1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

after clean up fuel injectors, EGR, intake manifold, engine shaking

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by tamo3, Sep 21, 2024.

  1. tamo3

    tamo3 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2021
    23
    9
    0
    Location:
    CA, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    ============
    After all the expert friends' input on this forum, we figured out the root cause of the problem was using fake spark plugs.

    Don't purchase spark plugs from eBay.

    ============



    My 2010 Prius has 120k miles on it.
    For preventive maintenance, I did the following.
    • - Fuel injection cleaning
    • - EGR pipe cleaning
    • - EGR cooler cleaning
    • - EGR valve cleaning
    • - PCV Vale replacement
    • - Water pump rotor replacement
    • - Intake Manifold complete cleaning
    • - Throttle body cleaning
    • - Spark plug replacement
    • Use new gaskets for all those area.

    It was working fine for few weeks.
    Now I got misfire #2, #4 while slow idle, If I step on gas to higher RPM, no shaking.

    I tried investigate whether it's a gasket leak or not.
    Findings:
    • I check compression for all cylinders following FSM. All cylinders have more than 130psi.
    • There is no coolant lost
    • No white smog comes out from the exhaust.
    • No coolant mixed was detected in oil visually.

    I replaced remanufactured fuel injectors with OEM O-rings and seat insulators but I can't fix the shaking.

    Could you advise me on what else I should check?

    Thanks in advance!!!
     

    Attached Files:

    #1 tamo3, Sep 21, 2024
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2024
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    10,369
    1,791
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    This is very common on this engine and this model series so you're on the right track going everything you're going over but at the end of the day something's causing an imbalance in the power between the systems which is causing the shake generally it's something seeping through the head gasket it doesn't need to be a flood just seepage will do but usually that clears up pretty quickly and then the rest of your drive can be kind of normal till pressure builds up in the radiator and everything is nice and hot then it can rear its ugly head again because of the pressure. Sometimes relieving the pressure in the Degas bottle all of a sudden will make things clean up again this is generally a sign that the fire in the combustion chamber is being put out by something pressure in the coolant system
     
  3. tamo3

    tamo3 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2021
    23
    9
    0
    Location:
    CA, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    One of the suggestion I watched on Youtube, unplug EGR connector to check whether it's caused by EGR or not, the symptom is not changed. Off course I completely clean up EGR line within intake manifold before.
     
  4. tamo3

    tamo3 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2021
    23
    9
    0
    Location:
    CA, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Thanks @Tombukt2 for your input.
    So.. what is your suggestion to look after? I'm not clear what action I should take.
     
  5. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    7,427
    6,913
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Are the new spark plugs any good?

    There are many bad counterfeits available from Amazon and eBay, so you need to be careful. Always better to get them from a local shop.
     
  6. tamo3

    tamo3 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2021
    23
    9
    0
    Location:
    CA, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Hi Leadfoot J.
    Spark Plug is OEM brand new one I used. Exact same model.
     

    Attached Files:

  7. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2013
    3,898
    1,338
    1
    Location:
    NY
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    post a video of the shake, how long it lasts and the ambient temps at the time of the video. What part of CA you from North Midway or South?
    Take a look at a gasketmasters youtube and compare your shake to one of theirs.
     
  8. tamo3

    tamo3 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2021
    23
    9
    0
    Location:
    CA, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Hi @vvillovv
    Here is my video.

    https://youtube.com/shorts/UpmqcPZvmCc?si=CgzaRrEoGeRkmknZ
    By the way, I'm at San Jose, CA. Ourside temp is 70 degree now.
     
    #8 tamo3, Sep 21, 2024
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2024
  9. Eddie25

    Eddie25 Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2018
    434
    174
    0
    Location:
    IL
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    III
    My wild guess would be missed a hose connection on the intake manifold. They are hard to see under there. Double check that you don't have anything that could cause a vacuum leak.

    All EGR gaskets were replaced correctly?

    You could try simple misfire checks like switching the coils and spark plugs between cylinders, but that seems less likely.

    Edit: My bad, by "it was working fine for a few weeks" do you mean after the maintenance?
     
  10. tamo3

    tamo3 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2021
    23
    9
    0
    Location:
    CA, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Hi @Eddie25,
    Yes, after the maintenance was done, it worked fine for a few weeks. All EGR gaskets are replaced with new one with the correct direction facing.
    It started misfiring while the engine is not warmed up, but now it won't stop shaking.
     
    #10 tamo3, Sep 21, 2024
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2024
  11. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    10,369
    1,791
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    That spark plug packaging looks totally fake to me I don't even recognize the packaging and I've dealt with nippondenso for quite a long time but I don't keep up with their latest packaging schemes as a lot of it seems like they're not changing their packaging schemes to counterfeiters are or something just doesn't seem right to me but I could be very wrong they just don't look correct I would go to the Toyota dealer in this instance and buy four spark plugs and try them in the car and see if that clears up the nonsense If you take the four plugs you just put in let me see pictures of those out of the car and I know it sucks but. These counterfeit plugs start to look like they have 100,000 mi on them in a couple of weeks some of them will fall apart in your engine.
     
  12. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    24,902
    16,209
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Yeah, the important question is "purchased where?".

    If counterfeiters used a different brand name or model number, they wouldn't be counterfeiters.
     
    Brian1954 likes this.
  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,666
    39,220
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    The misfire code started after the plug change?

    Swap 2 and 4 with 1 and 3, see if the code changes. Also inspect the plugs carefully while they're out.

    If the code changes (to 1 and 3) and/or the plugs look beat up, probably they're fakes.

    If not, I'd boroscope inspect the combustion chambers, first thing in the morning, after the car was driven the previous day, looking for evidence of coolant leaks.
     
  14. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    10,369
    1,791
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Does anyone recognize the spark plug packaging please?
     
  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,666
    39,220
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Lotta languages on the box, for a north american plug. Up here it'd be English and French, full stop.
     
  16. tamo3

    tamo3 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2021
    23
    9
    0
    Location:
    CA, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three
  17. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    10,369
    1,791
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Yeah I don't think so my friend I would be wanting to have a look at those real quick like You've been how many thousand miles how many weeks this would peak my interest very quickly. I know I pulled one set that I bought out of my 2013 since the install of the engine and I've checked them twice. But the cheap fakes with not even a month on them look like they were deteriorating very rapidly like they wouldn't make another month or two I might even have them around here I need to pull them out and make pictures I guess
     
  18. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    24,902
    16,209
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Also, some counterfeit plugs will eventually drop a chunk of ceramic or metal into the cylinder. Undesirable.
     
    douglasjre likes this.
  19. tamo3

    tamo3 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2021
    23
    9
    0
    Location:
    CA, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I understand those are fake set. Especially #4 is so bad.
    I compared with original set.

    I will re-install original set while waiting new sets.
     

    Attached Files:

  20. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    7,427
    6,913
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Sometimes the price is enough to tell you. A single genuine SC20HR11 is currently $8.46 at Rock Auto, and about double that at Autozone.

    If you've seen a lower price, be very suspicious.

    Denso's own statement