DIY Head Gasket complete! Now error codes...

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Sarp1028, Apr 19, 2023.

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  1. Sarp1028

    Sarp1028 Junior Member

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    Thank you for everyone who contributes to solutions on this forum. I’m looking at you @Mendel. Don’t be afraid to add a QR code for grateful readers to send you a gratuity over paypal or something.


    Writing this a second time after my first copy disappeared when page refreshed.


    In January my 2012 Prius II with 360,XXX miles began to sputter at low RPMs. My coolant was disappearing. My head gasket was done.


    I hired a mobile hybrid mechanic who quoted me $1200 to do the gasket but he convinced me to do basic services first before a head gasket job. He cleaned MAF, EGR, replaced spark plugs, and billed me the original price for the gasket. I drove the car briefly, considered it fixed, and paid the man. After driving it more than ten minutes the next day it became clear that the problem remained; and my mechanic did not want to return to do the gasket job (or couldn’t). Whatever.


    I rolled up my sleeves, watched the gasket masters video ad nauseum, bought the parts and tools, and went to work.


    I replaced the head gasket, 12V battery, PCV, and water pump. I tried firing up the car several iterations. Each time it came to life for 8 seconds and died with a check hybrid system warning. Reading other threads allowed me to discover how many connections I did not plug in (The black coolant thermostat on the top of the engine on the right, and the black plug in the back of the air intake behind the filter).


    I fired up the car today and it lasted nearly 30 seconds. No nasty metal sounds… smooth as butter really… So i'm getting more confident that I did the timing chain correctly and that the Cams were seated in the correct position. During that 30 second interval I also checked the exhaust coming from the tailpipe which was warm and not rich (soooo ive got fuel and sparks… right?).


    Well now the HV battery is in protection mode.


    My musings for your considerations:

    1. Is a low volts in HV the cause of my prius to not stay alive? I hoped that on that last ignition that the ICE would stay alive and begin to charge the HV battery.

    2. Now i have to get volts up on my HV. Can i buy one of these Prolong/MAXX Watts conditioners to push grid power into cells? Any other solutions to charge the HV battery?

    3. On one attempt, while the engine was running, I pushed on the accelerator to try "italian tuning". Maybe increasing revs would work out kinks like air in the fuel line or something. Little/No response from engine. Is this a symptom? I forgot if the engine can be revved in park.
    4. Lets say I have another culprit for low ICE power and my symptoms What are your thoughts considering the evidence? I have not taken out air intake and throttle body yet to see if there are any throttle body culprits yet.
    Error codes are

    P0102: Mass air flow circuit low

    P0113:Intake Air Temperature Circuit High Input

    P0118: Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor 1 Circuit High

    P3190: Poor Engine Power

    P0A0F: Hybrid drive system - engine failed to start (this code is now gone)

    Some of these may be resolved after plugging in the correct plugs but they showed after I took corrective action and cleared the computer.

    This DIY project has been a great experience to learn about the miracle of ICE and I've gained an appreciation for (honest) everyday mechanics. I have some grit and money left in me to taste sweet victory if someone here can get me across the finish line. I'll treat you to a beer here in Atlanta.
     

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    #1 Sarp1028, Apr 19, 2023
  2. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    I would look for another connector and or hose. The pcv house is sometimes left off.

    360,000 miles is about 150,000 too many for a simple head gasket job. Was the head rebuilt? Was the block flat? Was a cylinder wall scored?

    The codes don't include any battery errors even though it looks low in your pics. Did you run Dr Prius for battery codes? Is the battery original?
     
    #2 rjparker, Apr 19, 2023
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2023
  3. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    I had all this going on when I replaced the engine with a JDM spec in our 13 persona. Prior to that we had attempted a head gasket but didn't realize that the center section of the 2Z engine was compromised The death rattle had literally broken the back wall of the center section of the engine and it couldn't be seen because the damage was very minimal at that time after the head gasket replacement and the engine seemingly back to spec pressures that blew out the crack in the back of the block and it sailed 18 mi down the road so the head gasket had been done decently The timing chain all been replaced to spec just the engine was compromised and that's all it took. Then we ordered a JDM spec engine went ahead and got a transmission so that both pieces would be similar mileage just because we could. Installed all of that everything good to go and then it took another week sorting out nonsense to get the car running correctly and basically most of the codes and the issues were coming because when I bothered the look the hybrid battery looked horrible all the bus bars the nuts fittings all of that was just corroded and look like hell as soon as we fix that most all the stupid codes went away even the one for the air conditioning oh well We got our remanufactured battery from Fairfax Virginia I think it's the hybrid doctor He did a bang up job bunch of guys from South America they're in the business for the long haul in the EV and hybrid battery game believe it.
     
