Is there any way to measure and track the generator performance in a Gen 2 prius? I have heard that if it goes bad, a new generator installation can cost almost $6,000. If it is possible to measure its performance and track it, it would be helpful in deciding when to either look for another car or save the money for the repair.
There's 2 motor generators along with the ICE. They are pretty much good for the life of the car. Unless maintenance has never been performed on the car itself, it isn't something you should ever have to worry about.
I'm not sure in the case of prius but from my lengthy experience with 3phase motors in other applications they don't generally become inefficient before failure, they either 100% work or 100% fail! there is no "in the middle" with permanent magnet motors. it either works or it don't!
I am not talking about the battery. I know about the battery. The part I am talking about is the equivalent of an alternator on the Prius. My understanding is that the generator is built into the transfer case. I saw a YouTube video by Scotty Kilmer "Hybrid Car Electrical Problems" That is the source of my concern. At one point in the video he calls it a generator but says it isn't separately serviceable. When he shows the repair part description it is "continuously variable transmission" and costs $3500 for the part/system.
I generally like Scotty, but he does have an alarmist tone to his videos, and he got this one wrong. The "generator" he's talking about is actually the DC/DC converter that supplies the 12V system and keeps the 12V battery charged. It's built into the inverter assembly that's on top of the CVT. It's still way more expensive than replacing an alternator, but shouldn't be as much as replacing the whole CVT. Might be a good part to source from a junkyard. There's a tradeoff in the design of the Prius. They could have made the design more modular so that it would be easier and cheaper to replace just the part that breaks, but that would drive up the total cost of the car because now you have more parts and more labor to put them together (not to mention more part numbers to track, keep spares in inventory, train techs how to replace, etc.). Also, in the case of electronics, more modules means more wires and mechanical connections between the modules, which actually can degrade reliability. It's hard to be more rugged and reliable than a solid piece of metal connecting two circuits.
DC/CD converters are probably damaged by driving with faulty inverter coolant pump. So if you check your coolant pump and don’t drive when fault lights are on you shouldn’t have this problem. And even if you do changing an inverter isn’t super complicated proses and used inverter (which has dc/dc converter in it) isn’t expensive.
that sounds familiar ... I remember watching that video! It was amazing how well he aped the sound of knowing what he was talking about when he so conspicuously didn't. I've never seen much of his other stuff so I don't know whether that's typical or not. I hope it's not. -Chap
if you're talking about the inverter, they are rarely a problem, except fot the recall on early gen 3's.
Thanks everybody. You took a lot of fear off of my mind. I appreciate the time and effort you took to help me with this.
If your worried about the Inverter take care of it. Alot of us change it's coolant every 30000 miles. It extends the Inverter & Inverter pump life and the circulation of the coolant is vastly improved with new coolant. Its very easy many discussions about it. I change the transaxle fluid and that coolant at the same time since the car is up stands anyway. And I also clean the e-coil under the dash as that's under there too. The Inverter is the heart and soul of the Prius.
