# August Disgust (Monthly Mini-Rants) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 1, 2024, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-disgust-monthly-mini-rants/1005094 "2024-08-01T06:26:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-disgust-monthly-mini-rants/1005094/221 "2024-08-31T15:17:54Z")
My 2014 Prius broke down last night. I was only a couple of blocks from home when it suddenly lost the electric motor and the “swervey road,” the ((!)), and the check engine lights came on. I was able to limp home. I think I may have lost the inverter. Is there a way for Joe Average to run a check engine diagnosis? I’d rather not drive a crippled car a couple of miles over a couple of hills to the auto parts store. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-disgust-monthly-mini-rants/1005094/222 "2024-08-31T15:23:09Z")
OBD2 scanners that plug into the car are readily available at auto parts stores, Amazon, and possibly other sources. Amazon has a good selection that you could get tomorrow or even today. Google is very helpful figuring out what the codes translate to as far as which part failed. [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=2014+prius+obd2+scanner](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=2014+prius+obd2+scanner) ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-disgust-monthly-mini-rants/1005094/223 "2024-08-31T15:53:31Z")
I found a way to get into the service menu, but it only monitors the electronic systems. That may be enough. The battery is only putting out 11.7 volts instead of \>12. Of to Amazon to get a reader for confirmation. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-disgust-monthly-mini-rants/1005094/224 "2024-08-31T16:02:42Z")
Fortunately I have money set aside for emergencies, so felt comfortable opting for the 12-month no interest payment plan, thus avoiding having to pay it off at 12.66%. ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Blaylock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_blaylock/32/3235_2.png) [@Bob\_Blaylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Blaylock)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-disgust-monthly-mini-rants/1005094/225 "2024-08-31T16:38:04Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > My 2014 Prius broke down last night. I was only a couple of blocks from home when it suddenly lost the electric motor and the “swervey road,” the ((!)), and the check engine lights came on. I was able to limp home. > > I think I may have lost the inverter. Is there a way for Joe Average to run a check engine diagnosis? I’d rather not drive a crippled car a couple of miles over a couple of hills to the auto parts store. > [@Seanette](#): > > OBD2 scanners that plug into the car are readily available at auto parts stores, Amazon, and possibly other sources. > > Amazon has a good selection that you could get tomorrow or even today. Google is very helpful figuring out what the codes translate to as far as which part failed. > > [Amazon.com : 2014 prius obd2 scanner](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=2014+prius+obd2+scanner) > [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > I found a way to get into the service menu, but it only monitors the electronic systems. That may be enough. The battery is only putting out 11.7 volts instead of \>12. Of to Amazon to get a reader for confirmation.   Many modern cars have manufacturer-specific OBD-II parameters that require something more than the basic, generic OBD-II reader and related software to retrieve.  Having had a generic OBD-II scanner for decades, now, I had to get something more sophisticated to diagnose an issue with my 2020 Jeep.  I ended up getting [this one](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JFRFJG6/), because it was among those recommended for use with the [AlfaOBD](https://www.alfaobd.com/) software that is specific to Stellantis vehicles.  It turned out to include software that was even better for my immediate needs than [AlfaOBD](https://www.alfaobd.com/); able to retrieve the deeper data that directed me to my issue, that a generic OBD-II setup could not.   I suggest you look into whether any OBD-II software is out there, either from Toyota itself or from some outfit that specifically supports Toyota, and then see what OBD-II readers are recommended for use with that software.  If [OBDLink](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JFRFJG6/) comes up among the recommended scanners, then you might even want to go with that, and give the software that comes with it a try before you buy the Toyota-specific software that led you to it.  I bought [AlfaOBD](https://www.alfaobd.com/) first, then [this scanner](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JFRFJG6/), and it turned out that I didn’t need [AlfaOBD](https://www.alfaobd.com/) at this time, because [OBDLink](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JFRFJG6/)'s software as better able to retrieve what I needed to retrieve. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-disgust-monthly-mini-rants/1005094/226 "2024-08-31T19:39:45Z")
So I walked face-first into a giant spider web when I left the house via the back door today. Blech! ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-disgust-monthly-mini-rants/1005094/227 "2024-09-01T04:17:12Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > I opted for the latter, since I figured the odds were that the heating system was due to commit suicide soon in solidarity with its partner. You didn’t hear this from me, but I happen to know that the air conditioning is having a three-way with heating _and_ ventilation. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-disgust-monthly-mini-rants/1005094/228 "2024-09-01T06:12:49Z")
I bar-backed last night until 2:30am. Then I got up at 7:30 so I could get to my doggy-daycare job in time for an 8 hour shift. I got out of that shift about six hours ago. I have been awake this whole time. I can’t sleep. I mean, I cannot sleep. I am wired. Tomorrow is the first full day off I’ll have had in about two and a half weeks. The way things are going I’m going to be awake until my shift on Monday morning. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-disgust-monthly-mini-rants/1005094/229 "2024-09-01T08:09:28Z")
New month of whining here: > [@Schlep Timbre (September Mini-Rants)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/schlep-timbre-september-mini-rants/1006553/): > > Continuing the discussion from [August Disgust (Monthly Mini-Rants)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-disgust-monthly-mini-rants/1005094): Got back from vacation, where I was in Vegas for a few days, then at my wife’s parents’ house for a few days, then flew home. My wife is driving back and will get here with our daughter and dog in a couple days. I was not liking the Nevada heat and air conditioning because it was causing total havoc on my allergies and sinuses. I was still feeling like crap after being home for a while so out of an abundance of caution I did… ---
**Author:** ![Dogginit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogginit/32/16920_2.png) [@Dogginit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogginit)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-disgust-monthly-mini-rants/1005094/230 "2024-09-01T14:14:03Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > So I walked face-first into a giant spider web when I left the house via the back door today. Blech! Reminds me of a video I saw on FailArmy - a group walking along a trail, the guy in the lead notes there’s a spiderweb across the trail, says to the camera “You’re about to see a Puerto Rican Ninja” right before his buddy walks into it, and reacts appropriately. Unfortunately I can’t find the video, but was hilarious! I’ve reacted myself the same way many a time, though not particularly scared of spiders. ---
**Author:** ![Kelevra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@Kelevra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelevra)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-disgust-monthly-mini-rants/1005094/231 "2024-09-03T19:41:51Z")
Doorhenge is brilliant. I will definitely be using it! Also, I won’t be fixing it as then I would have one less thing to complain about. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/august-disgust-monthly-mini-rants/1005094.md?page=11)