Cylinder misfire. Help!

That's a value based question. I hate to ask a question with a question, but here goes:

Will she get any value out of the diagnosis?

IMO, based on the symptoms described (loss of coolant and a drinking problem), the best solution is to get the engine and prepare for the swap as the engine condition sounds terminal .

Keep us posted.

 

I think a grand for a young engine and a trusted family member doing the wrenching sounds like a great deal. Do it before that oil burner kills the cat!

I think given the coolant loss, a decent dealer would be inclined to at least run a Techstream "virtual" compression test or peak in there with the borescope. But I'm with Ray, who cares?!...

 

With 175k miles on the clock, I would just swap engines and save the $90.

Then sell the used engine, with full disclosure and let the next owner diagnose

 

Engine oil flush? Care to share some details.

Also, if the engine swap is being done pics and video please. I know our resident historian @Mendel Leisk will keep it for the long haul.

 

Nothing to be bummed about, your dad can do the work. You can do the easy work and take lots of pictures

 

I use the BG Products EPR and also some of their oil additives along with the 45k fuel injector cleaner.

Similar way to use EPR and the result is the same. Here's a thread with what the BG Products rep shared with me:

[POLL] Excessive Oil Usage

I have an oil change coming up at the end of March and will be going in with an EPR flush, Extended Life MOA coupled with Pennzoil Pure Platinum 5W-30 full synthetic.

 

Amazon

 

From my experience (and my mechanics advice) once then Gen 3 Prius starts creeping up on miles, these kind of symptoms usually show up, while you can always diagnose the problem, it's pretty much an indicator that the engine needs to be replaced/rebuilt soon. I was working on a friend's Prius with the same exact symptoms, and while we fixed it, it only lasted another two months until the engine just was stuttering and shaking where he had to replace it :/

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

EDIT: I obviously didn't read the entire thread, my apologies.

 

Oh yes, I definitely agree. My family owns three Prius's (we drive A LOT so the gas savings is really nice), and all of them have been Gen 2 except for mine. We had a Gen 2 Prius that we sold (2008 model) that had creeped up to 280,000 miles on the original engine, it did need all of the hybrid battery cells swapped, but we sold it to a family member, who still drives it today with no issues. I think it is sitting around 310,000 miles now. The Gen 2 engine is far superior and lasts a lot longer, and in my personal opinion, the interior feels really comfortable, as the Gen 3 I feel a bit restricted, largely because of the center console. Though what I love about the Gen 3 (which I now use as my daily) is for some reason it feels as if I am in an airline cockpit, which makes my 30 mile commutes bearable, and of course, the exterior is far better IMO.

But my main mechanic, who deals with a large fleet of taxi cabs, government, and companies all of which use Prius's swears that the Gen 2 is just better overall in terms of maintenance and things going wrong. Another thing he mentions is the Gen 3 kind of has this issue where little things just start going wrong, from the key fob to headlights to a passenger window not rolling down, now granted, that is all a part of how you care for a car, but from his experience, it seems to be a lot more common with the Gen 3. Its kind of controversial sharing this information here because there are a lot of people who disagree with me and claim their Gen 3 is just as good, if not better than the Gen 2, in terms of reliability, but I guess to each his/her own.

I personally came from using a Gen 2 Prius for 7 years to finally switching to a Gen 3 half a year ago (2011 model), it's been great, but knowing the issues possibly alleviated to this generation, it's something I have to be aware of (since I drive a lot).

 

i think you're right. this even shows up in corolla with 2009 being the worst year: Toyota Corolla Problems | CarComplaints.com

incidentally, prius 3rd gen also started in 2009 as the MY 2010 prius.

there are some differences though. The most common complaint in 2009 corolla is noisy VVT. That is not a problem in a prius. The most common problem in 2010 prius is oil consumption: 2010 Toyota Prius engine problems & complaints | CarComplaints.com

interestingly, oil consumption almost disappears from the complains starting in 2010 corolla, yet it's still a problem in 2011 prius. i suppose there could be improvements in the corolla engine after 2009 and in the prius engine after 2011. prior to this little discovery, i believed those years had most consumption simply because of most miles.

HG problem doesn't register on that website in neither corolla or prius, so I take it's still a rare occurrence.

 

Tankyuong, in a previous reply, likely has it right - could be a warped engine block and/or head gasket leak allowing small amount of coolant into cylinder causing misfire and likely excessive heat. I speak from experience - had virtually identical symptoms on my 2010 Prius - happened when I rolled past 300,000 km (I too drive fairly fast and 90% highway miles) - initial symptom was misfire at start (no engine light) then eventually engine light (solid, not flashing) - went into dealer right away - did the old ingition coil swapping to see if faulty coil - no - assumed bad fuel - put fuel condition in tank - didn't fix - engine light - back to different dealer - now injectors and intake manifold cleaned - didn't fix - next, based on Toyota technical bulletin - replace EGR and intake manifold gasket - didn't fix - back to same dealer - took head off - ran straight edge on top of cylinder block - warped cylinder block - most likely culprit I was told was coolant leak into #3 cylinder due to leak in cylinder head gasket resulting, over time, in excess heat in one, maybe two cylinders due to gas/ethylene glycol mix in cylinder. Sunk close to 2K in repairs to this point and solution is new (used) engine block (est. 5-6K CDN). We decided to junk the car and buy a new car after 7yr/300K. I was disappointed to say the least, expecting a minimum of 400K (kilometers) out fo the car. Still, I'm about to buy a GEN IV (2017) Prius. I was disappointed, not disillusioned. Perhaps this experience may help you if the problem remains unresolved. The technicians did everything by the book but no one expected this particular issue. I was told by the manager that there was one other car (only) in Canada with the same issue.

 

To be honest, the Prius is no longer that "new" where a lot of mechanics now know how to work with servicing them. My mechanic offers folks engine replacement with slightly used engines (roughly ~5,000 miles to ~30,000 miles) and costs ~$2,200, which in the grand scheme of things isn't a lot. And this isn't just one garage doing this, several around my city are similar in prices. The only time it seemed right for me to visit the $tealership was when the car had some recalls. But dealerships do vary by location, but at the end of the day, they are insanely expensive.

Nexus 6P using PriusChat mobile app

 

Don't forget pics and video as you go.