[Ken Herrick]

This may be a gender-specific problem (just kidding). It happens to me very rarely but it happens to my wife often.

When trying to start the car, some or all of the indicators come on (and the engine starts, according to my wife; I can't confirm that) but the car will not respond, i.e. run fwd or back. Have to hit Power again to turn it off, then try again. And for her, again & again & again...

I posted about this a while ago but can't find the posting...sorry!

As I say, this happens repeatedly to my wife--and while I'm not present, of course. But almost never to me, so go figure.

Can anyone offer a fix for it? Or, perhaps, instructions I can print on a card for my wife to carry when she drives it (not kidding).

Ken Herrick

 

[Sanny]

This may be a gender-specific problem (just kidding). It happens to me very rarely but it happens to my wife often.

When trying to start the car, some or all of the indicators come on (and the engine starts, according to my wife; I can't confirm that) but the car will not respond, i.e. run fwd or back. Have to hit Power again to turn it off, then try again. And for her, again & again & again...

I posted about this a while ago but can't find the posting...

Make sure foot is on the brake when hit power? Otherwise, you won't be able to move the car. You'll be in some other mode (there are 2 other than "drive the stupid car," but I cannot remember them). One LOOKS like it'll go, but won't.

And if you make %#@$%& remarks about "gender specific" with regard to your wife, there are some of us who won't ever speak to you again.

 

[firepa63]

Been there, done that ... most likely your wife is not pushing hard enough on the brake pedal, or she is hitting the power button too quickly. Ask her if she sees the 'Ready' indication when this happens. If not, she is doing one of the above oops.

 

[DanMan32]

I have a 2004, and occasionally I experience what is often called a "Hang on Ig-On". This is where the car goes into Ig-On mode, even though you did power up with the brakes applied, and it appears stuck in this mode. You can't power it off.

Well actually you can power off in this state. The trick I found is to power off WITHOUT the foot on the brake. Then you can try the power on to ready sequence again.

It was speculated that this situation occurs if you press the power button for too short a duration. About 1/2 second or more should prevent the occurance. I am not sure if the latest reprogramming fixed the problem. The 2005 has a slightly different power on/off sequence listed in the New Car Features (NCF), but seems related to states that aren't possible to achieve.

The ICE cannot go on nor can the car move (under its own power) if the car is not in READY. The car indicates if it is in READY when the word READY appears in the speedometer display.

FYI, the ICE also cannot start if the car is in Neutral, even if the car is in READY power mode. However, if the ICE is already running, it can stay running in N and probably will stay running. However, it cannot charge the HV battery in N even if it is running. In N, the MGs are electronically disengaged (But not mechanically).

 

[wayneswhirld]

If I'm reading this correctly, it sounds like a case of not depressing the brake--not when powering up--but when shifting into gear. After starting the car, I've tried to shift into gear absentmindedly sometimes without using the brake...no can do.

 

[LowCO2]

This may be a gender-specific problem (just kidding). It happens to me very rarely but it happens to my wife often.

In my family this problem happens only to the non-techno-savvy male member. :wink:

 

[ChasSuitt]

:idea: Maybe youall will remember the "Brake light switch" replacement SSC-40L. Could be that your brake light switch is the answer... or part of it. The SSC was issued since some switches tended to oxidize thus making contact problematical or perhaps in some instances impossible.

At the time, my question was "If the brake light switch is inoperable, can you start the Prius?" Many respondents thought that you couldn't start since the Prius would sense that the brake pedal was NOT depressed.

My 2¢ worth. Keep smilin' every time you pass a gas station.