arthurj

So I think this might be the coolant pump based on this post on a Prius forum. https://priuschat.com/threads/attention-if-you-have-a-squeaky-chs-water-pump-new-tsb.48722/ Can anyone with more knowledge than me tell me if that seems like the right diagnosis? There are no warnings on the dash, just that squeak noise when the engine shuts off, especially when cold. I can't find anyone in the North-East who will touch the hybrid systems on my Vellfire. The Toyota garage refuses because their computer system can't diagnose it. Is replacing the pump the sort of thing that any garage could do?

I have the same issue. Almost completely certain this is the issue. Mine sounds like it’s just starting, only just noticeable so it’s a job for next year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU3IeGh8kMw Those little bushings can be found on Aliexpress for £10. Way cheaper than replacing the whole motor, but beyond what I’m comfortable doing myself.

An eye-watering £890 this year from Advance for my 20 series hybrid. This was literally the only quote I could get and it took Advance 2 days to find an insurer to do it. Annoyingly this model is not on anyone’s system, so many won’t touch it, and the company that covered mine last year has stopped covering imports.

Ah, maybe there’s no mod then. I read that it was the case but the front screen certainly doesn’t switch away from DVD output unless I press the navigation button. What it won’t let me do when I’m driving (above 5mph or so I think) is adjust the audio EQ settings.

Last year Toyota did a full service my Vellfire Hybrid but didn’t touch the hybrid systems, as they couldn’t get their computer to talk to it. Looking at last years’ bill I see they did an oil change but no mention of changing the transmission oil in the CVT gearbox, which I read was something you should do regularly in the hybrids. Is it likely that this would have been included as part of the regular oil change, or did they skip it?

DVD playback through my rooftop monitor. I tend to send the sound to the back speakers and press the navigation button so I don’t see it on the front screen (which is the essential feature I can’t seem to find in any replacement system). The other day I drove 5 kids to a party, 45 minutes each way. DVD on and didn’t hear a peep! I think dvds are supposed to stop playing while the car is in motion but you can modify the input wires so it won’t do that. I didn’t do it, I assume the previous owner in Japan had it done.

I’ve noticed a new sound and was wondering if anyone has the same or if it’s something to worry about. When the engine shuts off and the car goes into EV mode there’s a short, quiet but noticeable ‘squeak’, a bit like a rusty gate. This is not the usual mechanical whirring of the pumps, which is much louder. At first I thought it was when I was braking, but I’ve narrowed it down to the exact moment the ‘EV’ light appears on the dash after the engine shuts off. If I am outside the car while it is in ready mode and the engine turns on, I can hear that same squeak when it shuts off again. It’s more noticeable with the windows open, so maybe it’s always been there and I’m only noticing it now the weather is hotter. Anyone know what it could be?

Perhaps a better comparison is what happens when I use my Vellfire hybrid vs my Yeti Diesel for the same kind of trips. I’ve noticed that for short trips around town, from cold, less than half an hour’s driving, my Vellfire is roughly the same as the Yeti in terms of fuel consumption. Makes sense if you consider the hybrids are designed to be luxury taxis. I often go on trips to Edinburgh, about 130 miles or so of A-road and motorway each way. For trips like that, I normally get 45-50mpg out of the Yeti and about 30 out of the Vellfire. A return trip will use 2/3 of a tank in the Vellfire and less than half for the Yeti. The Vellfire has until very recently been cheaper to fill up. Of course I can’t take the Yeti to Edinburgh any more because of the congestion charge, whereas the Vellfire is fine

Same with Halfords online, by the way. Computer says no.

2012 JDM models don’t have English, only models made for export, as far as I know.

Yes I bought a H409 after seeing your post and can confirm it’s a perfect fit for the rear blade.

So it’s not coming through the pedals, but I have some rattling of the steering column. There was a post the other day on one of the Facebook groups that suggested this is a common fault with the 20 series, but I’ve not heard of that before.

Sounds normal. My local Toyota garage serviced the car but it cost me a fortune after all the 'extras'. Glad I got the car checked by an official garage but I'm going elsewhere next time for sure.

I work in software and we use the term 'smoke testing' all the time. Not once have I ever thought about where the term comes from!

