[MXQII]

Here is my sad story. We've never had a single problem with our 2002 prius until we took it to the dealer for the hv battery modification recall.
2 weeks later the hybrid system warning light comes on, but the car still runs fine. We took it back to the dealer thinking it was something they did during the recall repair. When they started it up the next morning - no lights. They checked the memory and said the ECM was bad and it would cost $1200 to repair (82,000 miles on the car). We opted for no repair because it seemed to be ok. Then the car wouldn't start. They tried to charge the small battery for 3 hours and it wouldn't hold a charge. So they replaced the battery. We go to pick it up today and the HV warning light is on again and we owe them $300. So we've spent $300 to get the car in the same condition as when we dropped it off. Are we being scammed or is this just some extraordinary bad luck? Should we have the ECM replaced? We could use some objective advice - I'm so mad, I can't think. Thanks

 

[KTPhil]

All of these symptoms seem related to the HV battery. I am not familiar with the recall you took it in for, but if it involved any disconnection/connection/modification of the HV and 12V circuits, including the ECU, I would ask to have a conference with Toyota higher-ups. This sounds fishy, perhaps an inadvertant short they aren't 'fessing up to yet.

 

[mrv]

Depends - what are the error codes (DTCs) that are triggering your warning lights? Those are needed for diagnosis...

 

[hyperion]

Makes me wish I had gone for the 100,000 mile extended warranty instead of the 75,000 mile one.
MXQII, would you mind posting the name of your dealer.

 

[MXQII]

Thanks for your input.

After calming down and discussing the problem with the customer service center in California. They were able to pursuade the dealer to pay for the new ECU and we covered the $100 of labor. We picked up the car yesterday and it seems to be doing fine. The error code was PO3191. The dealership is in Lexington, KY - about 15 miles from the Camry/Avalon/Solara plant.

 

[tochatihu]

ECM failure

It may go down in the annals of Prius history that P3191 is the most common diagnostic trouble code. I learned about it from personal experience, and more from Toyota's TSB EG011-03 (provided by our heroine MRV).

Likely that your engine failed to start as quickly as the computer wanted. Toyota has installed for you a replacement ECM which is more tolerant of these matters. Paying $100 for this does seem high, but it is not unusual. On a road trip, I paid $75 to get diagnosed in Santa Fe, NM. Beaver Toyota there is not among the best, and they had all sorts of ideas about parts to sell me! They had none of the parts in stock, and I contiued the return home without incident.

Back home, I had the ECM replaced at 53k miles (at no further charge), and now at 78k, have not seen P3191 again. It is very likely that you will not, either.

DAS