Prius sitting for 5 years, help needed ASAP!

Even if not absolutely necessary, that would be a good idea.
Trying to rush it into running again after 5 years likely would be a mistake.

 

Agreed, forgot about that...! Lets give the guy a minimums list so he does not go crazy reading all this stuff.
It seems like a tons of stuff, but its not as bad as it looks. Do all these things and fire the machine up!

The list:

Take plugs out, squirt some atf in. Rotate engine by hand a few times.
Change oil and oil filter.
Drain and replace all fuel.
Replace 12v battery.
Clean Air Filter - inspect hoses

If you do this yourself you will have $300 into the car. If its too much for you at this point in your life you can find a mechanic that should be able to charge you a few hours (2-3) of labor for it.

Get a plan together and get it done. Don't sweat about it too much, people buy stuff at the junk yard and get it to run that should have been left there. Seems like you have a gem on your hands.

AG

 

Carefully borrow a 12v battery from another vehicle and you can knock that "check it out" cost down by 3/4

Reading area? The battery factory is like, the 3rd biggest employer in the county, somebody you know can cough one up.

 

How will the car be put on nueatral safely?

 

The car does'nt need to be in Neutral. Sometimes just front end is raised, if it can be verified the parking brake is off (this scenario). Or if it's (for example) a parking violation tow, where the parking brake can't be released, then the front is raised and the rear wheels set in dollies.

Take a look at cars being towed these days; the latter case is what you often see.

 

One thought: are you sure it sat for 5 years? Any chance it's been used periodically? Or no.

 

I've been a legal property owner since my age was a single digit. So were my younger siblings. The account registrations clearly showed me as the legal owner, and my mother as the UGMA custodian. Nearly all states have now switched to the newer and more flexible UTMA system.

Until applying google today, I was unaware that my current state has adopted a minimum age for owning a motor vehicle (RCW 46.12.755). But apparently some other states (TX, NC) have no age limits for legal title, but do have a proof of insurance requirement for registration and plates. Others such as OH have not age minimum, but do require parental consent for minors.

The Original Poster, Eric Victor, is in Pennsylvania, so this PA-DMV page applies:
"2. Is there a minimum or maximum age requirement for registering a motor vehicle?
Pennsylvania law does not dictate a minimum or maximum age for owning/registering a vehicle. However, you should check with your insurance company to see if they have any restrictions regarding an owner’s age."


As for property in general, apparently this does vary substantially from state to state, both in the real details, and also in mere semantics related to UTMA. For my region, the most succinct description I found is this Social Security Administration document, mostly about just one state in this administrative region, but with an introduction covering all of them:

"SYLLABUS
In Region X (Seattle), the States of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington generally allow a minor to hold legal title to real and personal property."


Since OP is in Pennsylvania, here are official links (and boilerplate) specific to that state:
CHAPTER 53 _ PENNSYLVANIA UNIFORM TRANSFERS TO MINORS ACT
Pennsylvania Code § 257.24. Procedures. (a) Acknowledgment of liability
(multiple references to minors as property owners and inheritors)

... and some law firm and consumer links:

What Pennsylvania residents need to know about how children inherit property
Gifts to Kids—The Pennsylvania Uniform Transfers to Minors Act
Pennsylvania Uniform Transfers to Minors Act — The Basics
Real estate Can a minor own land in PA? (No according to the OH attorney, but Yes according to the PA attorneys.)

... and some law firms covering other states:

Do Parents Own Their Children's Property?
"All children under the age of 18 have the same rights with respect to owning property. They cannot enter into a contract without a parent co-signing, unless they are emancipated minors. But assuming that a minor came into the possession of the item without having entered into a contract, as is the case with most purchases and gifts, parents have no ownership rights over the property of children. Parent's do, however, have legal responsibility for their children's actions, both criminally and civilly, under the doctrine of parental liability."

Minor's Ownership of Real Estate in California: Possible?
"Basic Law: Under California law, a minor may own real property. Estate of Yano (1922) 188 Cal. 645, 649. However, a minor may not convey or make contracts relating to real property. ..."

Minors in Title to Real Estate
"Most of us know there may be a problem, but what is it, exactly? Can little Suzie even be in title? Can she convey or mortgage the property? How?
Well, yes a minor can be in title, and it happens all the time. That’s not the problem – if she doesn’t want (or need) to sell or mortgage the property now, she will eventually be old enough to do something with it.
But until Suzie reaches the legal age of majority, she is under a type of “disability” because she lacks the capacity to enter in to binding contracts."

How to Make Gifts of Money or Property to Minors
"A parent does not have control over a minor child’s money. The law treats the minor as a separate person in his own right, and the control of the minor’s property is governed by laws to protect the minor. In Pennsylvania, ... For minor children who come into property by gift or inheritance, or, perhaps, as a damage settlement in a law suit, the law provides alternatives for handling the money. ...

Any property in the custodianship legally belongs to the minor. It can’t be given back to the donor or given to the minor’s parent."


So, minors can legally own financial and real property and motor vehicles in at least SOME states, including the OP's state. But there are wild differences between states, so readers will need to look up details for their own area.

 

Anyways...good luck with the Prius. Hit us up if you run into any problems you guys can't figure out.

