Yaris Hybrid Issues

[Martin Cohen]

I'm now on my second Yaris hybrid, the first a 62 plate had it for 2 years and then got the 64 plate that I still have. The first one was a great car apart from creaky suspension. 

My current Yaris has problems. Once it's full warmed up after driving for about an hour, when accelerating with the petrol engine running all is fine until I take my foot of the accelerator. The car responds normally (it doesn't carry on accelerating) but the engine will rev up before going back to EV and sometimes the engine stay running sometimes at high revs. This when the car is warm with plenty charge in the Battery. It will also do this with the climate control fully turned off. The mpg has also dropped compared to last winter by nearly 10mpg

It first started this before it's 30,000 mile service. I did mention it when it was booked it, nothing showed up when connected to computer or on the Hybrid health check. Now it's doing this a lot more, it's just had it's 40,000 mile service but again nothing showed up and wouldn't do it when road tested. I shouldn't have booked it first thing in the morning I should have drove it first until it started doing this.

I also now have the same creaky suspension noise that I had on my last Yaris at similar mileage. The last one Toyota replaced the antiroll bar bushes and a front suspension strut but didn't solve the problem and it was after this I brought my second Yaris. It doesn't make the noise when it's wet which it was when it went for it's service and there is nothing obvious wrong with the suspension.

It is booked in to be looked at again but I get the feeling the Toyota dealer I use hasn't come across this problem before and every time its booked in I'm losing money, because I can't use my car as it's used for my driving school, I do like the car and intend to keep it until October 2017, but with these two issues it's not setting a good image for my business nor what I expected from a Toyota. If anyone has any ideas how to solve these issues I would be grateful.

Thanks

Martin

[YarisHybrid2016]

Can you get video of it? Get video of the instrument panel, and good audio. Best way to "see" the problem.

On my Yaris I noticed the engine RPM will rise SLIGHTLY above idle when:

 

* stationary, and before EV mode (creeping forward causes a drop in RPM, rising again when stationary)

* driving and it needs to warm up more for the cabin heater, associated with a slight bump in acceleration (minute) and drop in instantaneous MPG

* when charging the Battery at low speed

 

When it first runs, if it is idle from cold it can sound like it is mis-firing or even running without fuel (!) but I'm not sure why. Runs smooth and seems/is fine.

I'm struggling to think what could be wrong, apart from bad ECU software maybe, as they're pretty much impossible to destroy through (normal) driving (the engine is well protected, electronically, when cold/warming up).

[Martin Cohen]

My Yaris and the one before both did the rough running mis-firing just after switching on when cold. I believe it was caused by moving the car off the drive the engine would kick in and then it was switched off, then the next time it was turned on it would do the rough running. I always now use the EV mode if I'm just moving the car off the drive so I can get my other car out.

I was thinking about videoing it and taking it to my local dealer, it's very frustrating when you take it to the dealer and drive round with one of their mechanics and the car decides to behave itself.

When I take my foot off the accelerator, when it revs up it sounds the same as the sudden revving up you get in manual car going up hill with the clutch slipping.

Today I've done a 2 hour driving lesson 35 miles, when driving home I've done about 2 miles on a dual carriage way and then on to a 30 mile road. After coming off a roundabout accelerated back up to 30 mph, the car now has 3/4 charge in the Battery when I've took my foot of the accelerator expecting it to go on electric motor (slightly downhill road) the engine first revs up and then drops a little but stays at half to 3/4 rpm for about half a mile. The display on the radio shows it running on electric only while I can hear the engine, there are no purple lines from the engine to the wheels or electric motor, but at the same time the EV light hasn't come on, on the dashboard. 

The other thing when it's doing this, is when the engine has final stopped and the EV light has come on, when I press the EV mode button it doesn't work at all it just beeps. It will only work first thing when the car is first switch on.

I was thinking is it possible the throttle is sticking open? It seems the ECU is responding to the accelerator because it's not affecting the speed of the car and the display on the radio is responding along with the accelerator the purple lines stop as soon as my foot comes off. Also when the engine stays on if I push the accelerator and release it straight away this sometimes stops the engine. Maybe it's only doing this once it's warmed up and driven for a while because it's expanding with heat and maybe at this point the throttle isn't closing completely and that this could be one of conditions for the EV mode to work. But surely if this was the case wouldn't the ECU have realised there is a problem and recorded a fault? 

I did have problems with this car when I first had it (wondering whether it's linked?) once warmed up (again) it would go click click click quite loud when switching back and to electric the Toyota mechanics at the local dealer said it wasn't right and wanted to strip the transmission down. It was booked it last easter when I was on holiday so they could have the car for a week. But Toyota UK wouldn't authorise the repair and said they wanted one of their engineers to look at it. The funny thing is when I picked the car up having not had any work done to it, it hasn't done this since.

I will get video of it tomorrow.

[Joseph D]

I don't think you have any problems, especially do not think the accelerator is sticking.

I think it is more you do not understand the 5 stages of Hybrid Warm up: 5 modes of Prius Operation.  Although it talks about the Gen II Prius, the principles are the same for all HSDs.  Just some of the trigger point speeds might vary.

See if things make more sense after reading the linked article.

[Martin Cohen]

 

52 minutes ago, Joseph D said:

I don't think you have any problems, especially do not think the accelerator is sticking.

