I am looking for a mechanic in the St. Louis area. I have to get an emissions test to renew my plates (at the end of the month) and this morning my mechanic friend pulled the codes for my 2002 Prius and found the following issues: P3191-Engine does not start P0420-Catalytic converter efficiency P0300-Random misfire detected I have been told that no one but the dealer will touch it and I really don't have the thousands of dollars to drop to have them fix it. My husband is handy under the hood, but is fairly clueless about this car. Can anyone point me to a mechanic that can fix this or a way to do it ourselves? Any help would be SUPER appreciated!
Fortunately for you and your husband, the car is relatively easy to work on. I would recommend picking up a service manual from eBay or one of the subscription sites. Has the machanic reset the codes, and they all come back? Beware, the car will need a drive cycle after the codes have been reset. (see this link: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...-battery-emissions-failed-1g.html#post1478848 ) P3191 Air induction system Throttle body Fuel pressure Engine Air flow meter Out of fuel Water temperature sensor Following condition (a) to (c) continues at a fixed engine RPM or for a fixed length of time: (a) Communication with HV ECU is normal. (b) Engine RPM is a fixed value or more. (c) Engine start mode is active.Water temp. sensor Crankshaft position sensor Camshaft position sensor ECM Reset codes and check again after emissions drive cycle is complete. P0420-Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold Gas leakage on exhaust system Open or short in heated oxygen sensor circuit Heated oxygen sensor Three–way catalytic converter It is possible, but not guaranteed that one of the O2 sensors is bad, simply needs replacement. How many miles are on the car? The message is simply saying that the measurement between the two O2 sensors was/is out of range at some point in time. Harbor Freight sells two reasonably priced oxygen sensor removal/installation tools, if you should need one. However, my recommendation is to check the codes again after a drive cycle is complete to see whether the code has come back. P0300-Misfiring of random cylinders is detected during any particular, try resetting the codes, mine had that when I bought it, and it has never come back after I reset it in the seller's driveway. Autozone or similar stores should have code readers that you can use to check your car. I'm not sure if there's a fee, but if there is, should be cheaper than the average shop.
The codes were reset just this morning and I haven't driven much since. I am curious...I keep hearing that the main reason that no one but the dealership will work on the Prius is that the electric system must be disabled in a very particular way before repairs can be made. Is this true, or can the gas engine/non-hybrid systems be repaired in the way a standard car can? If that is the case, would a regular mechanic be able to fix it? I love my car and will drive it into the ground if at all possible, but I simply do not have the money to go to the dealership.
Under my understanding, for the vehicle's non-hybrid components to be considered safe to work on, the 12V battery negative ground simply needs to be removed (in the trunk), and by doing so, ensures the relays which activate the high voltage loop will not turn on. I will say though, that the gas engine/non-hybrid systems can be repaired in the same manner that any ordinary car would be. That being said, a regular mechanic would be able to fix it, especially since the codes (at this point) point towards engine only issues, not hybrid components.
All of the high-voltage cabling is bright orange. As long as there's been no crash that could have physically damaged it, there are no ground-fault codes (there'd be a big red triangle on the dash), the mechanic doesn't dig into the HV battery, inverter, or transaxle innards, and doesn't go poking into anything bright orange, it's just like working on a car. It's also not hard to learn the "very particular way" to disconnect the HV battery if that should be necessary. It's a bright orange handle you flip down and pull out (then carry in your pocket so no practical joker shoves it back in while you're working). Insulating gloves can be worn while pulling the handle to make lawyers happy but, honestly, it's an insulated plastic handle to begin with. Hope this helps encourage your mechanic. -Chap
I beat this dead horse a lot, but be sure your 12 volt battery is strong enough so the computers run reliability. If not, you can get random unrelated codes just due to poor electric power. http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/73400-weird-stuff-happening-mpgs-dropping-test-battery.html Here is a mechanic referral service Mechanics Files | Car Talk
