Thank you for the wonderful information on your web site. here is the problem. Please call Stan at 415-606-5777 cell. THE PRIUS runs normally but has a red warning light and with the car symbol, with codes p3000 and p3009 and fuel consumption of 30 mpg. I cleaned the battery terminals. All the cells test 16 volt equally. But some cells had up to 50 volts between the high voltage battery and the negative frame. After the first try, reconnecting the 12 volt battery, the car ran normally for 10 miles. then the check engine light came back and the codes came back. 2nd and 3rd try disconnecting the 12 volt battery and the HV disconnect to reboot the computer. With the key on, the red warning light with the car ! came on after 2 minutes, without the car running. Question 1 - this occurred when there was really wet weather. could there be leaky capacitors? Question 2 - could the battery computer be leaking to ground? because of the 50 volts on some cells between frame and battery cell Question 3 - how can I test the battery computer? Question 4 - how can I do a load test on main battery?
I have exactly the same situation - codes P3000 and P3009, and no other symptoms except possibly reduced mileage. (We brought the car in to the shop as soon as the warning light went on, so we haven't had a chance to check whether the mileage changed or not.) What should we be looking for? Many thanks! Nancy
Nancy, is yours at a dealership? The tests for this code are pretty involved and every aspect of the hybrid system is implicated: battery, computers, inverter, transaxle. If they say it is the battery, try Remanufactured Hybrid Vehicle Battery Packs. For everything else, go salvage. For a list of independent shops that ought to be a good deal cheaper than the dealer, see Preferred Independent Hybrid Car Repair and Service Shops | Hybrid Cars
