Newbie here. Want to buy a used 2nd gen, and am totally unfamiliar with these cars. I test drove a few, and the CVT chattered at certain instances. Is that normal? Is that a sign of hard use? What is the lifespan of the transmissions?
At what stage does it chatter? It makes a little noise and vibration when the engine kicks on and off but that's it should be extremely smooth and well mannered once on the road. But really the main thing to be aware of is if it has the original hybrid battery in the car or has the hybrid battery been "rebuilt". Lots of sellers say NEW BATTERY. That usually means its been rebuilt by some Craigslist idiot and will not last long. Rebuilt means they found a same age old battery that hasn't failed yet and stick it in there. If they say brand new dealer battery lets see the receipt. Nobody buys a new dealer $3500 battery then sells the car. I personally think the main reason people sell there G2 Prius is the hybrid battery is in the early stages of failure there mileage has tanked so they get rid of it. And stick unsuspecting owners like yourself who know nothing about the car. if you see a car you like get its vin go to toyota.com/owners forum join the forum input that vin and it will show all the times its has seen a authorized toyota dealer for service. many times it will show the hybrid battery was condemned and the owner traded it in on the spot and off to auction it goes and then ends up on a used car lot on its last hybrid battery legs. Waiting for you.
We would definitely need a bit more info about the chattering. If it sounded like a rattlesnake rattle every so often, that's not the transaxle; it's the brake pump.
I don't think I've ever heard of the eCVT making any kind of sound like that. It's one of the most durable "transmissions" ever made, if not THE best. Failures are incredibly rare, but there have been a few. Not knowing precisely the sound or when it happens, I also suspect the brake pump. It makes sort of a buzz when it periodically pressurizes the system. You would only hear it when you get in the car and when you're driving at very low speed. I suggest driving another gen 2 and comparing the sounds it makes to see if what you're hearing is typical. Or find an experienced Prius owner to go with you.
Thanks everyone. Am new to online forums as well. The chatter happened only at low speeds, once at a right turn, I was At a full stop and then accelerated into traffic. Other time I was at a full stop and accelerated straight to see if I could recreate it. Read in other places to flush the tranny fluid and transaxle fluid
And the chatter could also be an ICE engagement/misfire. Especially if you have a lot of miles, might be the car saying that it needs a tune up. Even if you don’t get a Check Engine light on/flashing.
How many miles does the car have? There is a lot of good advice here, maybe just walk away from this one.
Just drain and fill, never flush on a Prius. DIY is near $40, at a dealer near $100. There is only one fluid, the transmission part and the differential part both use it. 4 quarts of ATF WS and two gaskets/washers.
Thanks again everyone. Edthefox5 thanks for the Toyota owners forum, I found out the Prius I was looking at had a bad cell in the battery and the owner never fixed it.