    #3 Tombukt2, Apr 19, 2023
  4. MikeDee

    MikeDee Senior Member

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    Is that 360,000 miles on the original head gasket? Did you ever have the EGR system cleaned? With that many miles, one would think the traction battery is worn out as well.
     
    #4 MikeDee, Apr 19, 2023
  5. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    All those times the engine seemed to run for 8 seconds was really just the hybrid battery and electric motor spinning the engine. It seems as though your battery pack spun the engine one too many times and now needs to be recharged... Maybe you can find someone nearby who has a high voltage trickle charger made by Maxx volts or Hybrid Automotive, or you can build your own for $100 here: Build Hybrid Battery Maintenance Gear For Under $100 | PriusChat

    Once you got a fully charged hybrid battery you can clear the codes and see which ones comes back after running the engine...
     
    #5 PriusCamper, Apr 19, 2023
  6. Sarp1028

    Sarp1028 Junior Member

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    I completely agree. I justified the work by just a sheer curiosity about dismantling the engine far enough to rule out hamsters behind the curtain making the thing run. I ran the VIN through Toyota. The first owner owned the car for a couple years and put on 30k miles. The second owner put on the next 200XXX. No records online. I used insurance money (6k) to buy this model when my 2010 200k mile prius was totaled. It is NOT a buyers market out there for used cars. To answer your question, i suspect "No" to your maintenance questions. I dont have a trained eye for engine internals but nothing looked obscene. I did not have the surfaces machined. The cylinder wall seemed smooth (i think too smooth is bad right? no ability for oil to cling and lubricate?).

    Code P3000 for battery. I will update my original post.

    Thank you for your interest! Keeping my fingers crossed that PCV or other simple connecter/hose is the culprit.
     

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    #6 Sarp1028, Apr 19, 2023
  7. Sarp1028

    Sarp1028 Junior Member

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    I agree on all fronts. I owned the car last year and put 100,xxx miles on it. owned a 2010 before for 7 years and loved it. now i want to embrace the maintenance instead of fearing it.

    See if you think the picture is of OEM head gasket. Not sure here.
     

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    #7 Sarp1028, Apr 19, 2023
  8. Sarp1028

    Sarp1028 Junior Member

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    Awesome advice! Whats the mood on the forums regarding Prolong Vs MaxxVolts. Will they both get the job done? Im not a huge fan of electricity but I can do basic stuff. Not so interested in rigging a contraption... its just not my forte. Im ok to pay $350 or so for a MaxxVolts then sell it for less back on ebay.

    Anyone reading have a charger in Atlanta area??

    Oh yeah for what its worth there is a GreenTec here in atlanta with an entry level refurb batter for less than 1400$... had me thinkin...
     
    #8 Sarp1028, Apr 19, 2023
  9. Sarp1028

    Sarp1028 Junior Member

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    There is a seeming trend of South-of-the=border friends doing awesome work in the refurb battery market as far as i can tell on youtube.
     
    #9 Sarp1028, Apr 19, 2023
  10. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    If you can get a Maxx Volts or Prolong device used, it's reasonably priced, but too expensive new and there's lots of warranty complaints with hybrid automotive.

    But more to the point, do you or friends have any old light ballasts lying around? You're looking for one that's 110v AC that you plug into the wall and out of the other end somewhere between 250v and 350v DC, but at super low amps, like a trickle charge, like 1/3 of an amp range, as in 300 milli-amp. They are quite common in the world around us...

    And if you're able to consider $1400 for used rebuilt from GreenTec, instead just spend another $1K on brand new NexCell so your improvement in gas mileage for the next ten years eventually pays for the extra up front cost.

    And if you have any Nexcell questions I'm happy to answer and if you use my affiliate link you get unlimited tech support from me: https://projectlithium.com/?ref=9qLPw
     
    #10 PriusCamper, Apr 20, 2023
  11. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    The distributor price on a Toyota replacement is less than $1600. Last year some dealers were selling for that price. Think some more...before going "refurb" which is cleaned up used.
     
