2004 TOYOTA PRIUS Engine And Engine Coolingcooling System Problems

DRIVING HOME AT NIGHT ON THE 405 FREEWAY AT APPROX. 65MPH, SUDDENLY ALL THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, INCLUDING THE MIL SYMBOL, ALONG WITH A WARNING SYMBOL ON THE NAVIGATION SCREEN. I PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY AND PARKED AT THE CURB. AFTER CHECKING THE OWNERS MANUAL, I SLOWLY DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY HOME ON SURFACE STREETS. THE NEXT MORNING (MONDAY) I DROVE MY CAR TO MILLER TOYOTA IN CULVER CITY. THE PRIMARY DIAGNOSIS WAS FAILURE OF THE INVERTER COOLANT PUMP, WHICH WAS REPLACED UNDER THE TERMS OF MY TOYOTA PLATINUM EXTENDED WARRANTY. HOWEVER, UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT TOYOTA HAD ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) COVERING THIS VERY PART, ON JANUARY 26, 2007, INDICATING THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THIS FAILURE-PRONE PART, AND THAT AN "IMPROVED" REPLACEMENT ASSEMBLY WAS NOW AVAILABLE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. IN ADDITION, REPLACEMENT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THEIR 5-YEAR/60,000 MILE TOYOTA...

FAILURE OF INVERTER COOLANT PUMP OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THIS IS APPARENTLY A COMMON PROBLEM OCCURRING AT MANY DIFFERENT MILEAGE INTERVALS FOR OTHER OWNERS. IMMEDIATE SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER AND SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. CRUISE CONTROL AND A/C WENT OFFLINE. REQUIRES REPLACEMENT WHICH IN THIS INSTANCE WAS $605.00. *TR

ON 23 JAN 2010, WHILE DRIVING I-85N IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THE CAR STALLED AT 70MPH. AN AUDIBLE ALERT SOUNDED, THE CAR JERKED AND THREE WARNING LIGHTS WENT OFF. I COASTED THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER AND SHUT THE CAR DOWN. I RESTARTED THE CAR -- THE WARNING LIGHTS CLEARED -- AND CONTINUED DRIVING. ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER, STILL IN THE MOUNTAINS, THE SAME THINGS OCCURRED (STALL WHILE DRIVING 70MPH ON THE INTERSTATE.) WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR A YELLOW "!" WARNING REMAINED ON. I CONTINUED THE TRIP TO VIRGINIA WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. THE WARNING LIGHT WENT OUT. ON 5 FEB 2010, WHILE DRIVING ON I-95S IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THE CAR STALLED, WARNING LIGHTS AND AUDIBLE ALARM SOUNDED. UPON RESTART THE "!" STAYED ON. THIS HAPPENED TWO MORE TIMES; ONCE ON I-95 AND ONCE ON I-20. THE LAST TWO TIMES THE RED TRIANGLE WARNING LIGHT STAYED...

THIS HAPPENED TO ME AND COST OVER $700 TO FIX: FAILURE OF INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP. HYBRID VEHICLE HAS 2ND COOLANT LOOP FOR HIGH VOLTAGE INVERTER/CONVERTER. FAILURE OF INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP ALLOWS INVERTER COOLANT TEMPERATURE TO RISE WELL ABOVE NOMINAL. AT A CERTAIN TRIGGER POINT HYBRID CONTROL ECU SETS A TROUBLE CODE THAT IMMEDIATELY DISENGAGES OPERATION OF INVERTER/CONVERTER (AND SIMULTANEOUSLY DISENGAGES CRUISE CONTROL AND A/C, WHICH RUNS OF ALTERNATING CURRENT PRODUCED BY INVERTER). IMMEDIATE IMPACT IS A SUDDEN LOSS OF VEHICLE DRIVE POWER AS INVERTER/CONVERTER SUPPLIES TO ELECTRICITY TO MOTOR GENERATOR 2 (MG2) WHICH IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO DRIVE WHEELS AND SUPPLIES NEEDED MOTIVE FORCE TO MAINTAIN HIGHWAY SPEEDS (ICE ALONE IS INSUFFICIENT). ALSO INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT LOOP PROVIDES COOLING FOR MG2 & MG1. CONTINUED OPERATION OF VEHICLE WITH FAILED INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP COULD RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF MAIN ELECTRIC DRIVE MG2 AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER. PUMP FAILURE OCCURS...

FAILURE OF INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP. HYBRID VEHICLE HAS 2ND COOLANT LOOP FOR HIGH VOLTAGE INVERTER/CONVERTER. FAILURE OF INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP ALLOWS INVERTER COOLANT TEMPERATURE TO RISE WELL ABOVE NOMINAL. AT A CERTAIN TRIGGER POINT HYBRID CONTROL ECU SETS A TROUBLE CODE THAT IMMEDIATELY DISENGAGES OPERATION OF INVERTER/CONVERTER (AND SIMULTANEOUSLY DISENGAGES CRUISE CONTROL AND A/C, WHICH RUNS OF ALTERNATING CURRENT PRODUCED BY INVERTER). IMMEDIATE IMPACT IS A SUDDEN LOSS OF VEHICLE DRIVE POWER AS INVERTER/CONVERTER SUPPLIES TO ELECTRICITY TO MOTOR GENERATOR 2 (MG2) WHICH IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO DRIVE WHEELS AND SUPPLIES NEEDED MOTIVE FORCE TO MAINTAIN HIGHWAY SPEEDS (ICE ALONE IS INSUFFICIENT). ALSO INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT LOOP PROVIDES COOLING FOR MG2 & MG1. CONTINUED OPERATION OF VEHICLE WITH FAILED INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP COULD RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF MAIN ELECTRIC DRIVE MG2 AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER. PUMP FAILURE OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING, ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF...