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Toyota Prius Software Problems - READ ONLY

752 messages,  Last post on Sep 10, 2006 at 6:54 PM

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What is this discussion about? Toyota Prius, Hybrid Cars

Messages Page 76 of 76

#743 of 752 Re: Prius died on I-40 [wentgreenin06] by user777

Aug 19, 2006 (9:15 am)

Replying to: wentgreenin06 (Aug 19, 2006 9:07 am)
someone should contact that dealer and have them call the manufacturer and ask how that code was thrown by the system without the tank being empty?
 
it would be one thing if your unit was out of fuel, but it wasn't.
 
possibly there is a fuel pump or pressure/flow measurement problem. this is why someone needs to do some deeper analysis on the code thrown.
 
did they document the diagnostic code on the repair order?

#744 of 752 Re: Prius died on I-40 [user777] by wentgreenin06

Aug 19, 2006 (9:42 am)

Replying to: user777 (Aug 19, 2006 9:15 am)
We'll make sure it is documented, thanks.
 
This is seeming to me not to be a problem that is limited to a specific model year, as I see postings of the same problem for models from 2001 through 2006 (on this forum and there are 2 others from 2006 on the NHTSA ODI website). About 24,000 cars were recalled from 2004 and 5 by Toyota for the problem, but clearly others NOT LIMITED TO THOSE IN THE RECALL are affected.
 
It is clear from the postings that the same problem recurs and recurs, without resolution, prior to the car being recalled. It may also recur AFTER the recall treatment, (which is EITHER reprogramming OR just reloading the same software for the ECM??) but that is not clear.
 
It would help if there were a log of whether the problem resolved after the recall "treatment" so those of us who put our hard-earned cash down on this fabulous new technology would not have to risk breaking down again. In my opinion, the burden is on Toyota to a) solve this problem and b) unthil they do, notify potential buyers this may occur.
 
Went Green in '06 but Was Green Ready for Us?

#745 of 752 Re: Prius died on I-40 [wentgreenin06] by pathstar1

Aug 19, 2006 (11:57 am)

Replying to: wentgreenin06 (Aug 19, 2006 9:42 am)
I hate to sound like Toyota or the dealer, but you may have actually run out of gas. The bladder may have prevented you from fully filling up the tank last time you got gas. I read that if you do run out, one gal. isn't enough to reach the pickup. It takes two gal. min. Several posting have reported that. Reason is when moving the fuel pump can still get fuel because it's sloshing around. Once it can't any more, and you stop, the level is way down. It appears the designers left some space at the bottom of the tank for water and other debris.

#746 of 752 Re: Prius died on I-40 [pathstar1] by wentgreenin06

Aug 20, 2006 (8:27 pm)

Replying to: pathstar1 (Aug 19, 2006 11:57 am)
You may well be right. After summing up my 1 gallon, 2 added (less one burned) by the dealer, then 9 gallons upon leaving the dealership, the car would have been on fumes at the time it failed. Having all the lights come on may be the car's way of reacting to running out of fuel. (A general alert light and fuel light would have been sufficient to convey the message.)
 
What is puzzling is WHY the car ran out of gas. For almost 2000 miles the average mileage was 37 MPG, with tank ranges allowing us to fill up at just under 400 miles with no problem.
 
The last fill-up before the breakdown was 10.1 gallons, which tripped the pump turnoff. The INFO:Consumption panel was reading 36 + MPG avg, and there were only 290 miles on the tank when it broke down. Where did the other 100 miles go?
 
Using the gas guage is no help - it reads full until about 160 miles have gone by, and when the gas got low, it dropped precipitously through the last 3 boxes, allowing inadequate time to stop for gas - in Texas, anyway.
 
Since then we have made it to the Grand Canyon, and the car, very fully loaded, is getting 42 MPG at 7000 feet elevation. We are also filling it every 150-200 miles.

#747 of 752 Re: Prius died on I-40 [wentgreenin06] by pathstar1

Aug 21, 2006 (7:29 am)

Replying to: wentgreenin06 (Aug 20, 2006 8:27 pm)
Filling when there are still two bars lit is the way to go, according to many owners. Especially when travelling, not knowing where the next station is. Most owners are calling the fuel gauge a "guess gauge".
 
If you keep records of fillups (always a good idea so you can watch for strange behavior), check back to see if the mileage suddenly dropped. The records I'm referring to is:
odometer reading : miles since last fill : gal put in : mileage calculated : mileage indicated
 
Only then can you figure out what happened. I suspect that either of two things:
The bladder prevented you from properly filling the tank, or
You were bucking a severe headwind, or there was a temporary fault in the system that impacted the mileage severely.
 
I think the reason the car reacts like that is there is no special alarm subroutine in the program for running out of fuel. When you run out the ICE stops without being commanded to, and that triggers the warnings.

#748 of 752 Re: car starts by itself [seroq] by stevedebi

Aug 22, 2006 (1:15 pm)

Replying to: seroq (Jul 30, 2006 8:37 pm)
I know that on the Gen 1, if you leave the car "on", the engine will be off until the traction battery needs charging. Then the engine will come on, charge the battery, then turn back off. I'm not sure if this applies to the Gen 2 Prius.

#749 of 752 Re: Toyota Prius Software Problems [stevedebi] by pdahlin

Sep 07, 2006 (7:50 pm)

Replying to: stevedebi (Mar 16, 2005 2:58 pm)
I have a 2004 Prius that just went in for service and the dealer said there was a recall which required reprogramming the car. The car was fine before that other than the occasional check engine light after restarting the car after a long trip. After the reprogramming - now I get alot of the electrical type failures reported by others - radio cuts off, display disappears, climate screen says air conditioner is not connected, check engine light and problem warning come on all the time and I the problems get worse after restarting the car while it's hot. I haven't talked to the dealer yet but they better cover this. I lodged a complaint on the NTSB website.

#750 of 752 Re: Toyota Prius Software Problems [pdahlin] by midnightcowboy

Sep 08, 2006 (6:42 am)

Replying to: pdahlin (Sep 07, 2006 7:50 pm)
pdahlin,
 
Be sure to monitor you mileage. Another side-effect of the "software upgrade" i s lower miles per gallon.
 
You might want to ask if they can reverse the software fix.
 
Good luck,
 
MidCow

#751 of 752 press request by Kirstie@Edmunds HOST

Sep 08, 2006 (10:51 am)

A large national newspaper is doing a story on how cars increasingly are computers. The reporter is looking for people with cars that have had difficulty getting repaired because of the knowledge needed to fix them or the code requirements needed to fix are often not provided to non-dealers, or the cost to fix was outrageous. Please send an e-mail to ctalatiedmunds.com no later than Wednesday, September 13, 2006 by 2:30 PM PT/5:30 PM ET containing your daytime contact information and what car you currently own and the issue.

#752 of 752 Re: Screen Failure not a Prius-Only Problem [tempusvn] by mincha24

Sep 10, 2006 (6:54 pm)

Replying to: tempusvn (Apr 28, 2005 5:52 am)
hi, it appears i ran into the same problem with the 2004 highlander over the 36000mi. limit where can i buy that reused part for $400
isaac

Messages Page 76 of 76

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