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engine noise

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Technical Discussion' started by knhobson, Jan 2, 2010.

  1. knhobson

    knhobson New Member

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    I have a gen III which periodically (Normally after standing unused for a few days) on startup, creates a very load vibrating noise which stops after a while. My dealer has checked the carc and found no faults so I am going to video the problem next time it happens.
    Has anybody else experienced the same problem?
     
    #1 knhobson, Jan 2, 2010
  2. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    Are we talking a continuous loud vibrating noise, or a vibrating noise upon the engine shutting down the first several minutes the car is first running? If it's continuous and does not go away that's something to get checked out. If when you start the car for the first time and after the engine warms a bit and it shuts down when you stop at a light/stop sign it shuts down 'abruptly' and makes a thumping sound that is normal. I do not notice it often if hardly ever in my Gen III but it was common in my Gen II. Happens to many if not all of us form time to time after the car has been sitting and/or the engine is very cold.
     
    #2 Paradox, Jan 2, 2010
  3. knhobson

    knhobson New Member

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    The vibration noise is so loud that my next door neighbor, who was pulling of her drive, stopped as she thought it was her car making the noise. I haven't waited to see if it stops on its own, I've always switched off the engine and then restarted it. This produces the vibration/ noise for a few seconds and then it goes.
    It has only ever occurred three times so far (Car is 3 months old with 4000 miles), always on start up, however it has never happened if the car was used during the last 24 hours. The outside temperature has no effect as it has happened at 10 c and -1C, but not at -6c.
    Dealer is trying to be helpful, but appears to be looking for proof which is pretty difficult as I tend to use the car every day. Tomorrow, I hope to be able to leave it with them for a week if they can give me a courtesy car.
     
    #3 knhobson, Jan 3, 2010
  4. jim256

    jim256 Member

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    A poster on another thread had something similar, described there as rough engine start, and the dealer told him it was MG1 searching for polarity, also known as "hogging". Perhaps someone could post a more thorough explanation of that, but the dealer told the poster it was not that unusual and not of concern. Apparently it's not the ICE but rather the MG1 and it's running in concert.
     
    #4 jim256, Jan 3, 2010
  5. tumbleweed

    tumbleweed Senior Member

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    #5 tumbleweed, Jan 3, 2010
  6. hobbit

    hobbit Senior Member

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    He probably meant "cogging", but that's total bunkum as the MGs
    are always 100% under computer control via the inverter and
    don't spin randomly in their stators unless the car's in neutral,
    and even then it's only slightly noticeable at *very* low
    motor speeds. Typical misinformation because someone thought
    he knew a techie buzzword.
    .
    _H*
     
    #6 hobbit, Jan 3, 2010
  7. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    Tin Foil Hat, Paranoid Conspiracy Theory #667.82-x3

    Remember how long it took Toyota to confirm that the 2010 ran on regular unleaded not premium?
    Seems to me reports of this problem started to surface just about the time a lot of places not only got "cold" but also had fuel stations switch to winter blends.
    I'd be curious from someone that is having the problem relatively regularly, if they filled up with a higher octane if the problem would go away.
    Or I'll be curious this spring/summer when things warm up and fuel stations go away from winter blends if we don't see reports of this problem fade.

    Ughh..would you guys hate me if I said this was just becoming another storm cloud of doubt for me concerning this new Prius?

    I wouldn't recommend someone fill their entire tank with premium, but if someone is pretty regularly having this problem and had a near empty tank just putting a gallon or two in, and then seeing if the problem continued to manifest and/or went away, would be interesting to me.

    I know a lot of people are saying this is tied to the electric motors, but it doesn't seem to me we had a lot, or any of these reports until winter hit and we were dealing with different fuel blends and colder temperatures.

    Anyway, these threads that keep surfacing are just another one I'll have to add to my list of things to watch in regards to the 2010 Prius.
     
    #7 The Electric Me, Jan 3, 2010
  8. bedrock8x

    bedrock8x Senior Member

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    Agree, it is not cogging. Modern "AC" electric motors are computer controlled with rotor position sensors will not have cogging as in induction AC motors.
    So the Toyota tech is just BS and giving you the run around.

     
    #8 bedrock8x, Jan 3, 2010
  9. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    "Nobody" is "Regularly having this problem"...judging from the number of threads and most I've read, I don't think that's true. Some people are experiencing this pretty regularly.

    Having you seen/listened to the Youtube clip of the engine start up? That's (IMO) is not a sound or action that should be generic to The Prius or any automobile made in the past 15 years.

    As far as my curiousity, and desire to see someone experiencing this problem try a higher octane gas...It may not help, it may not be the answer...but if only for a gallon or two, I don't think it would hurt. Plus the problem does really seem to of manifested in connection to cooler temps of winter and you can extrapolate that another factor that has changed since spring/summer is winter blend fuels. So I think it's at least an "easy" valid experiment. So far, temperature, how long the car has sit, and perhaps the change to winter blend fuels, seem to be the only connecting factors.

    Again, I could be wrong, but the car started being sold commercially in May? I don't remember any threads about this problem until temperatures dropped and fuel blends changed.
     
    #9 The Electric Me, Jan 3, 2010
  10. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    It's within the thread "Rough engine starts" which there is a link to within this thread from tumbleweed (on Page 4). Or you could just go to Youtube and enter 2010 Prius Engine Knocking.
     
    #10 The Electric Me, Jan 3, 2010
  11. Spartane

    Spartane Member

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    In case you missed it, you should read this response from the person who posted the video -- apparently it was quite rough.
    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...g/70128-rough-engine-start-5.html#post1032052
     
    #11 Spartane, Jan 3, 2010
  12. knhobson

    knhobson New Member

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    Watched the video on Youtube and yes that is the noise. However there appears to be no shaking of the engine as I experienced.

    This is really useful to show my dealer, thanks very much all
     
    #12 knhobson, Jan 6, 2010
  13. LeeB

    LeeB Junior Member

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    Deleted
     
    #13 LeeB, Jan 6, 2010
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