Check EV System warning message

[dark]

Did Toyota and traps figure out the cause of the EV warning?

My car is at the dealer for 4 days already, with unknown issue and unknow estimate time for the fix.

I am guessing it will be there for another week.

My car is still at the dealer waiting for Tesla's tech, with no updates. I want my money back so I can go get a Tesla Model S.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Did Toyota and traps figure out the cause of the EV warning?

My car is at the dealer for 4 days already, with unknown issue and unknow estimate time for the fix.

I am guessing it will be there for another week.

My car is still at the dealer waiting for Tesla's tech, with no updates. I want my money back so I can go get a Tesla Model S.

Document, document, document!!!

I wish I had been more diligent in organizing things prior to realizing that I needed this info. The minimum threshold is the California Lemon Law of either a safety issue, over 30 days in the shop, or 4 or more repair attempts.

Good news for out-of-state buyers!!! Since ALL the Rav4 EVs were actually purchased in California, therefore they are ALL eligible for California Lemon Law!!!!

 

[dark]

Document, document, document!!!

I wish I had been more diligent in organizing things prior to realizing that I needed this info. The minimum threshold is the California Lemon Law of either a safety issue, over 30 days in the shop, or 4 or more repair attempts.

Good news for out-of-state buyers!!! Since ALL the Rav4 EVs were actually purchased in California, therefore they are ALL eligible for California Lemon Law!!!!

Tony, did they fix your car? I got a call from Toyota today and they said Tesla gave them an instruction to replace the ECU. I also saw other folks got their ECU replaced, but I thought ECU is a rare part to be defected. I hope this will actually fix all my issues.

 

[miimura]

There are many ECUs in modern cars and they are generally very reliable. However, the "Gateway ECU" in the RAV4 EV is a module that is not normal to have in an ICE vehicle and is not needed in the Tesla Model S either. This one Tesla made ECU has had many failures in the RAV4 EV and is one common cause of the Check EV System message.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Tony, did they fix your car? I got a call from Toyota today and they said Tesla gave them an instruction to replace the ECU. I also saw other folks got their ECU replaced, but I thought ECU is a rare part to be defected. I hope this will actually fix all my issues.

Number one cause for a vehicle shutdown... the Gateway ECU (although, it's also a communication module with AT&T phone service).

 

[evsinav]

So my wife just called and we had our first "Check EV System" today at ~1750 miles. She was able to restart and make it home, but then restarted at home with same error. I was hoping she would say it didn't appear again.... I guess we will be taking it to AutoNation Toyota Irvine today or tomorrow.

How can I assure the dealer gets to the heart of the problem quickly?

Tony will likely say replace ECU so I have that on my radar already.

Thanks,

Tim

P.S. How do I go back to the data survey and update my information?

 

[aboxer]

I, too, just experienced the Check EV warning message. This is the 8th time I have driven the car with less than 500 miles. While sitting there figuring out what my options were, I pulled up this forum and read the experience of all of you. After 5 tries, the warning went off, ready came on and I drove home. I plan to bring the car in to the dealer tomorrow. I bought it at Carson ( they were great during the purchase and I called them while sitting there and Jane did everything possible to help!) so I was wondering, TONY, what San Diego dealership you are using....Carlsbad? I figure with all the problems you have had, if I go where you have been, maybe I won't have to go through all the delays and BS that seems prevalent. Also, does anyone know if they keep the car, is a rental included in our warranty? Besides the replacement of the Gateway ECU and making sure the software (firmware?) is updated, what else should I be asking for? Any advice would be appreciated.......I was just starting to enjoy driving it!

 

[Dianne]

A Boxer, the last car I had with an issue such as this, I flatbedded it to us to have our amazing, amazing tech work on it. It was fixed pretty quickly.. but I really haven't any idea what warning came on for it. Just by sheer volume of EVs sold, as opposed to hit or miss elsewhere, we see more good AND bad than all the others. If you'd rather it be here, let me know when it throws that code again. We also have an EV loaner that's probably available right now... and sorry I missed you last week, I finally took that much needed vacation to try and rest my leg!

Dianne

 

[cwerdna]

There are many ECUs in modern cars and they are generally very reliable. However, the "Gateway ECU" in the RAV4 EV is a module that is not normal to have in an ICE vehicle...

FWIW, Priuses have/had a gateway ECU. Google for siteriuschat.com gateway ecu.

 

[evsinav]

Quick update: We drove the car to Irvine Toyota a few hours later and the "Check EV System" message was no longer present at start up. The technicians reviewed the car Saturday and found a code they didn't understand and thus sent a "snapshot" (aka system log file of recent usage information) to Toyota Engineering to receive direction on how to proceed. Since the technicians have Monday off, I'll know more on Tuesday sometime.

