Prius (2004-09) :: 1 Hertz Variation In Power While Flooring It
Jan 14, 2015
Due to a drawbridge/liftbridge opening just in front of me, I was suddenly in a great rush.
So I floored my Prius (really floored it) a few minutes after startup to take the longer route to my daughters school. I noticed a slight sinusoidal variation in power (maybe 5% max?) that was reoccurring with a frequency of about one Hertz.
Sound familiar? Something to do with the voltage dropping on the HV battery, the power drawn from it being throttled back, the voltage recovering, the power being increased, etc???
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Here is the thing. Sometimes, out of the blue, the indicated MPG for my commuting trip shows too high number, something like mid 60's. Sure enough, next day, I can count for the indicated MPG to go under the average, something like low to mid 50's. The average is high 50's (translated to mid 50's MPG by the gas pump). The difference cannot be explained by ambient temp (not much variation and garaged car) or battery state (I have constant charge with my style of driving) or difference in the traffic (very predictable). I'm puzzled about it. What is striking is the compensation next day after.
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This being the second of no doubt numerous questions re the 1989 Dodge B250 camper I just bought for a summer roadtrip. Engine is the 318 V8 with 120k miles. Tranny was rebuilt in '99 at about 60k.
Problem: beginning about 40 mph, and growing increasingly severe with speed, is a low-frequency rumble/vibration, probably in the 20 Hertz range. Significant enough that I didn't want to drive home faster than 50-55 mph. Could feel the whole vehicle vibrating, through the drivers seat, NOT through the steering wheel or pedals. Definitely not the engine, because as soon as I let off on the gas, the rumble/ vibe disappears. Get back on the gas and it returns full force. Definitely a drivetrain problem, only under load, that disappears when load it removed. My best guess is it felt something like I've heard described as a bad U-joint, something I've never experienced in person. The tranny shifts fine and doesn't feel like it's the problem, unless maybe it's something to do with the torque converter at highway speeds?
I'm taking it into the shop next week for diagnosis and repair, but I'd be interested to know in advance what the range of possible causes might be. Will report back after diagnosis with bonus points for correct guesses!
PS, correct me if I'm wrong, but when I pulledoff the highway to check underneath, it looked like this van has 2 U-joints. Is that correct? The van has a rear body addition for the camper bathroom.
Also, the van has been sitting almost unused for almost 2 years, except for an occasional run around the block to keep thr blood flowing. Would that lack of use perhaps. contribute to a U-joint seizing up?
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I have had my 337 for about 5 months now and occasionally when i floor it it misfires or something because the CEL comes on and flashes. This happens quite often and i was wondering if it is normal or what it could be. Brand new spark plugs. coilpacks not so long ago.
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When I 'hit the gas' I hear a loud clunk or short scratching noise (definitely metal) before the engine starts revving up. I've researched the issue a bit but found no concrete answers. Motor mounts, timing, transmission issue? No one thing seems to cause it as far as I can tell.
I got my '92 Volvo 240 Non-Turboalmost a year ago and haven't really thought much of the noise, but I'm coming up on a 500mi trip to Northern California. I want to make sure it's in tip-top shape before I leave. [IMG]
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I just recently bought my IS350 F-Sport (now has about 2kmiles) and the other day while it was about 70 degrees out, at a stop light, i decided to floor it in 1st gear (manual mode) and towards hitting redline (about 6300rpm), the traction light comes on and the transmission automatically shifts up before i even get a chance to fully manually shift myself. So by the time i do get a chance to push the paddle shifter, it would now go into 3rd gear.
I did not turn off my traction control before all this - so that may be the problem but i didn't think it would be an issue because the motor is all stock (aside from JoeZ intake pipe). Did simply turning the traction off allow the for full usage of 1st gear before needing to upshift?
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Have a 2005 prius with 71,000 miles, DVD nav and etc. Just 2 days ago the 120v cigarette outlet stopped working, then tried the one in the center counsel and it worked for like a second. Now both don't work.
Did research and heard it could be fuses. Replaces both 15A fuses that are under the driver side dash/steering wheel section. Still outlets will not work. Tried replacing the 25a fuse that I saw works in conjunction with both 15a and still nothing. I then read in some toyotas, and other cars that the outlet itself can be shorted out.
So question, is there some other fuse I'm missing, or something else to check. I tried pushing the connectors on the front passenger outlet to see if they were loose and still won't work. Do I need to replace the outlet itself. Can I just get a new one and unplug the old and plug a new one in. Looks like it comes right out? I need at least one outlet to work and am short on cash to have the dealer do it.
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When making lefts and I think rights I can feel the power cut out sometimes. It's always done it so I was thinking it was normal. I was wondering if there is a cv joint that could be wearing out, but it would do it all the time versus just turns I would think.
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I have started to notice one beep when I turn off the car. This doesn't happen all the time, but it appears to be happening more often. There are no unusual displays and the car runs fine.
