Bad Flywheel

[I am not agreeing with the diagnosis, only showing what that diagnosis refers to]

Prof. John Kelly shows the Gen 2 and Gen 3 flywheel and damper assembly from 2:15 to 5:00

So it is a single unit between the engine and transaxle, about $650 in parts. (and a lot of labor)


Toyota Prius Damper assembly, transmission input. Fcv, driveline - 3127047060 | Marietta Toyota, Marietta GA

 

how many miles on her?

 

might be worth looking for a low mile engine. have you cleaned the egr circuit?

 

if we did, you started another thread, which is horribly confusing to most here, and will make it difficult to give you coherent advice

 

Keep in mind, you remember (cleaning the EGR is not something you quickly forget, lol), but with so many EGR conversations going on, it's easy to lose track of other's EGR travails. I believe I (just) recall you were doing yours, had a pesky check engine light after?

I can recall while walking the dog one morning, talking to a dad and his son with their dog. Then later, in the afternoon, encountered them again, and I had zero recollection of the morning meet. The guy was very tactful, gave me hints, so I could connect the dots.

 

Sounds like CRS : Can’t Remember Stuff.

I have one of my staff members who claims that.

We’ve outed him from time to time on that.

 

I highly doubt it’s the flywheel,more like head gasket

 

Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.

Anyway, to answer @Dan05979, there are dampers in the flywheel, as you'll see in the video. No clutch as we think of a clutch. I guess it's possible they could fail, but it seems kind of unlikely. You only mentioned charging or idling. What about other variations in load?

After hearing your video, that sounds REALLY bad. More like a broken connection rod, especially the way it's shaking. No way would broken damper springs make that much noise and shaking even if they all broke.

 

Coolant level is steady?

 

The construction of the flywheel torque damper is very much like the design of a manual transmission clutch, only with no release bearing or way of releasing it at all. Like most clutch discs, this one has some coil springs near the center, arranged so it can 'bounce' a little around its normal angular position on the shaft.

I've seen at least one report via PriusChat of popping off the little handhole cover at the bottom of the bell housing, reaching in, and picking up some fragments of coil spring.

If there's been spring breakage, then there's more mechanical lash between the engine and transmission, and the noises can be pretty hair-raising.

 

If you've taken off the full engine under cover, say doing an oil change, you can see that cover, black plastic, rear side of transaxle housing. I've never popped it off, but it's kinda loose, with a pry tool of some sort it should be easy.

 

Any updates on this???

Looks like a more severe version of what I'm currently experiencing...

 

I am currently experiencing unknown source of vibrations and also I get damper springs rattling while car is on the move with drained battery and half load for acceleration, only in this scenario I get knocks from the damper springs, sounds very similar but comes for around a second or two and goes away. Same knocks (springs rattle) can be heard when coming into stop faster than usual and ice is running same rattling occur for a very short time a second lets said just before the ice turns itself off. Strangely I have those experiences with very low miles Priuses even though with brand new ones but in very rare occasions. My current car is 2010 at 140k miles and does all of that rattling from time to time, not as bad as the op video and not on start up, only as I described above. I would not mine some knocks from time to time but my problem is that my car gets vibrations felt through entire body at speeds similar to unbalanced wheels. I am trying to find out if one of those problems is connected to the other or is as a result of bad damper flywheel. Many people point towards the egr cooler or intake manifold or perhaps head gasket that eventually cause misfire but if this is the case they will be fault codes detected, with mine case there are non.

 

Dear Experts,
I just bought a Prius Gen 3 and since I bought it I have been facing the same issue but my car shakes, vibrates and creates exactly similar sound while driving. Idling is smooth but the problem occurs after the car switches from HV battery to engine. (Not exactly at the moment it switches but after a while from switching from HV to engine).
1. I have changed the Spark Plugs but couldn't find the OEM plugs so installed locally available.
2. EGR pipe and sensor both and Intake manifold etc. everything has been cleaned recently.

The mechanics here are compelling me to think that it's gear is faulty however I know it's OK since the car doesn't make all the noise and shakes when it has rested much (for like 4-5 hours). After a long rest, it runs smoothly till 2 or 2.5 kilometers and then shakes/vibrates.
Has anyone else faced such issue before? Please help as it is quite painful to see a new car shaking like this..

PS. I am new here so excuse me if i mistakenly break some chat rules.

Thank you all.

 

You need to clean the egr cooler. And probably the egr valve.
You've only done part of the job.

How is the engine coolant level? If you are loosing coolant, you most likely have a leaking
head gasket...

 

EGR and intake cleaning info. Both need doing; the intake has EGR passages, one large entrance gallery, and four small exit passages, one at each port. Very important to clean it all.

The two attachements give some Repair Manual info, torque values etcetera:

The simplest way to see where you're at, is to check the degree of carbon build up in the EGR pipe, a stainless steel connecting pipe between the EGR valve and intake manifold. Watch @NutzAboutBolts video #16 here:

Nutz About Bolts Prius Maintenance Videos | PriusChat

Two or three other videos linked there too, for the full cleaning of the intake manifold, full EGR clean, and Oil Catch Can install.

Good thread:

EGR & Intake Manifold Clean Results | PriusChat

Another:

Oil Catch Can, Eliminate that knock! | PriusChat

Some tools worth having:

E8 Torx socket (mandatory)
E6 Torx socket (optional, but good to have, to remove the throttle body studs from intake manifold)
3/8" ratchet wrench, regular and long handle, flex head, you can never have enough (or 1/2 plus reducer)
1/4" ratchet wrench, or 3/8" to 1/4" reducer
Ratchet extensions: you can never have enough
Long needle nose piers, straight and bent tip
Ratcheting 12mm box wrench (optional, but makes disconnection of the EGR cooler from exhaust easier)
Torque wrench (3/8" and 1/4" both good to have)
Floor jack and safety stands (or ramps): basically some method to raise front, if you need to take underpanel off, which you may need to, both for access and to recover dropped items.

Comment regarding clamping of coolant hose, mentioned and or shown in videos:

1. When removing the intake manifold for cleaning, you do need to lift the throttle body off the intake manifold. Still, the coolant hoses connected to the throttle body have ample slack, enough that you can leave them connected, and just tie the throttle body to something adjacent, say the inverter wiring harness.

2. When removing the EGR cooler, removing coolant hoses is necessary, but if you drain 2 liters/quarts from the radiator drain spigot prior (into a clean container), the coolant level in the system will be dropped below the EGR components, and you won't spill anything. Just be sure to not tip the cooler when lifting it off (and catch the rear gasket): there are a few tablespoons of coolant trapped at the lower back corner.

Pour that into your previous drained coolant, and when done pour it back into the reservoir. If you've got the coolant bleed bolt (2010, 2011 model years), leave it open while pouring the coolant back in, till coolant starts coming out. For later model years, leave the topmost coolant hose on EGR disconnected till coolant starts coming out. Also, might help to burp the main radiator hose as you pour the coolant back in.

 

Maybe it should be put in the Wiki, so you can just refer that.