Argh, help me reduce my hypervigilance so I can enjoy driving

[Kinare]

So about 2,000 miles ago something went very wrong with my Prius. I thought it was bad gas but it turns out it was an engine coil or something like that. The engine started chugging really hard and then the check engine light came on and that was that, $1,000 and four days later I was back on the road.

But a month later, something will set me off and I'll wonder if it's the engine going bad again. The ICE shutting down on stops, or if I'm sitting at a railroad crossing, and the wind buffeting the car makes it shake. Or the car will bounce along the highway, and even though I don't see road bumps, I'm betting they are there, but something in my brain freaks out and wonders if something is going wrong again (Note: I bought this car used with 72,000 miles on it).

I just want to enjoy driving it. Don't get me wrong, I love the car. I love that I get 46-47 mpg (I drive a lot of highway). But this hypervigilance is killing me.

[morpheusx]

Originally Posted by Kinare

So about 2,000 miles ago something went very wrong with my Prius. I thought it was bad gas but it turns out it was an engine coil or something like that. The engine started chugging really hard and then the check engine light came on and that was that, $1,000 and four days later I was back on the road.

But a month later, something will set me off and I'll wonder if it's the engine going bad again. The ICE shutting down on stops, or if I'm sitting at a railroad crossing, and the wind buffeting the car makes it shake. Or the car will bounce along the highway, and even though I don't see road bumps, I'm betting they are there, but something in my brain freaks out and wonders if something is going wrong again (Note: I bought this car used with 72,000 miles on it).

I just want to enjoy driving it. Don't get me wrong, I love the car. I love that I get 46-47 mpg (I drive a lot of highway). But this hypervigilance is killing me.

I think everything you describe is normal, You could test the alignment by driving on a known smooth part of the highway (in good weather little to no wind) and lightly let go of the steering wheel and see if it will drive straight, if it doesn't you may want to get the alignment done.
As far as the ignition coil that sucks that they charged you $1000 for that. I had one go out on our VW 1.8t Beetle just last month, Cost me $31 for one coil (VW OEM ones from the dealer) so I went ahead and bought 4 and replaced all 4 $137 w/ tax.

[richard schumacher]

Your brain's freakin' out. Remain calm. Try repeating the Lynda Barry mantra: "It's OK it's OK it's OK it's OK".

It's often helpful to get a second opinion and a second estimate for a major repair.

[Kinare]

As far as the ignition coil that sucks that they charged you $1000 for that. I had one go out on our VW 1.8t Beetle just last month, Cost me $31 for one coil (VW OEM ones from the dealer) so I went ahead and bought 4 and replaced all 4 $137 w/ tax.

Most of the cost was labor because they didn't know what was wrong with it. I thought it was bad gas (see original post) and so they flushed out the fuel lines and did all kinds of crap to make sure it was clean. It took them four days to get it done ($550 was for labor). I've come to expect that I'll get ripped off for any car repairs because I don't know much about cars, and I'm a woman and that pretty much means free money for mechanics. I'll have to look at the cost sheet to make sure. I know they also replaced the spark plugs but I know those aren't that expensive.

But anyway, thanks for suggestions thusfar. I'll give that a shot. It probably is the alignment. Now if I could just get it to shift to chaotic good...

[M. Oiseau]

Kinare, go here, Car Talk, and hopefully find a few independent mechanics to check out with the goal of finding someone trustworthy to work on your car, please.

[Kinare]

Originally Posted by M. Oiseau

Kinare, go here, Car Talk, and hopefully find a few independent mechanics to check out with the goal of finding someone trustworthy to work on your car, please.

Thanks for the link. I used to have a ford dealership work on my old car, and they were always great, were straight shooters. Didn't overcharge me. It doesn't make sense that a dealership would screw its customers. Don't they want repeat car buying business?

EDIT: And another thing, whenever someone has a major problem with their car, everyone here chimes in and says "Go to the Toyota dealer because nobody else knows wtf to do with hybrids." Then which is the case? Independent mechanic (which I would personally prefer) or Toyota dealer? I am getting two different messages here.

[Patrick Wong]

Originally Posted by Kinare

... I thought it was bad gas but it turns out it was an engine coil or something like that. The engine started chugging really hard and then the check engine light came on and that was that, $1,000 and four days later I was back on the road.

...Or the car will bounce along the highway, and even though I don't see road bumps, I'm betting they are there, but something in my brain freaks out and wonders if something is going wrong again (Note: I bought this car used with 72,000 miles on it)...

A new spark igniter has an MSRP of $90 while spark plugs should cost around $10 each. However I understand that it was unclear what your problem was, hence the mechanic had to dig around doing this and that, running up the bill at your expense.

If you have not inspected your tires, please check your tire inflation and maintain it at correct levels (at least 35/33 psi, ideally 42/40 psi). Check your tire tread depth and if less than 4/32" you should consider having them replaced although legal tread depth is 2/32".

If your tires are OK and you still feel that the car's handling is not good, at 72K+ miles it is certainly possible that the front struts/rear shocks need to be replaced. Next time you have the car raised up or have the tires rotated, take a good look at those suspension parts. If you see oil leakage on the strut/shock body, this is a good sign that they need to be replaced. They should be replaced in pairs.

[Patrick Wong]

Originally Posted by Kinare

... It doesn't make sense that a dealership would screw its customers. Don't they want repeat car buying business?

EDIT: And another thing, whenever someone has a major problem with their car, everyone here chimes in and says "Go to the Toyota dealer because nobody else knows wtf to do with hybrids." Then which is the case? Independent mechanic (which I would personally prefer) or Toyota dealer? I am getting two different messages here.

My guess is that the dealership made much more profit on your $1,000 repair than it would make on the sale of a new Prius. So the dealer's business model is to sell cars at an attractive price, hoping to secure the follow-on service.

You'll have to decide whether your local area has any competent independent shops that specialize in Toyota hybrids. If not, then you are left with finding the best Toyota dealer service dept in your area.

[richard schumacher]

Toyota uses some proprietary diagnostic features. Only a Prius-certified tech using Toyota equipment can make a complete diagnosis. Naturally most of them work at Toyota dealers.

[morpheusx]

Originally Posted by Kinare

Thanks for the link. I used to have a ford dealership work on my old car, and they were always great, were straight shooters. Didn't overcharge me. It doesn't make sense that a dealership would screw its customers. Don't they want repeat car buying business?

EDIT: And another thing, whenever someone has a major problem with their car, everyone here chimes in and says "Go to the Toyota dealer because nobody else knows wtf to do with hybrids." Then which is the case? Independent mechanic (which I would personally prefer) or Toyota dealer? I am getting two different messages here.

My wife argued with the VW dealer over the price of them changing the transmission in her beetle. So she asked them how much would it cost me to buy the transmission and leave it in the crate and have me take it somewhere else to swap. They told her the price and she goes how much money do you guys make off of selling that to me. And the shop manager goes um about 25 - 40 %, then she said it sounds to me like you can waive the labor then. And believe it or not they did.