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2008 Prius with 284,000 miles-never had problem. Now, started car, no power steering (red triangle). Ordered new power steering control from ebay, went out of town for 10 days. Return, car is DEAD! Trickle charge via fuse block, get car started finally, still no P/S, but it shows charge then shuts engine off. Start and it does same thing.
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We got this 2007 used in June and I love it but recently I have been reading the manual and noticed the power on mode. I have tried numerous times and different ways to put it on with no luck. It powers up for ignition with no issue but I can't just listen to the radio or reset the tire pressure because it can only go into ignition mode.
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Our 2004 Prius (71,275 miles) has not been driven much for the last 2 years. It is only used when we need to drive further than we can comfortably in our 2012 Leaf. Most of our trips are short.
Today the power steering feels stiff. I'm relying on my memory of what it felt like when it was new. Perhaps I am comparing it to the Leaf.
I started to check the power steering fluid reservoir and discovered that the power steering is not hydraulic but electrical and electronic.
It it a sign of a failing system? Should I expect increased trouble?
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I recently bought a 2004 Prius with 104,000 miles on it. When I try to go up into the mountains I only get a few miles or up to 1,000 to 2,000 ft. elevation (from 300 ft. starting) and the battery level gradually drops from 6 bars to 1 bar. The red triangle light and check engine light comes on and the car speed gradually begins to drop even if I continue to press on the gas pedal. I have only gotten down to about 35 MPH from 60-65 mph before stopping and turning around. Within a few miles of turning around the light goes off and the battery goes back up to 6 bars and works good going down hill. The dealer I bought the car from has been working with me to figure out the problem but so far we have not figured it out. He has replaced the main battery as well as the inverter/converter. The mechanic was with me on a test drive to the mountains and had his car computer plugged in while we drove and experienced the same thing. It gave the code for the catalytic converter so we changed the entire CC/muffler (one long piece) and still got the same code. The battery indicator on this car has never shown more than 6 bars. I'm not a Prius mechanic but I personally think it has a bad "Gas Engine" or something wrong with the gas engine. How do I tell if the gas engine is bad or has a problem?
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I have 2005 Prius with 110k. Yesterday, red triangle and check engine light came on and I lost power while driving...SCARY. Took it by dealership. They called this am and said it needed a new HV-ECU and that would cost $800. The error codes they gave me were P0A78 and P0A94. Anything else I should ask them to look at? I'm wondering if the HV ECU is something I could buy used and install myself? I'm not a mechanic but am comfortable with most DIY projects.
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Driving on the freeway over 50 miles per hour the car dies goes really slow goes down to 30 miles per hour almost no power....
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What happens when a power inverter fails while driving?
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Purchased a used 2006 prius with ~180K miles on it from south bay a few months ago. At the time of purchase the guy warned us that it 'ate' motor oil.
After 2 months of driving without issues (driven couple of hundred miles), on an uphill road the engine overheats and throws the red triangle, vsc and check engine lights on the dash, along with loss of power. After cool down I check oil level and sure enough it is low, since this is on top of a hill we essentially coast all the way back home without any real issues. Once home I top up the oil. I do a test drive around the block without issues (no loss of power) though the check engine/red triangle/vsc lights are still on. But after I take it for a longer drive the loss of power returns.
Since my bluetooth obd2 connector wasn't working I borrow one from my friend and try to get a read. Unfortunately the thing puts out no obd2 error codes. Living in the bay area I apparently cant just take it to an autozone, to get code readings. I take it to meineke auto repair, they too are unable to get an obd2 read, and want to charge me $100 for a full reading, which I decline.
I do a few diagnostics steps including 'resetting' the computer by leaving it off of the 12v battery for a few mins, this clears the red triangle et al on restart. I do a test drive, at first everything is working just fine, but after about 10 mins or so of driving the red triangle/check engine/vsc lights returns, along with loss of power. (under ~20 mph only, cant go uphill).
Take it to a mechanic and they come back with code: "APOA92. Trans Axel issue - MG1 performance is off. Measured torque is different than executed torque, enough to be a problem. 95% sure it is the transmission." I still haven't checked the 12v battery.
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The power windows quit working in my 2007 Prius. At least, all except the driver's side. The others won't work either from the driver's panel or from the door switch.
I was going to check the fuses, but can't find one. The manual lists a 15A fuse for power windows and some electronics, which seems OK - in the panel by the e-brake. But it also lists a 30A fuse there, which I can't find. I now need reading glasses and it's up-side-down near the floor.
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I just bought a used 2007 Prius, and when I turn the car on, the light on the Power button is red, then goes away once "READY" appears?
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I have replace the auxiliary battery. Only getting power when connected to a booster battery.
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I have an 04 and the power door locks will not work. The hatch does lock and unlock but everything else just stares at me staring at it. When the fob or inside switches are used I can hear a relay clicking inside the Body Ecu / Fuse Box. I am thinking that is the problem as all fuses are good.
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