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Bought Used Gen3 2010 Prius IV @ 155k miles. What should be done?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by swordsx48, Nov 21, 2024 at 4:40 AM.

  1. swordsx48

    swordsx48 New Member

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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Hi all hope all are well!

    I bought this prius, got a great deal on it in fact. $5300. It runs well, I've been getting 45-48mpg on eco mode, and I'm really happy with it. My first hybrid.
    It definitely does consume oil though, and I was thinking of doing the EGR + intake cleaning & a piston soak. Piston soak I see could be recommended not to do as B12 breaks down the rings, but it seems the soak is more likely to address the oil consumption, and the EGR more to help with heat.

    Now, some say it's easy, some say it's hard. I'd say I'm relatively decent with cars, done brakes, rotors, on my previous cars. Changed a valve cover gasket. I'm not great definitely, but I'm open to doing it myself. If I can get it done over a weekend that would be reasonable.
    What all should be done or looked at? Some also say the water pump. Any kind of checklist some expert has here?
    And so many different sources, would love some definitive full fledged videos -- "here, this to clean the EGR & intake. This for the piston soak"

    @Mendel Leisk if I may?

    Looking forward to feedback from the community! A very happy first time prius owner - getting double the mpg of my 05 camry.
     
    #1 swordsx48, Nov 21, 2024 at 4:40 AM
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Do you have any repair history on this car? You can run a carfax to see if there are repairs/maintenance that has already been done, so you don't have to repeat them. 155k miles, many things should have been done already
     
    #2 JC91006, Nov 21, 2024 at 5:17 PM
  3. swordsx48

    swordsx48 New Member

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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I have the carfax, from what's there, basic maintenence, oil changes, cabin air filter, engine air filter, tire rotation and eventual replacement, etc. Also cat shield in place.

    Let's say none of the ones out of ordinary maintenence above was done. What would you recommend?
     
    #3 swordsx48, Nov 21, 2024 at 6:07 PM
  4. Brian1954

    Brian1954 Senior Member

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    Model:
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    Yes, for engine water pump replacement. Also, be prepared for the head gasket going bad in the next 10k to 45k miles.
     
    #4 Brian1954, Nov 21, 2024 at 6:32 PM
  5. swordsx48

    swordsx48 New Member

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    Water pump, just grab another one on ebay? Or that could be susceptible to going bad too?

    On head gasket, the thought process & common sentiment was that cleaning the egr can help mitigate head gasket issues
     
    #5 swordsx48, Nov 21, 2024 at 7:51 PM
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    congrats and welcome!
    merv has your back:
    watch
    all the best!
     
    #6 bisco, Nov 21, 2024 at 7:55 PM
  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Touring
    The top two links in my signature are EGR related (on a phone turn it landscape to see signatures). Also recently added an EGR cleaning workflow, here.

    At your miles, I wouldn’t look at EGR cleaning as a “get out of jail for free” card; it’s late in the day to start with this. Unfortunately, it’s just about the time head gaskets start letting go, so tread cautiously, don’t make any major investments in it for the next few months; just deal with the EGR, then wait and see for a bit.
     
    #7 Mendel Leisk, Nov 21, 2024 at 10:18 PM
  8. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    B12 or other piston soaks won’t help a gen3 Prius burning oil because of their low tension piston ring design flaw. Save your money for a rainy day fund.

    Try to avoid dealer repairs. Sometimes their diagnostics are ok but their repair costs are often 150-200% higher. Do find and use an independent hybrid shop before you need it. 5k mile oil and 50k mile coolant changes are your best bet.
     
    #8 rjparker, Nov 22, 2024 at 1:16 AM
  9. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    II
    At 155k miles, I would go for the full works. Try to get parts from the dealership or rockauto. Ebay has a lot of fake parts

    1. plugs
    2. pcv valve
    3. change coolant
    4. change transaxle oil
    5. change brake fluid and check brakes
    6. change water pump (you can get away with changing the rotor only or if you want to splurge change the pump using OEM pump)
    7. clean throttle body
    8. clean entire EGR circuit

    I wouldn't overly invest too much money on this car. Since it's burning a lot of oil and it's nearing it's head gasket replacement time (anytime over 150k miles). I would just do simple basic needed maintenance.
     
    #9 JC91006, Nov 22, 2024 at 10:23 AM
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