    #11 rjparker, Apr 20, 2023
  12. Sarp1028

    Sarp1028 Junior Member

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    Thank you for the heads up! I will shop around. Right now my course of action is to grid charge my existing battery and look for those pesky connectors and hoses which may be the issue. Today I removed the air intake to check occ connections and MAF sensor seated properly. They looked good. What are your thoughts on butterfly valve? Mine looked squeaky clean.
     

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    #12 Sarp1028, Apr 20, 2023
  13. Sarp1028

    Sarp1028 Junior Member

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    I inspected MAF sensor and connectors. Everything looked good. I don’t know what an old sensor looks like but dare I say this one looked so good it could may as well be new?
     

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    #13 Sarp1028, Apr 23, 2023
  14. Sarp1028

    Sarp1028 Junior Member

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    Thank you for the idea. I planned out your suggestion but I chickened out. I need to get more confident with electricity. MaxxVolts charger arrives monday. Hoping a charged HV will solve the problem
     
    #14 Sarp1028, Apr 23, 2023
  15. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    In the meantime read user manual and learn as much as you can on the Hybrid Automotive website so you understand how the charger does balancing after charging is done... Also plan to clean corrosion in pack and likely replace a module... The good news is sometimes people get lucky and get a year or more after replacement of first module.
     
    #15 PriusCamper, Apr 23, 2023
  16. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    If you continue get P0102, P0113, & P0118, then there are still some kind of wiring problems. I doubt you suddenly have the MAF (includes the Intake Air Temperature) sensor and the Engine Coolant Temperature sensor both completely die at the same time just after doing major engine work

    I would get another scantool app that works with your OBD adapter. For this even a "basic" OBD2 app like Torque should work. You want to just power up the car to "ignition ON" (not try to go ready- foot not on the brake pedal). (Use a 12V battery charger if needed- the 12V will run down quickly)

    Then go into ECM data- see what the ECT and IAT sensors read. If they are disconnected or otherwise "open circuit", then the scandata shows -40°F. Then it's time to track down and inspect the connectors and do some testing per the service manual.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #16 mr_guy_mann, Apr 24, 2023
  17. Sarp1028

    Sarp1028 Junior Member

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    I did more testing today. With “Car Scanner” I was able to verify that the car is pulling live MAD and IAT and coolant temperature data. I suspect these codes may be permanent until operating conditions (ie highway driving) clear them.
    Now, I’m left with a smoothly operating, low power motor. Often the computer shuts the entire down before 10 seconds. However I recently had it run 30+ seconds. The ICE has a meager idle of 900 RPM. If I shift the car into gear, the car instantly shuts down. On a stronger iteration, it will rise to 1200 RPM idle. On these occasions I have been able to reverse. I don’t dare drive the car out of my property lest I become stranded.

    Bottomline. I have fuel, air, and spark to sustain a weak engine. Yes I have codes, but the live data from the coded sensors makes me confident that they are not culprits.

    Someone please entertain the idea that my timing chain is not perfect. Yes, I paid extra attention to timing chain while doing the head gasket job. However if it is off by one link somewhere would it still result in a smooth, quiet, albeit weak, engine operation? There is no obscene noises (and knocking is gone… yay head gasket?).
    Standing by for some confident input before I start all over again and disassemble the engine to check my work.

    PS I installed Maxx Volts harness to keep HV battery from being depleted from starting engine during trouble shooting.

    I have a lot more fight in me to avoid the car dealer lot. Learned to love my Schwinn again
     

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    #17 Sarp1028, Apr 26, 2023
  18. Sarp1028

    Sarp1028 Junior Member

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    New code: P0016 - Crankshaft position/camshaft position, bank 1 sensor A - correlation
    Crankshaft Position / Camshaft Position Bank 1 Sensor A Correlation
    Status: Pending

    I’m starting to zero in on an idea of where the issue is but I’d like to hear a few others suggest what could be causing engine Prius to shut down. Reminder that when I first start the car, it can run in excess of a minute… hell, I moved it around the driveway. The engine eventually shuts off. Subsequent restarts result in engine living less and less until it doesn’t live past MG1 spin up.

    similar cases indicate oil being overfilled. I checked the stick (just replaced oil) and it’s dead center with two dots. Add’l when I fill the engine with oil from empty, I basically use 85% of a gallon jug. I’m pretty sure overfilled oil is not the issue.



