Transaxle Failure

Hi Ed,

Is the tech checking something other than the condition of the boot ?

 

I'm seeing similar odd problems, which I have subjectively attributed to increased friction somewhere in the drivetrain. 2005, VIN JTDKB20U653045984; wonder if ours were manufactured on the same bad day...

 

Yes there basically shaking the the joint looking for excessive looseness and noise. A good joint will not move with weight on it nor make any noise. Any movement and the joint is sloppy.

 

I've spoken to many mechanics, all saying something different about whether a damage to the axle would cause damage to the transmission.

Some mechanics look at my photos and say outright that I do not need to replace the transmission and just need a new seal. A transmission specialist said it's rare that I would need to replace both, something is fishy. I should just put in the axle and see if it fits in the transmission. Drive it around a bit, if it works, it works. He said there is no way to actually see transmission damage from the outside.

Other mechanic said that in the photo he can tell the outer case output shaft bushing, spline, and differential are damaged. Instead of purchasing a new output shaft, a new transmission is faster and less costly since the only way to replace the output shaft is to take out the transmission. Then he said there could be possible inner damage as well and may need to be rebuilt. Replacing with a new transmission is the best way to go.

Still not 100% what caused this.

Meanwhile it's almost time for my 90,000 mile service. What does that entail? I've always used the dealership for them, but I hear it's cheaper to find an independent mechanic. any tips?

I also was suggested an alignment for my car. does this effect the axle/transmission torque?

 

What prevents you from following this advice? It usually makes sense to try a lower cost approach first.

If you actually need a replacement transaxle, buy a used one from a salvage yard. A new one will cost ~$4K not including labor charges.

 

that my car will break down again =/

 

I personally would follow the advice of replacing the seal, installing a new half shaft, and see what happens. If there is going to be a problem it will be immediately obvious as you will hear and feel additional noise and vibration not previously present.

Then you can decide if you want to spend $2K to buy a used transaxle and have it installed, or spend $5K+ to have a new transaxle installed.

 

When you went to start your car for the first time after the swap did you have any trouble getting it to start? I just swapped my trans and the car is immobilized (flash red car with key in the middle) so it is not letting me attempt to start it, so I am trying to figure out if this is a common problem or not.

 

After the swap, make sure the hv battery plug (orange plug) is locked into place. Pivot up and push down to lock.

You may have to push the start button twice to start.

 

If you have SKS the Flashing red key means either the fob is not in the car or the SKS button under the steering wheel is shut off.
The button on the left says KEY.
Try putting the fob in the fob slot and try to start it. If you can the key button is depressed. Its in normal SKS mode when button is released or out.

 

dailyphotofix

I may have missed something: when you mated the replacement transaxle to the engine did you have to tweak the position of the torqe converter so that the splines would line up? Or did you luck out and they simply mated?

thanks again for all your posting on this issue, looks like I may be doing this shortly...

 

No torque converter. Not an auto Trans. Has a spring loaded damper.

I think most people have lucked out and it just mated. Other posters have replaced there Trans.

 

it would sure be nice if there was better error messages to help guide...

 

DTC's are quite good on a g2 especially if the subset number is harvested. What DTC do you have you u are struggling with or what's the problem?

 

Your post brought back memories. Last year I got the red triangle of death in my '07 and went to a Prius certified mechanic. The codes that popped up were nearly identical to yours. Since the car had 250k miles on it, I sort of resolved myself to saying goodbye and the car sat for a month or so. I then got a great deal on a traction battery for my '06 and just for the hell of it, dropped it into my '07. Lo and behold, the beast came roaring back to life with no bad codes and a second wind. Since then I've put around 5K on it with no problems. I traced the problem back another three months prior to the red triangle and pinpointed where I replaced two bad cells but did not load balance the battery; hence the code for a short in the battery came up later. Like your mechanic, mine told me I needed a new transaxle. I now have less faith in diagnostic codes and more in my own abilities to solve prius problems. Good Luck!

 

Considering that the same fault code for a ground isolation fault can point to the HV battery, the transaxle, or the inverter, it doesn't really say much about the diagnostic ability of the Prius certified mechanic to whom you are referring. Correctly following the factory diagnostic tree, will lead to one of these areas.

 

How does this compare to the S100?

Do any of these products help to restore the suppleness of the rubber?

 

Never used S100 but have seen it mentioned before on this site.
I can say the rubber moldings on my 10 year old car look great using Protectant on them there whole life.

 

Never knew one could preserve or extend the life of the CV Transaxle boots with a rubber conditioner. Does the product need to be silicon based?

Will most products (Black Magic Protectant, S-100, etc.) do this or are some better than others for this purpose (ie. Don't use Armor All as it may damage the rubber boot by causing micro cracks or checking).

 

Yeah it's a rubber boot. I like black magic products mainly because there easy to buy but I see the s100 mentioned a lot so it's probably really good too.

But you can't go wrong putting some rubber conditioner on the cv boots and there's also a set on the steering rack too. Just soak a rag with conditioner and rub it in. First soaked rag will be cleaning next soaked rag will apply it. Cracked boot even small crack will kill the joint by letting water and dirt in.