Servicing Hybrids: 10 Must Read Articles for Servicing Hybrid Vehicles from Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda and Nissan Currently, there are about 1.2 million hybrid vehicles on the road. Within five years, hybrids are expected to account for 20 to 25% of all new car and light-truck sales. So sooner or later, you'll be working on these vehicles at your shop. These vehicles have the same service opportunities like brake... More

Tech Tip: Toyota Prius Master/Hybrid MIL On/DTC P3125 Under certain driving conditions, some 2001-'02 Prius vehicles may exhibit a Master, Hybrid and MIL Warning Light "on" condition where only DTC P3125, information code 287, has set in the Hybrid Vehicle Control Unit (HV ECU). Use the following procedure to identify whether the HV ECU or inve... More

Tech Tip: Prius Brake Actuator Noise Some 2004 - 2007 model year Prius vehicles may exhibit a squeak-type noise when pressing or releasing the brake pedal. This noise may only be audible when the vehicle is in "READY" mode and the vehicle is not moving. Brake system performance is not affected by this noise. Use the following procedure... More

Prius Tech Tip: Parking Brake Warning Light Stays Illuminated After the Parking Brake Pedal is Released Some 2004 - 2007 model year Prius owners may complain that the Parking Brake Warning Light stays illuminated after the parking brake pedal is released. The parking brake assembly, which includes the parking brake switch, has been modified to correct this condition. Use the following repair procedure... More

Tech Tip: Don't be 'Shocked' if Prius Owners Lose Their Cool Some 2001-'03 model year Toyota Prius vehicles may exhibit a Master, Hybrid and MIL warning light on with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P3130, information code 346 (Inverter Cooling System Malfunction). This may be caused by reduced HV water pump performance or by the design of the inverter assembly... More

Toyota Tech Tip: Prius Hybrid Lacks Power Some 2001-’03 model-year Prius vehicles may exhibit a Master, Hybrid and MIL warning light on with DTC P3130, and possibly P3125 with sub code 264. When the vehicle is parked after prolonged operation in heavy stop-and-go traffic, or sustained high speeds in ambient temperatures above 90°... More

Toyota Tech Tip: Fuel Gauge Inclination Meter Reset Due to the unique bladder design of the 2001-'03 Prius fuel tank, it may be necessary to reset the fuel gauge inclination sensor if the combination meter has been replaced or the fuel level reading is determined to be inaccurate. Follow the procedure in this tech tip to reset the fuel gauge inclination sensor... More