[xdw]

All,
I had to remove my entire dashboard and disassemble everything along the way to get to a leaky evaporator core in my 09 Camry Hybrid. I will not replace anything other than the AC parts (evap core, heater core, condenser, and expansion valve). I disconnected the HV battery and 12v battery, of course.

Do I need to run system initialization after I put things back together? Toyota's initialization procedure requires the use of Techstream software which is only available at the dealer.

Thanks a lot in advance for your input!

xd

 

[ukrkoz]

No, not really. You can get several day sub for very reasonable price. I think, it's like $50 or so.
That said, I am afraid, you WILL have to.Not, though, sure, why you had to disconnect both batteries but yes, better safe than sorry. Those cars are very touchy electronics.
Body Control Module will surely remember that you did all that. So will hybrid battery controller.
So yes, get TIS subscription for few days.


That said: IF ANYONE WANTS TO OFFER OP PIRATED TIS, DO NOT DO THIS IN OPEN FORUM. PERIOD.

 

[xdw]

Didn't know you could get a software subscription. Thanks a lot for the tip.
I forgot to mention that I removed the electric AC compressor to dump the old refrigerant oil. Hence the reason for disconnecting the HV battery.

 

[ukrkoz]

Hey, whatever you did, you had your reasons. All the best on reassembly and restart.

 

[xdw]

Yah. You were right I had a reason for all this "excessive" work. I added a small can of R134A with stop leak and dye in it from Walmart before I found out more about the electrical compressor in this hybrid. Now I have to replace everything I can and flush the lines.

 

[xdw]

That said, I am afraid, you WILL have to.Not, though, sure, why you had to disconnect both batteries but yes, better safe than sorry. Those cars are very touchy electronics.
Body Control Module will surely remember that you did all that. So will hybrid battery controller.
So yes, get TIS subscription for few days.

Well, I re-read what I found in AllData. If I understand this PDF correctly, initialization is required primarily for part replacements like ECUs, brakes, tire warning systems, etc. The list does not include AC components. The only non-part-replacement scenario in the document is for idle speed learning after the battery terminal is disconnected. I've replaced the aux battery two times without knowing this requirement. And I had no issues afterward.

So, if I read it correctly, I don't need to do the initialization procedure. Could you (or another helpful person) take a quick look and see if my interpretation is correct?

Thanks!

 

[ukrkoz]

Easy check. Turn her on and if it goes well, you have your answer. Even if all lights go crazy, do 3 consecutive restarts. If that didn’t help, do protocol.

 

[xdw]

Easy check. Turn her on and if it goes well, you have your answer. Even if all lights go crazy, do 3 consecutive restarts. If that didn’t help, do protocol.

Sounds great! I thought about it too but really wanted to make sure I wouldn't cause any harm after all the work I've put in.
Thanks for the assurance!

 

[ukrkoz]

Well, let me put it this way. You already got away with removing 12V twice. Apparently, you have a resilient TCH. So go for it.

 

[xdw]

Well, let me put it this way. You already got away with removing 12V twice. Apparently, you have a resilient TCH. So go for it.

You were right after all. I put my car back together (minus AC recharging) at 2 am this morning, thinking I could at least drive it to work in the morning. Well, the car would not get to the Ready state. All lights were flashing, exactly like you predicted. The display toggled between "Maintenance Required" and "Check Hybrid System". I turned it on and off multiple times. Nothing changed. Yikes!

I just borrowed an OBD2 scanner and plan on scanning for possible codes. If it doesn't lead to any specific part, I am going to have to get the special cable and techstream for a few days.

I still hope it's just needs initialization. There are a lot of bad stories related to "check Hybrid System", such as a bad battery pack. After all, I did have the car's HV and 12v batteries disconnect for a month. People say you can't let a high mileage hybrid sit for too long. And mine is 2009 with about 170k miles.

I sure hope I didn't damage a wire or missed a connection when I dissembled and reassembled the dashboard. That will be really bad!

 

[ukrkoz]

Last case is very possible. Owners do do such things. Somehow, On/Off hybrid battery switch is commonly forgotten. Then, there's safety plug and, an infamous ground cable that is hard to figure, where it was connected to.
Sorry.... All the hard work...
12V is fully charged, right?

 

[xdw]

Sorry to reply late but good news: the night I posted my last report I had a hunch that I may not have put the safety switch back right. But it was simple insert and snap. So I thought I couldn't be wrong. Little did I know that I had forgotten to slide it back down all the way after I inserted and flipped it! It was a month after I removed a hybrid HV safety switch the very first time in my life. It was so easy to remove that I just simply didn't take note of how it came out.

So I disconnected the 12V battery, pushed the safety switch down until it "clicked", reconnected the 12v battery, and turned on the car. Voila! It immediately recognized and displayed "Hybrid drive", and went on to say "Ready". I then got busy working on the AC system and finally got it working by this past weekend (knocking on wood).

 

[ukrkoz]

See?
didnt I tell you about safety plug?
Well, as saying goes, all’s well that ends well.
Amen

 

[xdw]

Yes, thank you so much!
I took to the car to houston to give back to my son right before the Snow Storm. I drove it with AC on the entire weekend there. And he has complained yet. Of course, the car has to be super cold with the help of the Winter storm )
Onto my next DIY...