I have a 2008 Prius that I bought used about a year ago. It's got about 80K miles on it and I've had no problems with it so far. About two weeks ago the check engine light came on and I wasn't sure why. The car seemed to be running smoothly. I read that often a loose gas cap can cause this, so I made sure it was on tight, and drove for a while to see if it would reset. However it still hasn't gone away. I called a few dealers in the area to see about diagnosing the issue. They all charged 110-130 dollars just for the diagnosis before they even could give an estimate on the cost. Am I being ripped off or is this just part of being a Prius owner? I would hate to have to spend 130 dollars just to find out it was the gas cap and the light needed to be manually reset. What's the best way to handle this situation? I live in Chicago, can anyone recommend a dealer who wont rip me off for the estimate? Or is there something else I should do instead? I saw that there are diagnostic tools you can buy, but I'm not sure if it would give a clear enough answer about the issue that I could get it repaired elsewhere if needed. The car seems to be running perfectly so I don't know what could be wrong.
If it is only the Check Engine Light and no other warnings, you should be able to go to any Advance Auto, AutoZone, etc. and have them read it with their OBDII scanners. The CEL should be just a basic engine diagnostic and not a hybrid specific. It will take someone with Toyota specific software to read any other diagnostics other than the CEL.
my wife had the loose gas cap and the cel. i tightened the cap, but had to have the local mechanic shut the light off with his scanner. no charge.
One of the dealers I have used in the past wanted 2 hr labor to look at any CEL or hybrid warning light on a Toyota hybrid, period. 2 hr of labor at $120/hr. Yes, I'm all for techs getting paid to do their work, but 2 hr seems a bit generous.
Buy a Obd2 scanner from any of the stores mentioned above,hook it up and see the reason for yourself, they are starting about $100 and up. You will need it for any car, it's a good investment. About tightening the gas cap; if its not resolving the problem, there is a rubber ring on the cap, take it off flip it the other way and put it back. Still not working then buy that rubber ring from any auto parts store, shoul be less then $5 item. Take care and enjoy the ride.
My 2008 is just under 80,000 and just last week the CEL light appeared. I took it to the dealer, where I was informed that the aux battery needed to be replaced. I had an issue with it last winter, so I was expecting that cost this year anyway. But, 40 miles after leaving the dealer, the light is on again. I am hesitant to take it straight back to the dealer, as I cannot afford them to replace anything and everything. They mentioned a water valve or coolant possibly causing the code. I have no idea what that entails. Poisonjam, did you ever have it diagnosed?
Ask the dealer for the code or get it read free at an auto parts store. Always ask for the Diagnostic Trouble Codes & look them up yourself or ask for advice here before dropping money for unneeded repairs in the hope that the problem will be fixed. After 3 starts a CEL will turn off but the code is stored.
Buy a Mini VCI with Techstream off Ebay. Connected to your laptop will give you the same capability as the dealer. This will cost about $25. It will not only show every fault code on any system in the Prius or any Toyota, but will also tell you the area to check. It can clear codes and assist with service tasks that are difficult or impossible without the device. John (Britrius)
