Engine Cuts Out After 20 Mins For No Reason

[Algy]

Hi Guys,

We have a Hybrid year 2001 Estima (Japanese edition of the Previa). The car runs for 15-20 mins then simply stops. Leave it untouched for 30 mins and it starts and runs again for 15 mins before repeating the engine stop. If after an engine stop we disconnect the normal Battery the car will start straight away and then runs for 15 mins before stopping again.

We have asked around but few have experience with Hybrid and Toyota UK dont have the correct connections etc to diagnose the Japanese version.

Any ideas or pointers that you can suggest?

Regards

algy

[MG Nut]

Hi Guys,

We have a Hybrid year 2001 Estima (Japanese edition of the Previa). The car runs for 15-20 mins then simply stops. Leave it untouched for 30 mins and it starts and runs again for 15 mins before repeating the engine stop. If after an engine stop we disconnect the normal battery the car will start straight away and then runs for 15 mins before stopping again.

We have asked around but few have experience with Hybrid and Toyota UK dont have the correct connections etc to diagnose the Japanese version.

Any ideas or pointers that you can suggest?

Regards

algy

Hi

Do not know anything about your type of car, but on my MG I had a simular problem, it was the coil, over heating, changed it,it was ok after that, just a thought.

MGnut Colin

[Opifex]

Is there an engine management relay somewhere? It could be a bad soldered joint in that or the engine management electronics that makes contact when it's cold but loses it as it expands.

Good luck.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Sounds like some part of the hybrid system is failing to me - maybe overheating? Do any warning lights come on? How does the HV Battery cycle on the display (assuming it has a HV Battery indicator?). If it goes from full to empty to full very quickly then it could be knackered. Not sure what batteries the Estima used but the old Prius (jap only 97-01) used D cells and they're prone to leak at a certain age.

You could check fans are working or whether the 12v Battery works but other than that you'll be stabbing in the dark as this car is even rarer than the original imported Prius.

[zaphodbb]

Old thread I know - Algy, did you find out what it was?

From what I've read on the US forums (mainly Prius info) it sounds like the HV pack is faulty - if the cell pairs go badly out of balance (failed cell) or there is a HV leakage to ground, the car will shut down to prevent damage to the charging circuit.

Please post an update.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Or an inverter pump issue. I recon its the HV going out of balance like the old Jap only original Prius would do. If it's not caught in time then you're in for a big bill - or a trip to the scrap yard in the sky.

[Jan&tone]

Just a thought....

In my Prius (and the previous gen2) If I get stuck on the M25 when the police close it, as they do if a lorry driver sneezes!, and I leave the cd playing etc, when the Battery is low, the engine starts, runs for 5 mins or so, stops and then starts again a short while later... This is perfectly normal and the car is doing exactly what it says on the tin!

Does your car run normally otherwise? Lots of doom and gloom above, but if the car runs normally and just does this when you are stationary And the Battery is low then seems ok to me...

Welcome to TOC btw

[zeeworld]

hi i have also have a toyota estima hybrid 2002 with the same problem , have you found what the problem is ? i have been told the hv Battery has gone and need to be replaced

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Well the guy who posted the original thread never bothered to come back with an update so we're not sure what his issue was.

Have a look at some of the answers to his post - perhaps they assist your issue. Trouble is these cars are Japan only models and nothing to assist with servicing them exists in the UK (or minimal equipment does). It could be the HV Battery, the inverter, the pumps, the HV Battery could be out of balance - which the older hybrids had issues with - it was corrected for the worldwide release of the Prius in 2001.

Try your dealers but it probably needs an expert in older imported hybrids. Not sure where you'll find one though. :(

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I'll repost this from above;

Sounds like some part of the hybrid system is failing to me - maybe overheating? Do any warning lights come on? How does the HV Battery cycle on the display (assuming it has a HV Battery indicator?). If it goes from full to empty to full very quickly then it could be knackered. Not sure what batteries the Estima used but the old Prius (jap only 97-01) used D cells and they're prone to leak at a certain age.

You could check fans are working or whether the 12v Battery works but other than that you'll be stabbing in the dark as this car is even rarer than the original imported Prius.

[zeeworld]

yes , the Battery cycle is going up and down quite rapidly , the fans are working they can be heard , i have vsc lights and abs lights on the dash

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Make sure your 12v Battery is super duper ok (maybe try another one you know to be good), but otherwise it sounds like your HV Battery is knackered. The fact it cycles and the fans are blowing hard isn't a good sign.

I could be wrong though. Perhaps others could clarify.

[zeeworld]

the 12v Battery is fine. the fans comming on what does that meen i have got a feeling the Battery is nackered because the car has been standing for a while

[zeeworld]

is there any way of recharging the hv Battery by splitting the cells individually and charging them , has this been done before?

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Mr Flan has experience of similar to this as he has a modified EV Prius. The batteries must be balanced and a dodgy cell will throw the other cells out and knacker them too - a dominoe effect. I guess it will be possible to strip the Battery down, check the cells and replace the dodgy ones, balance it all back together and reinstall.

HOWEVER if you don't know how to do this then you MUST NOT attempt to just have a go. The voltages in the HV Battery can KILL you. If you are an experienced electrical engineer and take all suitable precautions then you might be able to fix this issue but it will probably be a good project rather than a quick fix.

But seriously don't just mess about with the HV pack if you're not sure what you're doing or you'll get 300 volts DC up your ****.

[zeeworld]

thanks grumpy cabbie,

you have just convinced me to strip the Battery and have a go , thanks for the warning also ill try not to get a shock up my **** and get back to you with the results

[zeeworld]

hi,

i have striped the Battery to individual cells and measured the voltage 24 of them measure 8.01 and the other 4 measure 6.23 to 6.75 . could this be my problem? can someone please advise before i go out and buy replacement cells

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I think you've answered your own question ;)

You might want to contact Mr Flan as he has lots of experience in such matters.

p.s. Out of curiosity what do the cells look like? The original Jap market Prius (1997-2001) used D cells wired into tubes!