 

This is a GREAT way to learn about the Prius, and hybrids, and cars in general.
I personally think you should do what needs to be done to get it road worthy. You can't put a price on knowledge and experience!!!
You could get the Prolong battery charger/discharger system and install that and maybe that will recover
the hybrid battery.

 

And maybe it won't too.

I think that someone who is 14 and has no previous mechanical/electrical experience should NOT be trying to learn basic auto mechanics on a hybrid car. Just too many complicating factors.

A lot of "Junior Colleges" have basic auto mechanics classes.

 

Perhaps he should wait until he's 21 to learn.
Never put off to tomorrow what you can do TODAY!

 

Learn as much as you can at any age, the earlier the better. We have people whose never change engine oil in their life and come in here disgruntled about having low oil pressure light come on.

 

I agree. We all came from know-nothings who had to figure out what we know.

Just be safe! Use jack stands and wheel chocks! Measure twice and cut once! Watch and listen to your old man - he may be slower than you but he's been around the block a few more times. It's smarter to learn from other people's past mistakes than to learn from your own.

Have fun!

Pixel XL ?

 

Yeah wheel chocks, always use them. Heavy rubber ones, fore and aft of each wheel on the end you're not raising. And really slam them in, or push in and then tap in with a small sledge hammer. Get them wedged.

Another trick: before crawling under, put something thicker than you and non-compressible under, first. Someone mentioned wheel rims under the rocker panels. I put a squat section of tree trunk (about 14" diameter by 14" long), under a main cross beam just aft of the engine bay, whenever doing oil changes. And carry your cell phone.

 

Use the factory jack and extend it to the hold 1/4 section of car where you’ll be doing most of your work, even if you have car on jack stands already.

 

Don't forget to drain the fuel tank before driving, oil change, replace all fluids, etc.

 

Hey Eric! First of all, congratulations on being the owner of an awesome car! Typically, Toyotas are excellent trouble-free cars. Most of the time they last a really long time, but normally the thing that gets them there is being used. Don't worry - it's not all doom and gloom. I live in PA close to you. If you need a hand, I would be happy to help you and if your step dad isn't really familiar with the Prius, we could all get together and I'll help with what I know. As some have suggested, the 12V battery will need replaced. No chance it was stored for 5 years in a heated garage, is there? There is a less than one percent chance a 5 year old AGM battery could be brought back to life, but I wouldn't bet. Get a new one. If you look around, you can find them for around $100 or even less. If I were you, I would remove the spark plugs first and get some Marvel Mystery Oil. Put some in the cylinders and let it set. This will lubricate the cylinders so when the engine does start (and it will), the rings aren't running into rust on the bores. Then, I would drain the oil. If you're lucky, you will see the red Marvel Mystery Oil mixed in the oil. This will tell you the MMO (marvel mystery oil) has seeped down past the rings and pistons and into the crankcase. Move back up to the spark plugs. Before you put the plugs back in, get some good carb cleaner and spray into the spark plug holes. This will help get any remaining MMO out of the cylinders and combustion chambers so it doesn't go through the exhaust and ruin your catalytic converter. If you had enough in that didn't come out, you could even bend a rod. OK, so now you put some cylinder lube in, you have an empty oil pan, and you got excess lube out. You can put fresh oil in and put a new filter on it. Sometimes, if I get a car I am working on that has really been neglected, I take a little bit of mineral spirits and pour it into the crankcase after the oil is drained and the drain plug is still out. It kind of rinses any build up out of the crankcase. Make sure you have room for it in the catch can and also visually look to see if it is getting anything out of the crankcase. The mineral spirits is a clear liquid - like water. If you're getting anything out brown or if it has solids in with it, the rinse is working. If you do this, let it drain out and take a little bit of clean oil and flush the mineral spirits out too. You have your 12V battery in, and lets assume you have your key (new battery if needed). Turn the key on - just to the ON, don't try to start it - and see how much fuel is in it, also see if the traction battery shows signs of life. They don't hold much fuel, but at least you will know how much you will have to deal with. If it's close to empty, you might be able to put fresh gas in and have it start. I do agree that the best thing is to get rid of any 5 year old gas and start with fresh, you might be surprised. If it is close to being empty, the fresh gas will dilute and work it's way through if you're lucky. Sorry about the huge post. If you need help, send me a PM. Maybe we could pick a time that your step dad and you could all meet up. Good luck and I hope this helps!

 

I wonder: how do you drain the gas? I think it's nigh impossible to snake a siphon hose down, they've made it a labyrinth to prevent theft. And I don't think the tank has a drain bolt. Remove the seat, get the pump/filter off, then siphon?

Maybe OP should verify how much gas is in there:

1. Hook up jump pack, or jumper cables. (be careful with polarity)
2. Press start button twice without foot on the brake. (this will put the car in accesory mode without engine start up.)
3. Check gas gauge. While there: any warning lights??

Just maybe the tank is practically dry? Who knows.

If gas removal is warranted, the attachments might help.

 

One doesn't have to know how to change the oil in order to know how to CHECK the oil level.
Or to know that it needs to be done.

You need to learn to crawl before you can walk.