reprogramming, mdi2 and SPS-2 questions

[lesmiserah]

To expand a little on the day everything went to hell. I was called because the car had went from running fine to saying Engine Power Reduced and began running like crap. Then it stalled out 5 minutes later. He restarted it drove normal for a bit then the same things happened again. Which is when he called me. I got there and checked the codes and there was one for a cam shaft sensor short and google told me that could cause the engine power reduced error. So I changed that in a nearby parking lot. Cleared the codes, started it took off. The same thing happened yet again. Checked the codes again and the cam shaft sensor plus something else was bad. I cleared the codes again thinking maybe i had forgot to clear the codes. It drove for nearly and hour till we were about 20 minutes from home. It was running normally then, Engine power reduced, lot of codes for multiple things including some for sensors, transmission, timing (i think), and one with no description that i looked up to be "dealer specific code" which I believe i tracked down to something relating to the hybid ECU. This was several months ago so I am trying to recall. I probably have pictures of all the error codes somewhere.

The car would no longer run. It started, ran rough for maybe 5 seconds the shut off again. We towed it to a local tech shop that I usually use for electrical issues. They spent about 30 minutes and said it was most likely the hybrid computer or a short somewhere. The engine bay is clean and virtually oil free and the wiring in general looks great. But they were not certified to work on hybrids so we took it to the local dealership. They charged him for 5 hours of diagnostics to say the same thing and quoted 6k for a new module plus install? I think. I felt like we were getting screwed but had no way to check anything they were saying. They agreed to install a used one and program it but with no warranty because it wasn't there part. Having no other realistic option that is was he did. Then the dealership said the new module wouldn't take programing but was vague about the exact errors and then said it was shorted internally and there was nothing they could do. Returned the module and did more research which is about the time I originally landed here.

Once I found I could use Tech2, gds2 and SPS2 to do everything myself we decided to bring the car home from the dealership. Which is when we discovered the parts missing and all that nonsense. In order to lear the programs and procedures a little better I decided to put the car back together and try to reprogram it myself to see where it failed and how the software worked. Well, everything programmed without error. It did the full sequential reprogram of the hybrid module no problem.

I don't know what to do. Everyone did agree it was the module but it seams to be acting fine. The dealership said it was shot and they couldnt get a response from anything it was connected to but that simply isnt true apparently. Only the low voltage errors might be keeping it from starting. As far as I can tell none of the other errors should, they are mostly for sensors and support systems. Right now I am just trying to figure out why it wont start without just throwing money at it. More and more I am thinking about the battery but I just don't know enough about them yet

 

[j91z28d1]

I can't get by the weird noise and draining the 12v so fast. unless the 12v battery has no reserve left, to drain a good 800ca battery that quickly, you should get warm cables and some smells. can you dig deeper into what's making that noise? maybe find it, disconnect it and see what it does. if it's something that's a huge load, it might be acting like a short. the inverter puts out something like 150 amps into the 12v battery try and charge it in place of a normal alternator. if that's loaded down completely, it could act like a short? or at least messing with the inverter. there is a 175amp fuse there, I'd think to would have popped that.

around the fuse box, I believe is the module that runs the aux tranny pump. the pump makes noise running down by the tranny but the module shouldn't? it converts the 12v DC into 3 phase ac to run the pump speed and stuff.


that's what's so rough about these trucks, great when they work, but just no support.

I've not had mine fail to dig deep into it as you are. so I'm not much help besides just being interested in what you find and how you can fix it. my fleet at work is going all electric, so it's been interesting to learn, but it's much simpler than these trucks.

my 2 cents is, your hybrid battery is shot, probably not what's causing all this, like you replace it and it runs perfectly, there's probably more to it but 200k and those cell voltages are all over the map. if what the prius guys look for voltage wise to judge battery condition is correct, and these are just prius cells. they are toast.. if you can look at the amps being used while it's trying to crank, I think you'll see it just can't handle the load well. I have seen over 100 amps during starting. as much as 125amps once and the cell voltage and over all voltage has to handle that load without any, or very small 0.01v drop when good. my new battery handles that without a glich, my 140k battery couldn't and the truck bucked and jerked as one cell stayed at 14v and others dropped to 9v. my cell voltages looked way better than yours while at rest too.

