Thompson
    124 Cypress Lane
    Lutz FL 33548
    (813) 241-5307
    [email protected]
     
    #4 SFO, Jul 18, 2020
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  5. davecook89t

    davecook89t Senior Member

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    If you paid for a diagnosis at your Toyota dealer, they owe it to you to tell you what codes they found. The 3 way valve for the engine's cooling system is a relatively minor repair and does not normally render the car undriveable. I am guessing the dealer told you that you need a new hybrid battery, which would explain the $4K estimate. The battery itself should only cost about half that much and an independent shop should only charge a few hundred for labor to do the replacement. 160K is not a lot of miles for these cars (our 2007 now has 287K and still runs fine), so I think it would be worth putting in a new HV battery from Toyota, which would be expected to last at least 10 years, provided the car is otherwise well cared-for. Even if you can't make it up to Tampa, talk to Todd as @SFO recommended and see if he can recommend anyone closer to you who can do the replacement.
     
    #5 davecook89t, Jul 18, 2020
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  6. Lena Mendoza

    Lena Mendoza New Member

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    2007 Prius
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    Four
    Yes, the battery is $1,900 and the labor was about $700. Then the coolant valve part was $100, plus the $25 liquid. The labor for that part is $500. Plus tax it equals to about $3,600. Toyota said the battery will come with an 8 year warranty. I know this cars can last awhile with proper care, but I paid $4,000 for the car and have had it for less than 6 months so it’s just been a hard pill to swallow. I also talked to a trusted mechanic and he said only Toyota can do the battery replacement and even the coolant valve...since they have that software. It’s also weird that the person I purchased from said the first owner told him he replaced the hybrid battery, not sure what hear I’m guessing 2012 because there’s some chicken scratch in the back of the owners manual with that says battery replaced then a date. I asked Toyota if there service history shows that and they said no. He must’ve had it done somewhere else right? I will contact the Hybrid place in Tampa to see who they can recommend. Thank you for responding though, I really appreciate it!
     
    #6 Lena Mendoza, Jul 21, 2020
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    anyone can replace the battery and valve, and for a lot less than the dealer.

    a new battery from the dealer only gets a 3 year warranty, but should last 8-10 years.

    if the battery was replaced, it was probably not an oem, but a 'remanufactured', which just means they replaced the bad cells and rebalanced everything to some extent, depending on the company who did it.

    not the most reliable way to go.

    @edthefox5 might have some good florida advice for you
     
    #7 bisco, Jul 21, 2020
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