Hi all, long post alert but I am looking at taking big hit and scrapping my car, so any advice is so welcome. I have driven a prius for years with zero problems, and I have had a 2010 UK import T4 spirit for 2 years. It has developed a sort of shudder, intermittently, when I start it up, and sometimes when I am taking off at low speeds, such as at traffic lights. It also has a coolant leak and a battery cell gone Anyway, I had it at a garage twice about the shudder, as even hough it drives fine I want to be sure it's safe. The mechanic, who deals with a taxi fleet so is very familiar with prius, says he has checked the engine mounts, everything obvious, and the next step is stripping down the engine. Of course that costs money. He thinks that it is an MG2 problem and will cost thousands, which of course, thanks to covid, I definitely don't have and can't get at the moment. As I see it my only option is to scrap the car as the mechanic thinks it's not safe to drive and could stop dead in the road. If anyone has come across an issue like this before or has any insight it would be greatly appreciated. I still owe thousands on the car and was expecting it to drive for years to come
Hi Do you know where the coolant leak is and that a traction pack module is actually bad? Can you do any of the repairs yourself or will you be taking the car to a shop to have the car worked on? I ask becasue if it were me, I'd start with the coolant leak. Than I'd see about doing something about the battery module. First I'd want to plug in a reader to look at any possible fault codes from the cars main computer, ECU A shop will usually check for these codes before starting work on the car. I put the first thing third becasue it may take some time to have fault codes read and if you are able you could start with the coolant leak. If I were closer to your location I might be able to help you figure out how to get the codes read by someone. Or you could buy an inexpensive ELM327 bluetooth adapter online then install one of the prius apps that read codes than list any codes shown here. I think DrPrius might be a good app for a phone to connect with the ELM327 ODB11 bluetooth adapter I've also read here that carista is a good option it's both the carista ELM327 bluetooth adapter and the carista app. If the car still shutters after you have done the other things than I'd worry about that then.
113,000, and the egr circuit hasn't been mentioned... I spoke to a different guy this morning who thought it sounded like a misfire, I can mention it to him when I take it to him. What is it?
Thanks, is it the case that the coolant leak could be causing more problems than I might think? I'm feeling a bit more optimistic now that a different mechanic has suggested a misfire.
Don't get your hopes up if there is a coolant leak and a misfire Those two symptoms together sometimes point at a head gasket, if I'm not mistaken Hopefully, someone more experienced with a gen2 or gen3 can be more specific. It's best to hook up a scanner and look for fault codes. Now it makes more sense what the first mechanic said about pulling the engine apart, if the head gasket is leaking coolant into a cylinder or two. But if the coolant leak is somewhere easier to fix, that would be a good reason to be optimistic. edit: and yes a blown head gasket would cause the car to shutter, forom what I understand.
google egr and/or egr circuit, and read the priuschat hits for gen3. whether your head gasket is blown or not, it should be cleaned.
Hi all, new to Prius Chat and need to pick everyone's brain just a bit. I have a similar issue as above stated. A little history on my 2010 prius basic: 257K purchased from a friend with suspected blown head gasket. Purchased the car with CE codes PO301 (I think) which is a Cylinder 1 misfire which is super common with these cars. I went the PIA way of firs cleaning rhe EGR circuit, did not replace cooler (just cleaned) and intake manifold also cleaner, etc. After all this the car behaved for a few days but then back to the shudder at start up and CE code PO301. I was not about to put approx 4K into a car that cost me 1500 bucks. So I did what a lot of mechanic disagree with, I threw a bottle of K seal into the coolant reservoir and lo and behold, minutes later the car never shuttered again. Almost 8K miles later yesterday happens. Engine starts stuttering slightly under load, a few minutes later the shudder is back with a vengeance. Oddly there are no CE lights or anything serious on the dashboard. Could it be that the head gasket has now given out completely and the car is is done? Coolant levels are still right at full and have not moved. Could it be that the intake and EGR circuit are so clogged that it's causing this issue and not throwing any codes? I'm not ready to throw in the towel. I thank you all in advance for any thoughts, prayers, humor and banter.
My 2 cents: The shudder is caused by head gasket failure. The head gasket failure is primarily caused by elevated combustion chamber temps, which is due to clogged EGR. At this point, head gasket replacement is paramount. When that is done, ensure full EGR circuit is clean, to prevent a repeat. The sealant can hopefully be dissolved and flushed with a 50/50 vinegar water mix. The EGR cleaning should have happened by 100k miles; by 250k when you acquired it the head gasket failure was likely well underway.
My wife told me her 2010 Gen 3 Prius with ~152,000 miles on it was shuddering, so I took it for a drive on the highway. It shudders when cruising, but the shudder disappears when the RPMs go up under acceleration (wide open throttle). I didn't find any codes when I scanned it with a ScanGauge II. Here's a link to a 7-second video of the engine idling after starting. The engine has a "sewing machine" sound to my ears that's different from my 2015 Gen 3 Prius: https://photos.app.goo.gl/4AR5r4uhQCoDyJDv7 We're getting the oil changed tomorrow (18Jun2024) at a "NAPA AutoCare Gold certified" shop that routinely does an "extended test drive" and vehicle inspection (and then recommends more services). What questions should we ask them about the shudder? We replaced the plugs, engine and inverter coolant, and brakes about 20,000 miles ago at a different shop, using Toyota plugs and Toyota "Super Longlife" coolant. We asked that mechanic about the EGR. He said he blew out the EGR pipe and it looked OK, but after searching PriusChat, I suspect that he didn't inspect it as thoroughly as Mendel Leisk recommends. I hope I'm posting to the right thread. I searched for "shudder" on priuschat and read several of threads, including these two: Professional EGR Cleaning Resources | PriusChat 2014 Prius - Shudder | PriusChat Thanks for the advice.
Simplest is a boroscope inspection of the cylinders, preferably with the engine coolant system pressurized (this will accelerate any coolant leaking into the cylinders). If any of the piston tops are markedly cleaner that’s another sign. leak down test is good too, requires compressed air, spark plug well adapter hose and special gauge set.
Thanks for the advice. We took the 2010 to a shop owned by a guy who used to work at a Toyota dealership. He seems to know his stuff, but I'm not sure how closely he supervises his employees. Any comments on this invoice? I blanked out the total prices, but could share them privately if asked. The shop owner says they could clean the EGR circuit on my 2015 Prius.
Was going to say the price for the EGR cooler, aka p/n 2560137010 PIPE SUB-ASSY, EGR W way way out-of-line at $588 USD, then I googled. They USED to be about $200~250 USD; someone's seriously taking advantage of Toyota's screw-up.
Amayama's significantly cheaper: Buy Genuine Toyota 2560137010 (25601-37010) Pipe Sub-Assy, Egr W/cooler. Prices, fast shipping, photos, weight - Amayama