    Full Report:

    Car Scanner ELM OBD2
    Version: 1.98.6/1.98.6/iOS
    DTC report
    Connection profile: Toyota Prius Gen.3 2010-Date: 5/5/2023 3:54:34 PM
    ============================
    OBD-IIOBD-II
    DTCs: 6
    ----------------------------
    P3190 [0x3190]
    Poor Engine Performance; Poor Engine Power (Pri)
    Status: Confirmed
    ----------------------------
    P0016 [0x0016]
    Crankshaft position/camshaft position, bank 1 sensor A - correlation
    Crankshaft Position / Camshaft Position Bank 1 Sensor A Correlation
    Status: Pending
    ----------------------------
    P0102 [0x0102] Archive (inactive)
    Mass air flow (MAF) sensor/volume air flow (VAF) sensor - low input
    Mass or Volume Air Flow Meter Circuit Low Input
    Status: Permanent
    ----------------------------
    P0113 [0x0113] Archive (inactive)
    Intake air temperature (IAT) sensor - high input
    Intake Air Temperature Sensor Circuit High Input
    Status: Permanent
    ----------------------------
    P0118 [0x0118] Archive (inactive)
    Engine coolant temperature (ECT) sensor - high input
    Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor Circuit High Input
    Status: Permanent
    ----------------------------
    P0A0F [0x0A0F]
    Hybrid drive system - engine failed to start
    Status: Confirmed
    ============================
    Engine control unit #1Engine control unit #1
    DTCs: 1
    ----------------------------
    P3190 [0x3190]
    Poor Engine Performance; Poor Engine Power (Pri)
    Status: Confirmed
    ============================
    ABS control unit #2ABS control unit #2
    DTCs: 2
    ----------------------------
    C1259 [0x5259]
    Status: Confirmed
    ----------------------------
    C1310 [0x5310]
    Status: Confirmed
    ============================
    Hybrid engine systemHybrid engine system
    DTCs: 1
    ----------------------------
    P0A0F [0x0A0F]
    Hybrid drive system - engine failed to start
    Status: Confirmed
    ============================
    Motor generator
    No DTC found.
    ============================
    Gear selector switch
    No DTC found.
    ============================
    Telematics
    No DTC found.
    ============================
    Dashboard/Instrument cluster #1
    No DTC found.
    ============================
    Climate/Heater
    No DTC found.
    ============================
    PM1 gateway
    No DTC found.
    ============================
    Entry & start / Smart key
    No DTC found.
    ============================
    Power source control
    No DTC found.
    ============================
    Electric windows main switch/control
    No DTC found
     
    #17 Sarp1028, May 5, 2023
  19. Sarp1028

    Sarp1028 Junior Member

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    New code: P0016 - Crankshaft position/camshaft position, bank 1 sensor A - correlation
    Crankshaft Position / Camshaft Position Bank 1 Sensor A Correlation
    Status: Pending

    I’m starting to zero in on an idea of where the issue is but I’d like to hear a few others suggest what could be causing engine Prius to shut down. Reminder that when I first start the car, it can run in excess of a minute… hell, I moved it around the driveway. The engine eventually shuts off. Subsequent restarts result in engine living less and less until it doesn’t live past MG1 spin up.

    similar cases indicate oil being overfilled. I checked the stick (just replaced oil) and it’s dead center with two dots. Add’l when I fill the engine with oil from empty, I basically use 85% of a gallon jug. I’m pretty sure overfilled oil is not the issue.
     
    #18 Sarp1028, May 5, 2023
  20. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    What happened to this problem? This and the 12v measurement under load are fundamental.

    You will be standing by for a long time if "confident input" is required with the number of variables you seem to have. At this point I suspect a dealer master mechanic would need a couple of hours to achieve that goal. Maybe not. My confident advice would point you there for a solution even if you elect to execute the repair or a rebuilt low mile replacement. Which is where I would have started.


    This sounds like a smoking gun. Connectors not fully seated? Ground cable left off? Just educated guesses.
     
    #19 rjparker, May 5, 2023
    Last edited: May 5, 2023
  21. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    The coolant sensor code is an "Archive (inactive)" one ... what this scan tool presumably calls a history or permanent code. It's not a current one, according to the last codes posted.
     
    #20 ChapmanF, May 5, 2023
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