Looking for some help/advice, I'd really appreciate any input you can give.

This is actually my mother's car. Turns out she left the trunk open and the 12v battery died. Car wouldn't start, dome lights wouldn't turn on, nothing.

She got a jump, and the ICE would sputter and die, car wasn't useable.

So she just used her other vehicle for 6 months.

I just found out about this and I've been trying to help her. After some reading, I tested the 12v battery per instructions online and it was definitely on the low end, and couldn't hold a charge. So I bought a new Optima Yellow Top, which seems popular on this forum.

So after cycling the car 3 times, the "check hybrid system" is gone, but it still won't run. The "check VSC system" is popping up (I've read enough to not be worried about that just yet), and the red "brake" light is popping up.

When I start the car, after a second the ICE kicks in, revs up, stays there for a second, then idles down and dies. While idling down there's lots of knocking and pinging. The car isn't actually "running", which is to say that if I try to switch into gear, the Power light turns orange and tells me to switch to Park.

From reading on here, it seems I'll likely have to get it towed to the dealership to get the big battery charged, since it sat this long. But would that effect the ICE? After a charge of the big battery, is the ICE going to run?

I'm trying to get whatever I can to avoid a big dealership bill here. My mom can't afford this, so I'll likely be paying most of the bill myself.

Would buying a code reader be worth it? Maybe that will help me figure out the ICE problem and I can fix that before towing it to the dealership for a charge.

Thanks again.

 

I know nothing about the Camry, but there are CHEAP bluetooth OBDII readers that work with Android phones and Torque Pro. Total cost < $20.

If you're an iphone guy, https://www.greenhybrid.com/forums/f...tml#post258016. About the same $.

You really need to get the codes read, so you know what you're dealing with.

It's probably typical stuff associated with sitting... bad gas, water in the gas, fuel pump, filter, injectors, plugs, etc., as evidenced by the sputtering.

 

Tow to dealership and have them charge the traction battery. That's the safe way of doing it.

 

Overall this sounds like old gas is the problem here.

If it is turning over and getting to the sputtering stage the traction battery has a charge. The 12V only powers the electronics.

If you're lucky, the tank is near empty. Add a few gallons of premium fuel and go through the start a bunch more times. Eventually it should start and run.

 

And pop in some concentrated fuel injector cleaner? HEET?

 

She had the missing and popping after getting a jump when the original 12V battery went dead and the traction battery was charged. I don't think it is a bad gas issue nor do I think it is completely due to the traction battery needing to be charged. It sounds more like an electrical issue than anything else and might have been caused by the original jump start. I do think you need to get it towed to the dealer to get the traction battery charged but don't be surprised if that doesn't fix the issue.

 

I never had gas go bad here in the USA. Not after 6 months, definitely not. But jump starts sure can cause plenty of damage esp if it were jumped off battery itself, like on a conventional car.

 

Jump starting a TCH with a conventional 12V battery from another car is simply powering up the TCH computer. If the TCH has the dash lit up, it probably does not need anything from a jump, nor would it gain or be harmed from such a jump. It is possible that the TCH 12V AGM battery is too week to pull the solenoid (only low power is needed) to connect the main drive battery, but that and power the computers (and lights and other 12V accessories) is all it does. The 12V does not turn a starter motor or carry any other heavy load that is normally needed to start a conventional car.

 

Hey guys, thanks for all the feedback.

As an update, I bought an OBDII scanner and got a code from the car: P2118

Google said this meant no power to the throttle motor. (That makes sense, computer was trying to throttle up the ICE to keep it running, but couldn't, that's why it kept dying)

Google then said to check the ETCS fuse under the hood.

Sure enough, that fuse was blown. Replaced the fuse (10A) and the ICE started up just fine and I drove the car around the block just fine.

It does stay running in ICE mode constantly, and the display says to check the hybrid system. Her car is one of the early models with no navigation screen, so I can't check the hybrid battery charge percentage.

But, I should at least be able to drive it to the dealership on the ICE and have them check the charge. Or maybe I could just drive it on ICE for awhile and that will eventually charge it?

This at least saves me the cost of a tow.

Thanks again!

 

Her battery was DEAD dead. No dash lights, no dome lights, no brake lights. After a charge to the 12v battery, the dome lights would work, but it wouldn't hold a charge and die again after just a short time.