 

[aboxer]

Update on our "check EV System Warning"..... Dealer ran diagnostics since warning message no longer showing. Said " EV system error message is in regards to a charging station incompatibility" and " only leviton have been fully approved for use on Toyota vehicles". I reiterated that the warning came on after the car had been driven 50 miles, sitting in my work parking lot for 4 hours after that and not on or just disconnected from a charger. I also pointed out that in the 3 weeks i have had the car, i have used the 110 charger that came with the car, a leviton charger at the dealer, a blink public charger and the aerovironment 30amp home charger we installed, with no error warning. i also referred them to page 50 of the owners manual that says," this vehicle is expected to charge at public charging stations that are J1772 compliant" which all of the chargers used were. I wrote this on the work receipt for documentation and let them know if the problem recurred, I want the gateway ECU replaced.

They also updated the Tesla firmware and when I insisted on knowing the version, they said they would have to hook the car back up to find out and I said , please do...it is version Tesla 1.3.62. I hope this is the one and only time I get this message, but based on everyone else's experience, I am not holding my breath.

Note to Dianne.... Thank you for your response and offer....you, Jane and Carson Toyota have been great. If the error code comes back, I will take you up on your offer if I can get the vehicle up to La from San Diego.

 

[TonyWilliams]

I've been using Carlsbad Toyota.

 

[cwerdna]

Update on our "check EV System Warning"..... Dealer ran diagnostics since warning message no longer showing. Said " EV system error message is in regards to a charging station incompatibility" and " only leviton have been fully approved for use on Toyota vehicles". I reiterated that the warning came on after the car had been driven 50 miles, sitting in my work parking lot for 4 hours after that and not on or just disconnected from a EVSE. I also pointed out that in the 3 weeks i have had the car, i have used the 110 EVSE that came with the car, a leviton EVSE at the dealer, a blink public EVSE and the aerovironment 30amp home EVSE we installed, with no error warning. i also referred them to page 50 of the owners manual that says," this vehicle is expected to charge at public charging stations that are J1772 compliant" which all of the EVSE used were.

Fixed your post. In all of the above cases where you said "charger", you really meant EVSE. See http://www.myrav4ev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8984#p8984.

The charger is on-board the car.

 

[Blastphemy]

We all knew what he meant, cwerdna.

 

[rayray]

Aboxer,
Which dealer are you using in San Diego ?

 

[aboxer]

RayRay...I went to Toyota of Carlsbad....same as Tony. I bought my RAV from Carson in LA (where Diane and Jane were GREAT!)

 

[dark]

My check EV light came again, 3rd time, WTH!!!

1st time, my car was there for 2 days for an aftermarket alarm the dealer installed.
2nd, my car was there for 2 weeks to replace a gateway ECU.

What else could it be? And will this EV light ever going to get fix.

I am thinking to get a lemon lawyer for a refund.

 

[evsinav]

Irvine Toyota called me yesterday afternoon and announced my car was ready for pickup. Code found after reviewing the "freeze frame" data was U1146 "Lost communication with electric propulsion control system gateway." Contact with Toyota Engineering had revealed an ECU update was available from Tesla and they performed the update. I asked the service advisor to confirm the firmware version and place it on the paperwork. He later said the tech did not know (it was not stamped on the file) and did not know how to find out. I didn't push the issue as I just wanted to take the car back. I also checked today and found no sticker under the hood as others have seen after the update. Since I can't confirm this is the 1.3.62 update I'll assume that for now.

It seems to be pretty clear that the EV technicians at Irvine Toyota are not as well trained as others in SoCal. I'm in a wait-and-see mode until the next time the warning message appears.

Is there a history of the firmware update alone fixing issues or can I expect a hardware failure in the future?

Thanks,

Tim

 

[miimura]

Is there a history of the firmware update alone fixing issues or can I expect a hardware failure in the future?

There is a history of people being told that a firmware update will fix a car that had a communication fault with the gateway. Many of those people continue to get Check EV System messages until the Gateway ECU is replaced.

 

[Dianne]

It's very easy to determine the firmware - takes about 2-3 minutes for my tech to do it. Even though I am sure every one of my cars HAS the 1.3.62 I confess I still check every car on PDI to make 100% certain of it. Better safe than sorry. It's very unlikely that anything I have coming out of the plant since early August would have the old 57 on it but it takes 3 minutes to make sure so why not.

Dianne

Irvine Toyota called me yesterday afternoon and announced my car was ready for pickup. Code found after reviewing the "freeze frame" data was U1146 "Lost communication with electric propulsion control system gateway." Contact with Toyota Engineering had revealed an ECU update was available from Tesla and they performed the update. I asked the service advisor to confirm the firmware version and place it on the paperwork. He later said the tech did not know (it was not stamped on the file) and did not know how to find out. I didn't push the issue as I just wanted to take the car back. I also checked today and found no sticker under the hood as others have seen after the update. Since I can't confirm this is the 1.3.62 update I'll assume that for now.

It seems to be pretty clear that the EV technicians at Irvine Toyota are not as well trained as others in SoCal. I'm in a wait-and-see mode until the next time the warning message appears.

Is there a history of the firmware update alone fixing issues or can I expect a hardware failure in the future?

Thanks,

Tim