but that being said, it's a lot of money to throw at it and still have something big money like the inverter to replace too. it is interesting that the hybrid voltage came up from charging the 12v. I've not seen anyone mention that before, only that you have to have it in jump assist mode to get any power to the hybrid pack. I have seen a lot good number of post's where their truck is doing weird things,(not as much as yours) they replace the 12v battery with a new one, even thou it tests good, I'm thinking to myself that was probably a waste, but nope, they post back that it fixed it.

mine wasn't like that, my 12v died like a normal car 12v. it was 6 years old, load tested low when I got it. walked out one day and it wouldn't start, checked 12v battery and it was dead, like. 8v. new battery and been good since. but I've seen posts about all kinds of weird stuff, might be worth picking one up?


on another board there's a guy that was out at a ski resort, it was idling in a parking lot and just died. sounds like the system lost insulation somewhere of the 300v part. he's chased now for a while, towing it home and had a dealer look at it and all. last I saw an update he's still not fixed it and ended up buying a 2nd one for a good deal to try and compare, but hasn't got around to it. I only bring it up because nothing the dealer tells you seems to be correct. their diagnosis is horrible for these trucks.

try to find that noise man, I think that's something.. but only a guess.

 

[j91z28d1]

where in general are you located with the truck?

 

[lesmiserah]

About the middle of Michigan.

Soo not sure what to make of this. Last night I disconnected the 12v and put it on the charger. In the morning the 12v was charged and the HV battery read 265v. When I connected the 12v the HV dropped to 248. When I turned the key to the ON position the high pitched whine started from the box next to the 12v battery. For the first time I watched the ready out on tech2 while it was whining. The voltage in the HV battery began to drop and the 12v batter began to drop.. 2 or 3 minutes later when it stopped the HV was at 212 and the 12v was 11.1v at 3%. As soon as I disconnect them from each other both battery's start to regen some voltage. I can watch the voltage tick up on the 12v and after a while it back up to 230's on the HV side.

 

[lesmiserah]

This is where the whine comes from

 

[j91z28d1]

take that cover off and see if it's a relay making they noise and then see what that relay runs. I have seen a relay make a noise when the voltage was so low it it can't close all the way.

I honestly think your hybrid is dead, either just really discharged or dead. I'd do the jump assist mode and try and charge they hybrid battery for while. I think you're seeing resting voltage, and as soon as it sees a load the voltage dies.

everything I've read says nothing can get from the 12v to the hybrid without using jump assist mode.

 

[swathdiver]

About the middle of Michigan.

Soo not sure what to make of this. Last night I disconnected the 12v and put it on the charger. In the morning the 12v was charged and the HV battery read 265v. When I connected the 12v the HV dropped to 248. When I turned the key to the ON position the high pitched whine started from the box next to the 12v battery. For the first time I watched the ready out on tech2 while it was whining. The voltage in the HV battery began to drop and the 12v batter began to drop.. 2 or 3 minutes later when it stopped the HV was at 212 and the 12v was 11.1v at 3%. As soon as I disconnect them from each other both battery's start to regen some voltage. I can watch the voltage tick up on the 12v and after a while it back up to 230's on the HV side.

@RebelBelle

 

[j91z28d1]

just incase you have missed how jump assist works. follow this...

 

[BG1988]

man you're definitely in deep.

over my head too, but what was the mileage and year of the battery pack before all this stated?

236v sounds crazy low. how are you getting that voltage? from the scanner or from a volt meter at the pack. I'd check at the pack with a volt meter and see if they match. my pack is like 320v.

the under hood inverter cover has a jumper on it. since it's missing, need to jump that with something for it to start.

the under hood noise that kills the 12v. can you find out what that noise is coming from? that's sounds bad. is the battery getting hot from the high drain?

I can look up some wiring diagrams for you if you have something specific you need to check, but also for like 30$ you can buy a one vehicle access on the nonpro side of prodamand software. gives trouble trees to follow and research for each trouble code you have. it should atleast help get a handle on how the system works.

with the scanners you have, you should be able to do jump assist mode, that's where you put a battery charger on the 12v and it puts it in a mode that tries to charge the hybrid battery. it won't do that without using the scanner. I've not done it, but it's a bit of drawn out process.

the cut off is 186volts before you get a CEL for it

 

[j91z28d1]

watch that voltage while trying to crank.


I still say charge the hybrid battery using jump assist mode.