2008 Prius engine won't start, red triangle after radiator replacement

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by b0814, Aug 21, 2026 at 9:22 AM.

  1. b0814

    b0814 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2026
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    Location:
    Charlotte, NC
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    I'm trying to fix a Prius that was in an accident. The accident damaged the radiator and inverter coolant circuits and the AC condenser causing loss of both fluids.

    The radiator, fan assembly, inverter mounting brackets, air intake cleaner box, throttle actuator wiring harness, and the inverter coolant reservoir have been replaced. I've filled and bled the inverter loop with OEM coolant.

    The 12v battery was entirely discharged since it has been sitting for weeks so I had to jump it. I tried to start the engine so that I could bleed the engine loop, it sounded like the engine was failing to catch and I heard a knocking/clacking sound accompanied by the red triangle. It did go into ready mode but the engine wouldn't start. I have tech stream on my laptop but haven't had a chance to hook it up yet. Any ideas what it could be? What should I check first?
     
  2. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2021
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    2,434
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    Location:
    Left Coast
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    You've got a weak traction battery and you need to get the 12V battery back into a decent condition. Check for blow fuses and clear all ECU error codes; AFTER you noted all of them. An accident that severe is likely to short out a few things.

    Good luck.