Transaxle - "hybrid-related component?"

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Jul 30 2007, 12:29 PM) [snapback]487468[/snapback]</div>

If you go this route, it might help to know that the new part costs $2675.94 before adding shipping. See https://www.1sttoyotaparts.com/partscat.html and drill down in the replacement parts catalog. I'd set the price I'd be willing to pay for a used part based on this price.

- Tom

 

Hi FixedGear...,

Is the Prius waranty transferable? I was unaware that it was. Since you bought the car used, what waranty you get is whatever the used-car dealer will give you, Toyota is out of it. That is not to say that Toyota might help out, none-the-less.

The bit about the hybrid transaxle being difficult to exchange is a bit over blown, I think. Sounds like the dealer is trying to pump you for money. There might be some more coolant bleeding involved. But another $1000 worth seems odd. What is the cost for repair of a traditional automatic-transmission? How many miles on that car? I have yet to have a traditional automatic transmission last 100 K miles in any car here. And so, its best to budget for a transmission rebuild between 75 and 100 K miles, at about $4000.

The Prius transmission should last the life of the car. There have been comments from others that the Gen 1 Transaxle does develop allot of metal in the fluid. So, timely fluid changes/upgrades are prudent. The failures that have been put on PC here have been in the motor insulation. The Motors at this time are not replacable, although in time that will happen. But probably not for Gen 1 cars. If its the PSD, that is like a standard car part, and not neccassarily hybrid related, other than they used a standard car part to transmit energy from motors. The two motor generators would be the hybrid specific parts in the transmission. If you have a motor short, and your dealer transfered the original waranty, and transmission fluid changes were performed on the maintanence schedule, and the car is under 100K miles, I would think Toyota owes you something.

 

What codes did the dealer find? These should have been printed on a diagnostic sheet.

Also, I'm interested in a sample of the transaxle oil from the filed transaxle.

I take it you are not comfortable with changing out the transaxle?

Bob Wilson

 

At $5900 I would absolutely want to know for a fact that it is the transaxle. To that end you can do a couple of things to help yourself out.

1) Extract from the dealer/service department exactly how they ended up diagnosing it to be the transaxle. What were the DTCs (trouble codes), what other checks (if any) were done. Some here have the repair manuals so we can decode the codes and follow the flow charts. Some here are MUCH better than that. If it is a good service department, they will step you through what they did and why they arrived at the conclusion they did (just like a good doctor). Take notes and report them here. If they are not so good, they will be real evasive.

2) Call another dealer, if possible and see what is involved with a second opinion if the first dealer is evasive. I have done that and in every case, the second dealer wanted a chance to strut their stuff....to my advantage.

bwilson4web is focusing on a very important clue with the transaxle fluid, if it is clear and tests out good, then mechanical problems are unlikely. If it is heavily contaminated, then there probably is a transaxle problem. (This would not uncover electrical problems, but these should show up in the DTCs.)

This all depends on so many factors in your situation, so don't hesitate to state what you want to do or what is out of the question. Time is money and this takes both. Just realize that you are not totally at the mercy of the dealer if you can afford the time to work through these steps.