Newbie. Need advice on buying a used prius.

Congrats, I hope.
The random misfires could be spark plugs or coils.
I am not sure if PCV valve or the oil usage could relate. @danlatu or @Raytheeagle can advise further.

 

Heat destroys 12 V Batteries, that is a know fact but cold doesn't seem to be a problem.
Excess heat is the enemy of all batteries as far as I know.

It would be interesting to contact local junk yards and see how many Prii they have and how many still had batteries in them. I am going to check a local yard where I live.

 

IMO...all you can have is an opinion about Hybrid Battery longevity.
There really is no way of telling or predicting with much accuracy how long a Hybrid Battery may last.
To me? They clearly seem to be durable and lasting enough to cover Toyota's warranty period. 8-10 years, 100,000-150,000 miles depending on whether you are purchasing and registered in a CARB state.
So my expectations would be 10 years...and a lot of miles.

You are looking at a Prius that is 9 model years old, and with high miles. So....all bets are off.
Yes, you could go for many more miles, and even much more time. BUT..I wouldn't purchase the vehicle expecting it. Plan for the worst, expect the best.

If I was purchasing a 2009 Prius with 190,000 miles on it, I would purchase with the knowledge and expectation that Hybrid Battery failure could happen at any time.
I would consider it all borrowed time.

 

How long ago did they change the plugs? The screen shot shows the last documented servicing as 2016. Anything since then? Are you the DIY type? What code is being thrown? Can you swap the coils and see if the misfire follows? How much oil is consumed?

Good luck with your Prius .

 

Don’t forget that misfires will put more strain on the engine block.

While it can be a bear to work on things in the cold, find someone with a garage and you’ll at least be protected from the elements .

How much oil is it consuming?

Keep us posted .

 

That’s not a high rate.

Just keep an eye on it and you’ll be fine.

As for the misfires, it could be the plugs, coils or lights from the PCV return .

Pull the intake and see if there is a collection of brownish material. If so and the temps are as cold as they look, you might have the cause.

Hope that helps .

 

Sounds like it is all related.

But there are solutions .

I would look into the problem so you go after the true root cause. If it is truly lights being formed then getting sent to be combusted, an oil catch can will prevent that from occurring .

But check the other possibilities mentioned above.

Keep us posted .

 

Water or condensation, gas that leaks by, etc.

These will throw the air to fuel mixture off enough (as well as fubar the combustion process) to cause a violent reaction.

There are ways to deal with it though.

If you go the oil catch can route on your Gen2, I know @SFO would be keen to hear the results .

 

I’m in Indianapolis through Tuesday so I need all the karma I can get.