Prius v: 300,000 miles club

Just updating the myth on this oil situation. Changed to ow 20. Just for my curiosity maybe the dealer was right, we'll the dealer was wrong car is still making noise after 200 miles of new oil. Anyway going to change sparks and cyl 1 coil in a few. Just in case I was using 5w 20.

 

You can't go wrong with 0-W20 synthetic. Since I started using it, I've never lost an engine. I never have to plug it in all winter either. Stuff is like water.

 

Ok here we go. Mechanic came over we changed 4 spark plugs an cylinder 1 coil took her for a ride, problem got worse know it is happening all the time I mean all the time. In traffic on highway every stop an go. Short remedy just to get me back home I have to step on the gas harder than normal which I guess increases the gas flow. When I get home the intake is coming off for cleaning before I take to dealer. Don't want to be on a rabbit hunt. Anyway good night sleep tight bed bugs an all.

 

So, not good...

 

Ok just updating my trajedies. As mechanic was changing sparks I noticed coolant in reservoir was low. I'm saying how can this be. Ok I bring the coolant I have with me. Drive to Orlando about 90 mi. Res low I top off. Ok get down another 112 miles check down same amount wow top off get another 65 mi down same thing. Ok turn off for my 2 hour sleep. Top off all I have is water coolant finished, turn on car ie ev mode now car engine doesn't turn on. I say oh shhhhht, drive a block nothin light comes on I guess to hot. Sit for about 5 min. Turn off turn on car comes alive I'm happy just want to get home light still on. Drive 110 miles like a old lady drive on highway going between ev an engine hoping air cools it down. Check half the coolant as before I say this is strange ok deliveries done. 50 miles back home I make it same ev to engine , ev to engine check same level no change. Car parked in front of house mechanic coming tomorrow rental here I come. No sign of anti freeze leak no where, nothing, not a drip anywhere. This car is pissing me off. An although they have the tsb at Toyota there is still the knock which I know they going to try an clean out my pockets anyway another thread spoke of the intake cleaning will remove an clean, befor going to dealer. Hey sorry just another rant.

 

I enjoy these shared experiences, but I sympathize with your situation nonetheless.

If your coolant is disappearing, the second place to look (after leaks) is out the tailpipe. You should be able to detect a trace of steam, or at least the sweet smell of glycol. If that's not it, perhaps your coolant is too hot, and escaping out the vent. This is less likely, because you should have seen a warning light. It's possible that the heat-exchanger bypass in the exhaust is blocked. It could be causing your coolant to overheat. Let's hope its only that.

If none of these things are causing it, I don't know what-the-heck.

 

Engine or inverter coolant ?

Look for pink crust. That is what is left behind from the pink coolant after the liquid has evaporated.

 

I hate so say it, but if you drove any distance with a steady mis-fire you likely blew the head gasket.
My theory is the raw fuel from the cylinder or cylinders that aren't firing gets detected by the O2 sensor resulting in the computer leaning out the fuel mixture to try to compensate. Then the cylinders that are still firing see way to lean of a mixture which causes those cylinders to run hot and blow the head gasket. My theory may be all wet, but I do know the car I drove 10 miles with a mis-fire due to a bad plug wire blew the head gasket. My sister had a similar thing happen to her after having the plugs replaced. It started mis-firing soon after, and also blew the head gasket.
My philophy after that, don't go more than few blocks with a mis-fire. Have it towed to a shop and make sure they don't drive it more than a few blocks with a mis-fire.

With the amount of water loss you are having you better check the oil. It will likely "appear" over full due to the antifreeze getting in with oil. That could be blown gasket, cracked head, or cracked block.

#1 don't drive a car if its mis-firing. My two cents.....

 

Engine coolant

checked oil down slightly maybe 2 ounces.

Almost 1000 miles on 0w 20

 

Glad to hear that the crackcase isn't full of antifreeze! With the amount of collant loss it may be worth removing all 4 spark plugs and see if there are any differences. If antifreeze is getting sucked into the combustion chamber one or more of the plugs should look different.

 

Have you thought about changing the fuel injectors? That can cause the misfires

 

Never drive any Car with "any Coolant Over Temp Light" or coolant smoke behind car, Don't use Tap Water, (Distilled Water Only) unless your willing to throw the Car Away or Replace the Engine and/or Transmission.
It's cheaper, Call, for a Tow to a Safe Place, Use you AAA, or AARP or Insurance Tow. generally 5 mile free plus extra few still cheaper. Come back and get it with a friend and a U Haul Tow Dolly, Just $44.00. your full coverage Insurance will cover if stolen and the Dummy who try's to steal it is getting what they deserve. Besides, Prius are some of the lease stolen because of limited parts interchangeability between models. Car thieves don't steal them, they can't sell the parts. Be careful where you Park it will get Towed an Impounded. But that could be good ? My Gen I, 230,000 + and still going like the Little Bunny...

