This morning the Shift Knob made a click every time I selected a gear, for about an hour, then it went away. It was colder than almost ever here (Berkeley, CA) last nite, 30F. But there was no click back in '05 at 10F (in Prudhoe Bay, AK). Mechanics (even the dealership!) say not to worry--probably a plastic part--just advised me to shift gently. I do like that this recourse is Free!
It's still working? My guess is you have no problem here. The Prius shifter isn't really shifting into gears, as much as it is inputting driving modes. That doesn't mean the "shifter" can't become damaged and cause problems, but if it is working in every respect except for this seemingly temperature related "click"? You are probably fine. From many years of watching Thomas The Tank Engine, I would say you don't have a problem until you experience a "Clickety Clack".
Yes, everything is working. I was very relieved when I realized it was just the gear selector knob. I'm even more relieved to hear your reassurance!
It is not even a gear selector, as there are none to select. It is just a switch to tell the transmission control computer how to respond to the gas and brake pedals. There are reports of the plastic flaps inside the switch getting warped over time and causing the knob to stick. They can be trimmed a bit if need be, after some disassembly.