I think it is more you do not understand the 5 stages of Hybrid Warm up: 5 modes of Prius Operation.  Although it talks about the Gen II Prius, the principles are the same for all HSDs.  Just some of the trigger point speeds might vary.

See if things make more sense after reading the linked article.

Thanks for your reply, I have read through it and it makes sense in how my car used to run but.... 

After using the car for 2 hours doing 35 miles then driving at speed on a dual carriage way the car must be fully warmed up, then driving at no more than 30mph with the Battery 3/4 charge I wouldn't expect the engine to continue running at around 3/4 rpm for half a mile while driving down hill. While the display on the radio shows that the engine isn't sending power to the wheels or charging the Battery.

My EV mode button doesn't work at all once it warmed up it used to work I used to use it all the time when driving home, I didn't see the point in leaving plenty charge in the Battery if come the next morning the engine was going to run to warm the car up, it won't let me do this anymore. EV mode does work when first switched on, this is the only time it works.

This morning it only managed 42 mpg, mostly 30 mph roads in light traffic (5c at start 8c at end of lesson)  The maximum I've had out of this car was 72mpg back in the summer and at the start of this winter the lowest before it started having this problem was 58mpg. The lowest in my old Yaris was 56mpg during winter.

There is defiantly something wrong, this is my second Yaris Hybrid I've driven 85,000 mile between them, it's not running like it used to.

[Martin Cohen]

This is taken from my iPhone, the sound quality isn't that good but with the volume turned up you can hear the engine staying on. The car should be fully warmed up, at the point of recording I've driven 30 miles mostly on national speed limit dual carriage ways. The record is then taken mostly on 30 mph roads and a short 20 mph. The EV mode button wouldn't  work despite doing less than 30 mph with plenty of charge in the Battery and the EV light on, on the dashboard. My son was meant to record the EV light but didn't manage to catch the light on the camera.

IMG_0940.m4v

[YarisHybrid2016]

Are you driving in D mode or B mode?

[Martin Cohen]

In Drive, I rarely use B mode 

[YarisHybrid2016]

All I can suggest is trying to get video. Your description of behavior going downhill sounded like B mode, which is why I asked.

[Mor Tzur]

Martin Cohen,  you are absolutely right! 

Your description is 100% accurate! 

I'm experiencing the same problem....But today I got on one of the warning lights. It lights in Orange color and it's a symbol with this : 🔧❗

Tomorrow morning I am going to the local Toyota permitted garage and dealer.. 

I'll be in touch... 

Mor

 

[Martin Cohen]

I found what was causing this problem myself, Toyota keep saying they couldn't find anything wrong. I never had any warning lights, but what I did find was the fan under the back seat, that keeps the hybrid Battery cool was completely blocked with dust.

[Anthony Poli]

Hi,

I was going to say have you had the fan checked, as there has been a couple of people on here that have had the same problem. Sometimes little things cause big problems. Shame they don't have an outer filter, that owners could clean themselves.

 

[Mor Tzur]

Thank you very much ! 

You are professional ! 

You have a brilliant mind. 

I will show the problem and the solution to the professionals in the Toyota garage. That's GREAT 😆

[YarisHybrid2016]

That's the cooling fan, which if it was the problem should have resulted in the traction Battery overtemp warning light??

[Anthony Poli]

I found what was causing this problem myself, Toyota keep saying they couldn't find anything wrong. I never had any warning lights, but what I did find was the fan under the back seat, that keeps the hybrid battery cool was completely blocked with dust.

How easy is it to get to?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[YarisHybrid2016]

If it is the filter I think it is, then it is accessed via the rear left passenger door, beneath the back seat (you can see the intake if you stand back slightly).

IIRC there are instructions how to access it in the manual.

[Anthony Poli]

4 hours ago, YarisHybrid2016 said:

If it is the filter I think it is, then it is accessed via the rear left passenger door, beneath the back seat (you can see the intake if you stand back slightly).

IIRC there are instructions how to access it in the manual.

This is not the case with the 2013 manual, it only mentions the 12 Battery on the right hand side.

[craggle]

Glad I saw this post at the side of the screen while I was on the iQ forum this morning. My other half has a 2013 Yaris hybrid (which I love driving too) and she has often mentioned the engine revs a bit higher than it should. I kind of dismissed it as it seems fine whenever I drive it but she uses it a lot more than I do. 

As she uses the car for carrying all sorts of horse paraphernalia about, blankets, boots, clothes, hay sometimes I think, I'm sure the filter under the seat will be blocked solid! I'll get in there this weekend and see what I can find and I'll post pictures too if I find it blocked up a bit. 

Cheers

Craig.

[YarisHybrid2016]

5 hours ago, Anthony Poli said:

This is not the case with the 2013 manual, it only mentions the 12 battery on the right hand side.

Ahh - might be the Battery I'm thinking of! Might be worth a look to see if the same applies to the other side.

[Anthony Poli]

1 hour ago, craggle said:

Glad I saw this post at the side of the screen while I was on the iQ forum this morning. My other half has a 2013 Yaris hybrid (which I love driving too) and she has often mentioned the engine revs a bit higher than it should. I kind of dismissed it as it seems fine whenever I drive it but she uses it a lot more than I do. 

As she uses the car for carrying all sorts of horse paraphernalia about, blankets, boots, clothes, hay sometimes I think, I'm sure the filter under the seat will be blocked solid! I'll get in there this weekend and see what I can find and I'll post pictures too if I find it blocked up a bit. 

Cheers

Craig.

Great Thanks