Yaris 2018 Hybrid - Not starting - Hybrid fault light

[arjanvirdi]

Hello. I bought a used Hybrid Yaris Active 2018 for my mom, it had 8.5k miles, and 2 services, 1 Toyota, one not, first service missed, so I think the Toyota warranty is gone.

About a month after we got it, my mom said it's not starting, and my sister tried to, and it didn't start, just some instrument cluster lights.

When I got home, I tried it, and it didn't start at first, but then started. It drove fine, but the hybrid fault light, and collision detect light was on, the collision one was flashing "off". 

I bought an OBD2 scanner, but I just tried the car again, and there are no lights, and working fine. I was planning on taking it for a hybrid health check, at Toyota.

What do you think I should do, as I do want this to be reliable for my mom. Thank you. 

[Starensis]

You sure they were pressing brake pedal when trying to start? 
Only other possible issue is 12v battery. They can be the cause either via loose connection or faulty Battery.

[arjanvirdi]

11 hours ago, Starensis said:

You sure they were pressing brake pedal when trying to start? 
Only other possible issue is 12v battery. They can be the cause either via loose connection or faulty battery.

Yes they were, although on this one with the key, not a start button, the brake pedal is not necesarry. The car still unlocked and lights worked when it did not start.

[Starensis]

24 minutes ago, arjanvirdi said:

Yes they were, although on this one with the key, not a start button, the brake pedal is not necesarry. The car still unlocked and lights worked when it did not start.

If it’s a manual, it will be clutch pedal, brake pedal on auto box.

[FROSTYBALLS]

1 minute ago, Starensis said:

If it’s a manual, it will be clutch pedal, brake pedal on auto box.

The OP's relative has a hybrid.

[CPN]

3 hours ago, arjanvirdi said:

Yes they were, although on this one with the key, not a start button, the brake pedal is not necesarry. The car still unlocked and lights worked when it did not start.

If it is a hybrid, key or keyless, the brake pedal needs to be pressed to start the car so that "Ready" comes up. (the ICE may or may not startup at the same time - depending on the HV battery's SoC (state of charge))

[arjanvirdi]

1 hour ago, CPN said:

If it is a hybrid, key or keyless, the brake pedal needs to be pressed to start the car so that "Ready" comes up. (the ICE may or may not startup at the same time - depending on the HV battery's SoC (state of charge))

Good to know, although i've started it many times throughout the month without the brake pedal perfectly fine. The ready light comes on, and hybrid works. Maybe cause I have the key version.

 

The issue now was what I mentioned about it not starting, whether the brake was pressed or not. And the hybrid light.

[CPN]

I'm only going on what the manual says...

(if you don't depress the brake pedal, the system will appear to come on but the "Ready" light will remain out - this is "Acc" (accessories) mode)

[Corolla2004]

As previously mentioned; the first thing to do is check that the Battery is not in a low charge state by checking the voltage with a multimeter. 

[CPN]

6 minutes ago, Corolla2004 said:

As previously mentioned; the first thing to do is check that the battery is not in a low charge state by checking the voltage with a multimeter. 

...and that meaning the 12v Battery and not the HV Battery...

[arjanvirdi]

On 8/10/2021 at 3:18 PM, Corolla2004 said:

As previously mentioned; the first thing to do is check that the battery is not in a low charge state by checking the voltage with a multimeter. 

 

On 8/10/2021 at 3:26 PM, CPN said:

...and that meaning the 12v battery and not the HV battery...

The voltage was 12.5 volts, and increasing to 14.5 when started, seems pretty normal.

[CPN]

1 hour ago, arjanvirdi said:

The voltage was 12.5 volts, and increasing to 14.5 when started, seems pretty normal.

Yes, it does which can only leave one other thing; the brake pedal is not being pressed hard enough and it is not in "P"(ark). It's not enough just to have the brake light on (i.e. a light pressure of the pedal). The brakes pads need to be actually gripping the discs (i.e. actual hydraulic pressure generated - the system isn't just looking for the brake lights to be on). Does the key have lock/unlock buttons on it?

[CPN]

On 8/10/2021 at 2:56 PM, arjanvirdi said:

Good to know, although i've started it many times throughout the month without the brake pedal perfectly fine. The ready light comes on, and hybrid works. Maybe cause I have the key version.

 

The issue now was what I mentioned about it not starting, whether the brake was pressed or not. And the hybrid light.

