Stole a high mileage prius from a pensioner

I suggest you drive 1000 miles and see how much oil it's actually burning, based on your own measurements.

Then decide if any work is warranted. The pensioner might have the same thinking as you, stole $1500 from a non pensioner

 

An engine flush can reduce oil consumption.

 

It will not take long to find out how bad the oil consumption is. If it's a quart every 1000 miles $1500 is about all that the car is worth because you will be needing to rebuild or replace the engine in the not too distant future. HV battery pack repair or replacement is also inevitable if you plan on driving it for many years.

 

BUT.....with a high mileage engine, it can make it worse too, which is more likely.
I NEVER put solvents into my oil.

I suggest using a slightly higher weight oil and if that doesn't help, try the higher weight in a "high mileage" variety.

When you change the plugs, the old ones should tell you a story.
I wouldn't do anything that is not absolutely necessary.......because something is sure to pop up soon that will have to be done.
Why bother with a compression test; what will you do if the numbers look bad ?? Which they probably will.

 

If you want to do an engine compression test, use Mini VCI which has a software menu to facilitate that. There is no point in doing a compression test when the engine is spinning at 1,300 RPM which is the normal start speed. That speed will make a worn engine appear to be pretty good.

 

To be sure, you need to try it on ICE.
The traction in snow might be better than you think it is.

 

Yes.

Other than normal maintenance, I'd put about 1,000 miles on it just to see what's normal and what's not.
Consider a transaxle fluid change, and monitor the oil.

$1500
No brainer.
If everything works and you get some miles out of it, I'm thinking that it's a good buy, even if you use it to keep miles off of something else.

Good Luck!

 

Does yours have Stability control? It was optional for 2006. Mine has it, and if anything, the brakes are very quick to pulse on snow or ice. Perhaps yours doesn't have it and it could be the difference.
If when you turn the car to the "run" position by pressing the power button twice without hitting the brake pedal, you Would see a light with a car and 2 squiggly lines under it if you have stability control.

 

You will burn out the cat eventually if you don't fix that issue with the oil. There are a few ways that oil can get into the combustion chamber: worn piston rings or cylinder walls, worn valve seals, or a bad PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) valve.

Check the PCV first and get a new one. It's the cheapest fix

 

You cleaned the MAF using MAF cleaner correct? If you cleaned it using intake or another cleaner, you'll need to clean it with MAF specific cleaner. And yes, the Prius adjusts fuel trims, etc. Also note that when going from stage 3 to stage 4, the engine always gives a hard stop of the engine, indicating this transition. Google Prius Warm Up stages for more info.

The ECU is good at detecting engine problems, so if you aren't getting an engine code or other major problem, it's likely that there is just a small leak in a seal, engine rings, etc that is causing the engine to use oil. I personally would just change all of the fluids in the car, do everything in the PM schedule to get the maintenance up to date, and run a thicker oil (eg. 10W-40 or 5W-40). If the car still uses excess oil than you can switch to high mileage oil for the remainder of the life of the car.

 

1. Is it possible that you damaged the O-ring for the mass air flow sensor, or there is some air leak downstream from the throttle body? Did you use the correct MAF sensor spray only?
2. If you are sure there are no problems, then disconnect the 12V battery for a few minutes, then reconnect. That will encourage the engine ECU to reset to default settings, then it will adjust as needed.

 

1 qt per 1000 miles to 1qt per 4000 miles.....wow, good job

 

Actually, if you want to KNOW the health of an engine accurately, you need to have a "leak down" test performed. Anything else is subject to far too many variables.