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$5000 repair?!?! Code P3130 Leads to Inverter Pump Failure. Service Bulletin EG023-07.

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by mwax321, Jun 7, 2013.

  1. mwax321

    mwax321 New Member

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    Long time PriusChat lurker turned poster. I'm looking at possible $5000 repair job to a car I only paid $6000 for. I was hoping someone else ran into this issue before:
    Was driving back to work from lunch yesterday and engine light goes on. I take it in to a local shop (never been to before) to pull the diagnostic code. Turns out to be P3130, and they say they want to run a full vehicle inspection on it ($100, goes towards repairs if repairs are needed).

    I just got the call in 30 minutes ago that they found the issue. The battery/inverter cooling pump has failed. They said there is a service bulletin out (EG023-07) that covers the issue.

    This, unfortunately is all the information I have. The car drives fine. I drove it home 25 miles, parked it overnight, and dropped it off this morning. All in 107 degree heat.

    Am I really going to need a new inverter because of an inverter overheating code?

    I can't post links, but the service bulletin PDF has already been posted to priuschat before. I can't link to it yet :(

    Thank you all in advance for your help and all the information you guys have provided over the years!

    Edit: Called again to ask if they could just replace the pump, and they give me another warning p3125

    Update: Brought car to Earnhardt Toyota Dealership. New pump installed for $450 (probably still pricey, but was completed same day). Driven 170 miles in 110 degree Phoenix weather without issue. Thank you everyone for your confirmation of my suspicion.
     
    #1 mwax321, Jun 7, 2013
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Since you can still drive the car, the inverter hopefully is fine. However you were pushing your luck by driving so far in hot weather.

    Just replace the inverter coolant pump.
     
    #2 Patrick Wong, Jun 7, 2013
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  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    You probably mean P3125. Don't worry about it.

    Just replace the inverter coolant pump, and then see what happens. If the car becomes READY and can be driven, then why would you replace the inverter???
     
    #3 Patrick Wong, Jun 7, 2013
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  4. mwax321

    mwax321 New Member

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    That was EXACTLY my problem with it all! The car shouldn't even function without the inverter. A pre-emptive $5000 on a 10+ year old car is a terrible investment. I called them and told them how much to replace the pump. They quoted me $822 parts/labor. I told them I was coming to pick it up. I called Toyota Dealer and they quoted $404 and would return it to me by end of day. I'm shocked that a dealership offered such a reasonable price. Considering the pump is going for $150 online.

    I will report back if this fixes the problem, in case others want to know.
     
    #4 mwax321, Jun 7, 2013
  5. vaughnstark777

    vaughnstark777 Member

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    Google 2001 prius inverter pump or search it on youtube and you will see how simple it is to replace then when it's finished take it to the place that gave you original quote and tell them to give it an oil change and when you drop it off leave the receipt for the pump on the drivers seat:)
     
    #5 vaughnstark777, Jun 7, 2013
  6. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I can kind of see how the local shop came up with their quote. They pulled up EG023-07 and saw that it has instructions for replacing the pump, and instructions for replacing the inverter. Now, if you read it closely, you see it gives those instructions as alternatives, and the ones for replacing the inverter are only there in case testing shows the pump's not the problem. Scratch that, you don't even have to read closely, the bulletin is pretty clear on all that. But honestly, I've known plenty of people, you put some print in front of them, they'll see like every seventh word and insist they "got the gist" of it. Says here something about the pump and the inverter. Go order the parts, Harry....

    Mm hmm, the bulletin also says there can be a P3125 as a result of the P3130, and not to diagnose the P3125. But that's only in boldface in a red box on page 1, so they probably ignored it thinking it was just a warning or something.

    -Chap
     
    #6 ChapmanF, Jun 7, 2013
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  7. NinnJinn

    NinnJinn Member

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    Where are you coming up with a $5,000 price quote?