I re-read that many times and much of that makes no sense... Too many contradictory factors going on.....

[Cyker]

Well there's definitely something wrong - It shouldn't be possible to go into Ready mode without pressing on the brake pedal...!

 

I wonder if a previous owner somehow jammed on the brake pedal sensor so they wouldn't have to press the brake to start, and that bodge is now messing something else up...?

 

[Bernard Foy]

The manual also says that the parking brake must be on 

[MikeSh]

51 minutes ago, Bernard Foy said:

The manual also says that the parking brake must be on 

Well that's intriguing. Our 2018 lives in the garage in P, no handbrake on, and I get in, press the brake pedal and it springs into life no problem.

SWMBO is away with it at present, so I can't check what our manual says ...

[CPN]

I'm guessing that "Parking brake" (as Bernard terms it) = handbrake and you are correct. In my previous two Yaris Hybrids (2014 & 2017 models), I never used the handbrake at all. The handbrake (parking brake) does not have to be on to start but the brake pedal must be depressed and the selector lever must be in "P" (perhaps that's what Bernard meant?)

[Bernard Foy]

I was just passing on the information in Colin’s post. I also had gen3 Yaris and I never needed to have the handbrake on. As long as the car was in P and the brake pedal pressed there wasn’t a problem. Like Mike my car rested in a flat space in my yard and in P. Handbrake was never used either driving or parked at home.

[john p williams]

5 minutes ago, Bernard Foy said:

I was just passing on the information in Colin’s post. I also had gen3 Yaris and I never needed to have the handbrake on. As long as the car was in P and the brake pedal pressed there wasn’t a problem. Like Mike my car rested in a flat space in my yard and in P. Handbrake was never used either driving or parked at home.

I have 4 autos and never leave the Handbrake on when the transmission is in P unless I am parked on a slope/gradient when in addition I point the wheels so that the vehicle, if it moves , moves towards the side of the road.

[Bernard Foy]

12 minutes ago, john p williams said:

I have 4 autos and never leave the Handbrake on when the transmission is in P unless I am parked on a slope/gradient when in addition I point the wheels so that the vehicle, if it moves , moves towards the side of the road.

Sometimes if the handbrake is left on for a prolonged period of time the shoes and even the pads can stick.

[john p williams]

13 minutes ago, Bernard Foy said:

Sometimes if the handbrake is left on for a prolonged period of time the shoes and even the pads can stick.

Exactly Bernard.

[arjanvirdi]

13 hours ago, CPN said:

Yes, it does which can only leave one other thing; the brake pedal is not being pressed hard enough and it is not in "P"(ark). It's not enough just to have the brake light on (i.e. a light pressure of the pedal). The brakes pads need to be actually gripping the discs (i.e. actual hydraulic pressure generated - the system isn't just looking for the brake lights to be on). Does the key have lock/unlock buttons on it?

Thanks for the information. The key does have unlock and lock buttons on it.

 

13 hours ago, Cyker said:

Well there's definitely something wrong - It shouldn't be possible to go into Ready mode without pressing on the brake pedal...!

 

I wonder if a previous owner somehow jammed on the brake pedal sensor so they wouldn't have to press the brake to start, and that bodge is now messing something else up...?

 

I will post a video tonight of it doing so, that could be the case.

[TonyHSD]

Sometimes low voltage in 12v Battery can play a role into starting difficulties or strange behaviour. Best to check voltage with voltmeter and recharge if necessary. Change key fob Battery with new, quality one with long expiry date , make sure you press properly the brake pedal before you press start button, even though sometimes the car may refuse to start for some other unknown reason, just repeat all from unlocking to startup procedure and likely you will succeed. Pay attention to when open the door you hear the brake pump noise that indicates pressuring the brake system, there a scenarios where you brake system was Not pressurised and when you press the brake pedal and press start button actually it’s like you have not pressed the brake and the car will only goes into acc mode with all lights on the dash ON but not into ready mode., then you will need to release brake pedal, press again and then push start button. 👍

[CPN]

1 hour ago, arjanvirdi said:

Thanks for the information. The key does have unlock and lock buttons on it.

OK and do those buttons actually lock and unlock the car? 

[arjanvirdi]

1 hour ago, CPN said:

OK and do those buttons actually lock and unlock the car? 

Yes, it works as normal.