Yeah, there were no English options at all until the 2012 facelift, and even then only a few radio models seem to have it. I don't believe there's any English firmware you can flash and it's too niche for anyone to have spent the time to hack it. I believe that there were some Euro map SD cards for some models that you might be able to purchase. They would be a few years out of date though. That blue port on the back of yours is a VTR-in (video in). You can purchase a VTR cable from amazon.jp https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/VTR-01-6P-Toyota-NHZN-W57-External-Adapter/dp/B00NPKTAG2 In theory you can them mirror your phone or some other device to the screen to show maps. The screen cuts out when you go above a certain speed but it's an easy modification to change that. I bought that cable for mine (NHZN-X62G) ages ago but haven't got round to trying it yet. That said, if your screen doesn't actually open it would be far less hassle to replace it with an Android unit.

I have that second style grille without the logo. It’s not aftermarket, it’s a Toyota factory option. The owners’ manual shows images of both styles.

As I mentioned in the other thread, I contacted the author of the app because it wasn’t showing the correct readings for the battery cells. I don’t think the app supports JDM cards. When I use the app it looks like this. The number of cells are wrong and so are the voltages, though they do seem to change as I drive.

DrPrius/DrHybrid misreports the cells of the hybrid battery on my 20 series. It shows some voltages but the readings are incorrect. I reported it to the author and sent him some screenshots. He acknowledged that there was a problem and said he would take a look, but I haven't heard anything. I have Techstream, but don't know how to use it to look at the hybrid battery. I haven't used it for a while.

I have the Viofo A129 Duo wired in permanently using their wiring kit add-on and a couple of fuse taps. It works great, the only problem is the USB cable to the rear cam is quite thick so it takes some effort to squeeze behind the trim.

What battery model did Toyota replace it with? My Toyota garage couldn’t find a direct replacement, I had to source my own. Can you check the voltage of the battery without the engine running?

No, I chose the “I don’t know my vin number” option because I find it never works for uk sites.

Well that was quick! Ordered it from Tayna yesterday and it arrived lunch time today. Seems like a straight replacement, exactly the same size and shape with the same connections. I followed the guide here and was done in 20 mins

I can't get my ODB port to work without the engine being in READY mode, which I assume is a quirk of it being a hybrid. It works without the ignition on in my other car. Because the aux battery is being charged by the traction battery in READY mode it gives a full voltage reading. You can get the radio to show you the battery voltage in ACC mode though. I've been doing a deep dive. My local Toyota garage was unable to source a replacement for the battery because the part number does no longer exist. The models made by Panasonic used in the pre-2015 hybrids was discontinued in 2020. If you buy an original Panasonic replacement, it's an old one. They DO have a replacement battery under the CAOS label, but I can't find any way to source it in this country at all. The Yuasa brand seems to be the one used by modern hybrids, I think I read somewhere it's the official replacement for Panasonic used by Toyota in Japan, I don't know how true that was, but it does explain the cost... I still don't know if the original Panasonic is an AGM type. I now think it might be, but I can't find the specs anywhere. One clue is the need for the temperature sensor, since lead-acid wet batteries are less sensitive to temperature and don't strictly need it. The other thing is that I read that to charge the battery to full after replacement, if you don't have a trickle charger, you should leave your car in READY mode for 8 hours(!). That seems to imply a slow and steady charge rate, rather than "go for a good run up and down the motorway". I'm getting this from Estima Hybrid and Lexus RX450h forums, which shipped with the same battery model. The other thing I've found is that the car starts much more reliably if I turn everything off. Headlights, interior lights, radio, air con, etc. Switch them all off. Starting the hybrid system from cold seems to need a massive current draw, which my dying battery can no longer provide while also powering the other stuff.

Mine doesn’t. I have to use the fob, or use the button under the door when I’ve opened it a crack.

@PaulEhow's your new battery working out? Mine's really on the way out so I've done similar to you and ordered a Yuasa HJ-S55D23L (to replace the Panasonic S55D23L used in my 20 series). Did you fit it yourself? The only thing I'm a bit worried about is the lack of temperature sensor, but looking at an Estima forum you can disconnect the old one from the battery and simply glue or tape it to the new one.