Red Triangle- random 'Problem' message

Ouch! Welcome. Sorry you're in such a triple whammy.

On the $6,000 from insurance, that depends on the trim package. Our 2005 with trim package 6A and 174,000 miles was worth
$6,116.12 to the insurance company in December, 2015. Make sure they quote you for the package you have and for the condition it was in before the hail storm. Also, include receipts for any recent repairs that were expensive. We got partial compensation for a brand new 12V battery and some very expensive air conditioner repairs. I'll attach a file that shows the trim packages for various years of the Gen 2.

By all means, check the voltage under load on the 12V battery. That can make weird things happen if it gets low. If that doesn't fix it, you'll need someone with a code reader capable of reading the codes a Prius can generate. Your local Autozone can't read a lot of the hybrid codes.

I don't see how the oil would cause what you're seeing. Check the level and if it's OK, don't change it till you know if you're keeping it.

Hope this helps. I'm sure others who know way more than I do will be along soon.

 

i second jerry. learn to test the 12v, it can't be trusted to others. i would keep the car if that is the problem, but keep in mind, at 150k, in the texas heat, the hybrid battery could be next. then you really have a dilemma. maybe the 6k and look for a corolla or something?

 

that makes a big difference. i would probably keep her then.
buy a digital volt meter on amazon, or sears/auto parts store/electronics etc. $15 or 20 bucks.
under the hood, you will find a charge post in the fuse box (location in the manual). you can check the voltage there, red to post, black to a clean bolt/nut in the area, or at the battery, whichever is easier.
you'd like to see 12.4 volts or better, with everything having been off for at least a few hours.
if it's original, it probably needs replacing anyway.

 

What kind of damage did the hail storm cause for the insurance company to total it? I know another member had his Prius totaled due to a wind storm knocking a tree onto his roof. That caused the Prius frame to be bent. He ended up keeping the car and sold it to another member on here.

 

OK.....
First thing's first.

How well have you "really" been taking care of the car?

This piqued my attention:

Yes....low oil causes issues.
So....
She might be drinking behind your back.
No.....not the kid, the car.
This can cause an intermittent low oil level light.....like when you take a turn and the now diminished oil supply shifts to one side of the sump.

For all cars (and kids) the drinking is always caused by the same thing.
Parental neglect.
That's as bad as the bad news gets.
Without sermonizing about it, if you're not checking the oil level every month or every 1,000 miles then you're being a neglectful owner.

The rest is all pretty much good news.
1. Keep the car. If I'm wrong (happens every day!) and you're one of the 0.01-percent of people that regularly check their oil then whatever is wrong with your car actually CAN be worse news than oil consumption......like an intermittent trouble that's buried somewhere in the electrical, brakes, etc.
If it is oil related, simply buy a 1q jug of whatever flavor that they use for G2s and top it off.
If your car is burning a quart or two every 5,000 miles then it's a gonner.........in about 100,000 more miles.

2. Replace the 12v battery.
If you've owned this car since new, and you don't know whether or not you've replaced it, you probably haven't and this battery is already 8 years old.
You also need to get your vehicle maintenance records and compare this with the schedule of maintenance (both are on-line) and see what's been done and what's not been done.
If you're at 150,000 miles plus you should be on your second set of plugs, and some other things like PCV valve, etc.
You're also going to have to start thinking about a traction battery (the big one) which can go out at any time.

3. If you want to blow the $4,000 insurance check REALLY fast, then let a Toyota dealership maintain and repair this car.
On the other hand.......
You have a chance to give yourself AND your baby girl an amazing gift.
Buy some tools and watch some you-tube videos about how to do some of the maintenance items for your car, and do this with her.
Not only can you save some money and have some quality time with her, but you can give her the gift of never having to worry about whether she's getting ripped at the dealership for unneeded maintenance (I can actually answer that question from 2,000 miles away! )
With about $100 worth of tools, and some time you can unshackle yourself from transportation worries, and with a little luck the G2 that you're already driving can last another 100,000 car payment free miles!!!


First thing's first:
1: Oil.
Check the oil level. If you've been doing it monthly, then you already know how....
If not get back with us.
It's not hard.
Park on level ground. Wait 5 minutes, and make sure the oil is between the 2 holes (on my car) or whatever is normal for yours.
It's in the manual.
If you don't have a manual?
It's on-line.

2. Watch a Youtube video on replacing the 12v battery or? See if someplace like Sam's, COSTCO, or Wally will install a battery for cheap.
I DO know that auto parts places will test the battery.
It's usually what's called an OCV (or open circuit voltage) test which will give an indication.....but not fully test the battery.
It's like blood pressure testing.
A good reading doesn't mean that you're healthy, but it's a decent go/no-go test.
Places like WalMart will do the same thing.
Dealerships will just tell you it's bad, and charge you about $250 to replace it......MAYBE with a new battery.

.....maybe not.

Good Luck!!

 

I would keep the car. There's a chance that the 12v auxiliary battery is bad. Many Prius owners prefer the Optima Yellow Top 12v battery.

The price is not bad on Amazon. You can try to install it yourself or have a shop do it. I had PepBoys install my new 12v battery for about $40.

 

spark plugs at 75k? don't go back to that dealer.

 

+1

 

Get hold of Matt at Texas Hybrid Batteries. Texas Prius Battery Replacement He's local to you. Your Prius is the cheapest car you could possibly own.

Brad

 

Well, perhaps the end of the Prius.

Fuel injector did not fix it.

They looked into the cylinder 2 and found coolant. Could be a deal or worse. They will not touch it and recommend replacing the engine.

So, I now spent $2750 on a new catalytic converter. $850 on a new radiator. $150 on new plugs. $50 on a new ignition coil.

I will try $12 sealant as a quick fix and see if i can recoup any money.

Time for a new car.

Thanks everyone.

 

I seems a little like you might have accidentally put this in a different thread than where you intended since it kind of starts in the middle.

Anyway ...

It's always a little sad to me when a Gen 2 bites the dust. Either a head gasket or an engine swap is a big undertaking and would not be worth it to me either.

On the other hand, a new (or new-to-you) car is always exciting if you're able to afford it. I wonder what you could get out of the old one by parting it out assuming you have the space, time, and tools for that.

 

take the six large