    Re-manufactured Inverters are $1400 from re-involt
    Brand new battery pack installed from the dealership is less than $4,000
    Re-manufactured battery pack from re-involt is in the $1,800 price range.
    A new CVT installed from the dealer is less than $5,000

    I'm sorry but if someone is quoting your $5,000 to fix your problem they are wanting to bend you over from behind if you know what I mean.
     
    #7 NinnJinn, Jun 8, 2013
  8. Rick atl

    Rick atl Junior Member

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    Please do yourself a favor and stay away from the $5k guys. Who would replace an electrical component because it might go bad?? That earmarks about 50% of a Prius for replacement :).
     
    #8 Rick atl, Jun 8, 2013
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  9. 3prongpaul

    3prongpaul Hybrid Shop Owner, worked on 100's of Prius's

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    Change pump first. Make sure whoever does it properly bleeds it, then bleed it again in a couple days just to be sure.
     
    #9 3prongpaul, Jun 10, 2013
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  10. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    I carried around about a pint or so for a week and would top-off the reservoir after it 'burped' itself. <grins>

    Bob Wilson
     
    #10 bwilson4web, Jun 10, 2013
  11. mwax321

    mwax321 New Member

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    Thank you everyone for your advice! Not only did the new pump fix the problem, but I've been averaging 2 mpg higher than I was before the repair.

    Here is an update:
    First, I looked up parts online: Price of pump online is $150, while the inverter a whopping $3600 (found for $500 used on eBay, though).
    I then asked the dealer how much it would be to replace just the pump. After being put on hold for what only seemed like 2 minutes to "talk to his mechanic," he came back and told me it would be $800. $800?!?!?! "That's for the pump, fluid, and 4 hours of work." Again.... WHAT?!?!?! I asked how much they charge hourly... $106/hr... holy crap!!! I GOTTA GET out of HERE!!!
    I told them to put it back together. I was taking it to another shop. I got 3 quotes from Toyota dealerships, two for $500, and one for $400, which also happened to be the closest. I ended up paying a total of $550 after paying the first place for a diagnostic, and paying the Toyota dealership to actually fix the problem. Earnhardt Toyota had the part in stock. They installed the new pump, tested and gave me a complimentary car wash, all in 3.5 hours.

    I have driven 170 miles already without any more warning lights in the 110 degree heat of Phoenix.

    Long story short: If a repair shop is waiving the Toyota Service Bulletin EG023-07 in your face, tell them you want the pump fixed first. ESPECIALLY if your car is still drive-able!

    Toyota Dealership Repair cost was $450. It shouldn't cost any more than that to fix this pump.
     
    #11 mwax321, Jun 11, 2013
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  12. mwax321

    mwax321 New Member

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    They wanted to turn me upside down and shake all the money out of me,

    I also mentioned to the guy in a friendly conversation that I had a 100,000 mile warranty on the car, and they jumped on the chance for some easy money. I guess they missed the part where I said it was just engine/tranny.

    To be fair, a brand new inverter costs around $3600. This place didn't seem like the kind of place that would put refurbished/used parts in a car (not that I would care as long as they told me and priced accordingly).

    I tried to give the locally owned, nearby repair shop a chance. They will never work on my car again.
     
    #12 mwax321, Jun 11, 2013
  13. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    I prophylactically replaced the inverter pump on my '04 Prius at ~ 120k miles when it was time to replace the coolant fluid. Total cost was about $90, some muttering, and slightly bruised knuckles.

    Now I know better; next time I'm pulling a headlight for easy access.

    These cars are so well documented by now, I think it just makes sense to include the few wear components into a preventive maintenance schedule. I include pumps, belts, the 12v battery, oils and fluids, and have high confidence of driving the car for decades and never getting surprised, stranded or hit with stealership repair bills.

    THAT is the power of Prius, supplemented by a little common sense and a lot of PriusChat expertise.
     
    #13 SageBrush, Jun 11, 2013
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  14. usnavystgc

    usnavystgc Die Hard DIYer and Ebike enthusiast.

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    Knowledge = Power!!!!! :)
     
    #14 usnavystgc, Jun 17, 2013
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