Amber Warning light on dashboard

[Abdul]

Good morning Alphard Guru's

Please advise what does this Amber warning light means (see attachment). Its worth mentioning, it came on whilst I was driving on motorway relatively fast! As soon as I observed it,  I pulled up on the hard shoulder, switched off the engine and opened up the bonnet (thinking it was radiator heating up but fortunately it had plenty of coolant so clearly wasn't a radiator issue.....i hope) I checked if there was obvious indication in the engine bay, but fortunately found non, i even went through the translated car manual, but i just couldn't find the SYMBOL that matched my dashboard! I started it up and the light disappeared altogether, I drove at normal motorway speed (70mph) for further 2hrs and nothing happened (I was super relieved considering these 2.4 hybrids are a mystery for most mechanics). Anyhow, please advise from your ocean of knowledge.

Kind regards 

ABDUL 

[Picasso]

It's the hybrid inverter cooling pump you need to get it replaced as the hybrid battery getting to hot and will inturn damage your battery if you give me your reg no. I will point you right direction of where to get new pump 

Edited April 28 by Picasso

[PaulE]

Did you check the hybrid coolant level which is the cap on the RH side of the radiator (as you look at it) as the inverter cooling uses a separate part of the radiator (the bottom part- see diagram) to the engine side. I put this on a previous post.

 

"You can usually check if the inverter pump is working visually. Put the bonnet up-wait until the engine is cool, start it and carefully remove the hybrid coolant filler cap which is to the right of the radiator as you look at it (opposite side to the expansion tank). You should see movement in the coolant, sometimes it bubbles up and down a little. If no movement then it might be the pump assuming the system is full. Don't run this for more than it takes to view and refix the cap. A diagnosis with something like Toyota Techstream would confirm. I had to change mine last year and had a code DTC P3130 Inverter cooling system."

 

 

Edited April 28 by PaulE
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[Montecrist0]

Hi, it's the rear drive motor overheating according to my manual.

[Qudoos]

Thank you sooo much for the info. It certainly has given me a better understanding. Furthermore, can you geniuses advise me further please.... Considering this light only ever appeared ONCE and perhaps because I had my foot down fully for considerable time, would this mean the damage has occurred and I should change the pump? Also if possible where exactly am I looking for the coolant? Please provide actual photos (if possible)

Either way thank you for the insight.

[PaulE]

If it is the rear motor then it may not have anything to do with the cooling system as this to my knowledge just cools the inverter. I don't have any knowledge about the electric motors but hopefully it was a one off. Perhaps other members might be able to advise.

 

Back to the inverter cooling pump they do have a finite life and it seems it is common to change them on all Toyota hybrids. I haven't found a video on changing the pump on the Alphard but may be worth changing before it fails if there is the budget to do it and keep the old one as a spare. A genuine Toyota one is about £250 but after market ones are available. I have attached the instructions (pdf) my supplier gave me and which I gave to my local garage- I accept no responsibility for them but the garage worked it out ok. I also attach a Youtube showing the coolant cap at 0.43.

 

Hybrid coolant pump.pdf

[Jeza]

Ref the pdf. You can access the bracket from the wheel well but the pipes and connector is a different matter.  Access from the other side behind the bumper trim. The inverter cooling pump also cools the starter generator and transmission where the drive motor is, but not sure which motor triggers the warning. The system will need bleeding if drained down.

[PaulE]

Do we know if the electric motors ever need any maintenance, I think they may have some lubricating fluid in them but are they permanently sealed?