My 2002 prius (61k miles) conked out on the freeway. Dealer said water pump went and took out the inverter, $5k repair. Cursing at him got the cost reduced to $1100. Now he says the main computer is shot, another $900 repair. Is it credible that the main computer cannot be diagnosed without the inverter!?? That there isn't a power harness that could plug into the computer to test it? Is this a design flaw, or negligence on the repair shop? BTW, they also say the transmission maybe bad -- no way to test that until these other repairs are done. Thanks!
A failed inverter water pump does not always cause the inverter to be damaged. Folks sometimes recommend replacement of both items because they can't tell if the inverter is shot or not prior to replacing the pump. However, it is also possible that both pump and inverter are faulty. Was a code or symptom associated with this diagnosis? Yes. However, it would be unusual for pump, inverter, and ECU to fail all at once. There isn't. It's not a design flaw. However, it's hard to judge the diagnosis without knowing more about the situation. Toyota has separate tests for some transaxle components, but not for the transaxle as a unit.
Sorry to hear about your problem: The car is still at the dealer? In a perfect world, I'd recommend getting the car to Art's Automotive in San Francisco or Lucious Garage in Berkley. They have a strong reputations for problem diagnosis. Understand there are strong Toyota service centers and some that could be better. The problem is shopping for a service center when a car is broken is like shopping for an emergency room when you have a major medical problem. As has been pointed out, we need to see the error codes from the car to get a clue. Many of us here are into self-maintenance but I get the impression you may not be interested in self-maintenance? Bob Wilson
The inverter is covered by the 8 year/100K mile hybrid system warranty. Is your car past its 8-year anniversary? Did you have an opportunity to try to start the car, subsequent to its failure on the freeway? Once the powertrain has cooled down, if the car will work then that shows the inverter and transaxle are probably OK and that the inverter water pump is the only problem. If the car still won't work when cold, then depending upon the symptoms, the inverter or transaxle probably did fail. Regarding the "main computer", if you are referring to the engine ECU you might ask what are the DTC that causes your dealer to recommend replacement. If this is just the P3191 engine no-start code, it is possible that throttle body cleaning and iridium spark plug replacement will restore proper operation. If that doesn't help, it is also possible to buy a salvage engine ECU for ~$300 if you can DIY install the unit behind the glove box (need to purchase an ECU with the latest part number revision: 89661–47054)
If I could offer a much less technical observation and opinion? I wouldn't trust any dealer or repair facility that originally wants to try and charge me $5000 for a repair, and then when you demonstrate that you are upset...the repair magically reduces in price by $3,900. IMO credibility is shot right there. Add to it that they are now inching the total cost back up with also more magically discovered problems. At the very least I'd want a second opinion.
Not necessarily. Toyota is more liberal on out-of-warranty goodwill repairs than most automakers, and they can be particularly liberal with hybrids. Sometimes Toyota will cover, or help to cover, the cost of an out-of-warranty part if the customer complains. However, they are not obligated to do so.
Once again, sorry to here of major problems from a first-time poster. As mentioined already, the more details you can provide, the greater chance that we may be able to assist. I would also like to know exactly where the car is now. It may not be an entirely bad thing that you cursed the shop staff, but it certainly leads to the desire to have further diagnosis and repair done alsewhere. I suppose we can suggest several good alternatives in S. Calif.
Hi all, First post on wife's 2005 Prius 71k miles. I would like some alternatives to dealer in S. Cal who want $485.00 for water pump and belt replacement. Thanks.
'nother new poster. Might be better to start your own thread in the Gen II area. My favorite is Claremont Toyota (near Pomona) but you will no doubt be able to get other suggestions here.
