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Advice: Keep or Not?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by bk2049, Aug 3, 2024.

  1. bk2049

    bk2049 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2019
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    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Need some advice. 2010 with ~240,000 miles. I’ve had it for about 5 years. Have done the following major work:

    -engine replacement (Gasket Masters (w/ updated piston rings, etc.) about 2 years ago
    -all struts, shocks, sway bar and tires about 3 years ago
    -others: non-hybrid battery, cooling system flush, transmission fluid flush, hybrid cooling system flushed, clean all fuel & air passages, smaller stuff

    I'm taking it in to have brakes checked next week and have a feeling I’m going to have to put some money in there. If it's a big bill (calipers...), I'm not sure if I should have it done. I have not yet replaced the hybrid battery, so I’m assuming that’s on the horizon with all the miles on this vehicle. I also have not yet had the brake booster failure, but I think it might be coming (I'm going to post a separate thread on that if I don't find what I need on the board). I get the buzz pretty frequently, even when the car is in park.

    I can’t afford a new car and don’t really want to spend $15,000-20,000 for a half decent used one in this crazy market. It’s hard for me to get rid of this thing after replacing the engine and suspension in the last few years, but is it time to cut the cord with this vehicle? Is it worth planning to do the hybrid battery & booster in the near future? Anything else major likely to go wrong in the next few years besides those two things?

    Thanks for any advice.
     
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    My generation threes are sitting here in the parking lot people come by and look at them all the time at one point some silly person is going to take it away with hopes and dreams and blah blah blah oh well We just went back to the generation too and that's that . Cut our costs in third as far as maintenance and all that other car care nonsense goes so that's that the generation 3 is just hard to keep or so it seems or you're in it many hours a day like a cab driver then it can make 400k pretty easily but then you're practically living in it not really my cup of tea at this point in the game My ex was trying to do this didn't really pan out now has terminal illness .
     
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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
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    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    i would do the calipers and start a search for a good used non hybrid, since you don't diy. repairs will be cheaper
     
    bk2049 likes this.
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
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    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Did you clean the EGR system, say in conjunction with the engine swap?
     
  5. bk2049

    bk2049 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2019
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    Location:
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Yes. Here are my other notes of what they did:
    Replaced engine with rebuilt. New sparks, coolant, egr cooler. Also included: pcv valve & hoses, intake manifold cleaned, replaced intake manifold gasket, Felpro head gasket, new rod & bearing, update piston rings (J&D), checked hybrid battery- fine.
     
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  6. bbrages

    bbrages Member

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2023
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    Location:
    St. Louis
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    It sounds to me like you have a pretty good car. I would just keep driving it.