This was a new one for me.
I took the 06 Prius that I had been working on to a local tire shop for an alignment. After the alignment was completed, it was necessary to perform a zero-point calibration, which is common for all Toyotas equipped with stability control. The Hunter Alignment Consoles are now able to handle this through their Codelink attachment, which is a unit that plugs into the vehicle's OBDII port.
So, the alignment tech plugged in the Codelink and allowed the software to check the systems and begin the calibration process. Almost immediately, we get a "low battery voltage" message and the process was unable to continue. We tried again and again, but received the same result-- the Hunter software simply would not allow us to proceed with a low battery voltage. I had already suspected 12v battery issues with this car due to low MPG (common sign) and slow/jerky engine starts, so this incident only confirmed that suspicion.
Luckily, this was a full-service shop so the mechanic in the next bay brought over his Snap-On Verus. The mechanic was not familiar with Toyotas, but once we entered the Wheel Alignment Menu the software gave us the option to perform a steering torque sensor calibration. At the time, we were not sure if that was the same thing as a zero-point calibration, but I later found out through my shop foreman contact that it was. The calibration was successful, and now the steering feel is much, much better.
The lesson learned from this incident was that with the advancement of vehicle electrical systems, the battery plays a critical role in proper functionality. Having all systems working properly is needed to complete repairs that used to be simple.
I took the 06 Prius that I had been working on to a local tire shop for an alignment. After the alignment was completed, it was necessary to perform a zero-point calibration, which is common for all Toyotas equipped with stability control. The Hunter Alignment Consoles are now able to handle this through their Codelink attachment, which is a unit that plugs into the vehicle's OBDII port.
So, the alignment tech plugged in the Codelink and allowed the software to check the systems and begin the calibration process. Almost immediately, we get a "low battery voltage" message and the process was unable to continue. We tried again and again, but received the same result-- the Hunter software simply would not allow us to proceed with a low battery voltage. I had already suspected 12v battery issues with this car due to low MPG (common sign) and slow/jerky engine starts, so this incident only confirmed that suspicion.
Luckily, this was a full-service shop so the mechanic in the next bay brought over his Snap-On Verus. The mechanic was not familiar with Toyotas, but once we entered the Wheel Alignment Menu the software gave us the option to perform a steering torque sensor calibration. At the time, we were not sure if that was the same thing as a zero-point calibration, but I later found out through my shop foreman contact that it was. The calibration was successful, and now the steering feel is much, much better.
The lesson learned from this incident was that with the advancement of vehicle electrical systems, the battery plays a critical role in proper functionality. Having all systems working properly is needed to complete repairs that used to be simple.