 

My little bunny isn't quite 300K but getting there 235,000, just put in new batt. pack after 2 years owned and a new 12V when I bought it from an Auto Auction. But that was because Mechanic left the key to close to/or in the car in the shop, car was always on when the RF key is close the computer an the brakes computer are active on. All New brakes when I bought it, Plus Module. very expensive repair. But I included it in the cost of buying and still broke even... I get up to 44 MPG if I try.

Don't let your purchase price exceeed the amount $ your going to save buying New Energy Saving Technology...

 

I'm constantly mystified when I hear a story about someone who continued to drive with a warning light on, until they had catastrophic damage to their vehicle.

My friend, let's call him "George," drove his new GMC Blazer from Connecticut to Montana, and on the way, he had an over-temp light come on. Instead of stopping and having it looked after immediately, he decided to keep going to his destination. He never got there, and it cost him over $5000 for a new engine. He never seemed to grasp that it was a completely avoidable situation; the coolant level got too low to circulate, and he could have just topped up. His attitude was that it was just "bad luck" and didn't want to admit that he had made a stupid mistake.

P.S. George is his real name.

 

Ok Mr we9 and
Mr Greg u got my attention. I was not going to respond people have a right to there opinions. So with that let me say I am and was always aware from the first misfire of the actions that if I continue what would happen or might happen an I rolled the dice car will be looked at tomorrow to see the sparks an coil are not toyota originals maybe that was a reason brought originals today to swap out tomorrow we'll see again thanks for the input.

 

You should join the BMW i3 Facebook group. There's was an issue (not sure if it's totally resolved now) of spurious check engine lights. The comment/joke there as basically "has anyone (w/the REx version in the US) NOT gotten the CEL?" Seems like virtually everyone has.

Some folks there completely and blindly dismiss it. Yes, most are apparently spurious (BMW has some documentation to that effect now). While others like myself conclude there's no way w/o actually getting the codes and doing a proper diagnosis can you blindly conclude that ALL CELs are spurious. There might actually be something wrong. And, if it's on all the time, it can mask when a real issue crops up, as the light will be on anyway.

 

Ok here we go. The culprit with explanation. ( THERMOSTAT ).
Mechanic came over 1 st day replaced with bosch plugs and toyota coil cyl 1. Car now knocks at every stop.
I buy toyota original plugs thought the plugs were no good. Replaced. Now we are looking for the coolant leak cant find a trace no where. Remove plugs bingo sad news coolant on the plugs. Mechanic says head gasket bad. He says looking about 2000. What are my alternatives, he says put in some head gasket sealer temporary. ok give him the money we put it in along with some antifreeze. Bingo checked plugs no coolant no knock. I took for a test drive around corner every thing fine. NOW thank GOD he comes with me second time he's looking at device connected to car it shows temp at time around 210- 225 he says the thermostat is not working properly. However check light does not come on. He says with car running this hot caused the gasket to slightly tear causing coolant to get into plug causing mis fire. Which will explain the slow leak I had, but wasnt enough to make me think. Anyways tomorrow thermostat goes in was on back order its about 51 dollars. I already know of my consequences if it holds up, it holds up, if not it is what it is. Anyway I hope everything goes well tomorrow. And again thanks to all, thanks to all. UPDATE: 351500

 

The thermostat was a simple one I hadn't thought of. If your head gasket is truly bad, there should be some evidence, besides just an opinion. Usually they don't go bad unless your head has warped due to overheating. If that happened, you're looking at more than 2000.

About 20 years ago, my Dad's '87 Dodge Caravan was going through a head gasket about every 3 weeks due to a warped head. After about the third time, I solved the problem by putting several coats of gasket-seal on both sides of the gasket and tightening the bolts a bit extra. "How will you ever get it off again?" you may well ask (he asked) but at that point it was worth the gamble. It wasn't worth planing the heads, so if it happened a fourth time, the car would be abandoned. It actually ran for another 6 months until something else killed it (I think it was the brake system, if memory serves.)

 

Preparing for the death of our first 350k Prius V.......

 

The cool part is that the hybrid components still seem to be fine.