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Refurbishing my first Prius - a 2009, 167000 miles

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by JoeB, Jun 4, 2021.

  1. JoeB

    JoeB Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2021
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    Location:
    Rockaway NJ
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    I just bought my first Prius, a one owner, 40 mile a day commuter car. It has 167000 miles on it, and operates and drives quietly. Other than the info screen not responding to touches, everything else works. It has a Greenbean main battery.

    I think my first step will be information collection.

    I first want to drive it for a week to answer:
    • Does it burns oil?
    • Does it use coolant?
    • Does it use the advertised amount of fuel?
    • Does it set any codes?
    • How does it operate, run, and drive?
    I will try to keep you posted on how it goes.
     
    #1 JoeB, Jun 4, 2021
    bisco, Aaron Vitolins and SFO like this.
  2. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2007
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    Location:
    Clearwater, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Information collection eventually needs a hybrid capable obd tool.

    techstream
    VXDIAG

    Add watch hybrid battery behavior on mfd. Greenbeans are poor battery’s basicly just whack a mole battery repair. Quite a racket.

    The 12 volt battery will soon fail and I would replace the water pump belt ASAP. When belt off spin the water pump and Idler see if they make noise. Not a bad idea to replace the inverter pump too.

    never mind the ice coolant over flow reservoir it could be full and the rad empty. Take the plastic cover off the top of the rad on the left is the rad cap.
    Leave cover screws out for easy check the cover is trapped by the hood.

    every few days before starting the car check the oil and rad cap.
    Then start the car take the inverter coolant cap off and it should look like it’s boiling in there showing strong pumping of fluid.
     
    #2 edthefox5, Jun 6, 2021
    bisco likes this.
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
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    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    congrats and welcome, sounds like a half million mile car. all the best!(y)
     
    #3 bisco, Jun 6, 2021
  4. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2008
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    Location:
    Texas Hill Country
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    So your profile says 2010 while the title says 2009. Quite a difference between the two. As far as the items you wish to check, it may take a month or more to really know their status.
     
    #4 rjparker, Jun 6, 2021
  5. JoeB

    JoeB Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2021
    15
    10
    0
    Location:
    Rockaway NJ
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Good advice, thanks! I am starting a (long) list of what I want to do to refurbish this car.

    Update: Everything is on hold because I am waiting for my appointment at DMV (New Jersey) to register the car in two weeks! No walk-up service exists due to staffing issues and fears of the 'Rona. Plus they closed my local DMV office so I have to drive a lot further. My government fails me... (What else is new?) Sigh!
     
    #5 JoeB, Jun 8, 2021
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