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

Buying Used Prius Agonizing over Details : }

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by daisy555, Aug 11, 2015.

  1. daisy555

    daisy555 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2015
    1,296
    532
    0
    Location:
    CT
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    So.....still loving my pretty Pria. She's as sleek looking as ever.

    Can't believe we've traveled 1000 miles already. She managed to scrape her bottom once on extra large/wide speed bump the other day and very large trucks really enjoy passing on her right.

    Can't seem to pick a cabin temp that works for both mellow and cold days but I'm thrilled with how quickly heat appears.

    I'm surprised dash board lights don't automatically adjust. I manually lower them at night to avoid reflection on windshield and then adjust back to brightest setting in the morning. Am I missing something? I haven't been doing my reading assignments! The vibe adjusted automatically. Still switching back and forth with vibe when doing gardening work. Hasn't sold yet!!

    I'm still getting used to the interesting raindrop designs as they hit glass from different angle. I keep looking at that large wiper mechanism as it flips back and forth. : ) At least it actually doesn't have any rust on it. Must have been dirt of some sort.

    Having a couple of noise issues that I need to bring to service dept. the driver's side window squeaks loudly when rolled all the way down and leaves streaks. Does this mean something is lodged inside? The other windows have no sound at all. Not sure how I missed this! It's a concern because it's completely annoying but also because my Saab had this problem and window finally ended up getting stuck. The other noise is intermittent and worries me the mos. There is a sound possibly coming from dashboard but could be glove box or maybe cabin filter. It's a rattle sound sort of like what a DVD makes when it's not secure in case. Not exactly but that kind of noise. It's definitely on right side of car. What's weird is it disappears at times which is why I didn't catch it during test drive. Much worse than wind noise on other Prius I tested. I can even hear it when radio is on. Not good! Any ideas? It actually would have been a deal breaker. May be a lose clamp or bolt?

    Other than the anxiety provoking noises everything is great. Had another instance where I swore I shut her off. Came back and as I unlocked door the radio started playing and digital displays came on. Must have had her in accessory mode w/o realizing it? Yikes!

    She really could use a good waxing before winter. Rinsed her off and no beading on roof. Any recommendations for a very low fume wax. Chemicals give me headaches.

    Ok....another Prius novel...I knew you guys were going through withdrawal. : }

    Oh and let's just assume dealer is going to investigate these noises and help resolve them. Please no comments about me needing to live with these. I'll get too anxious and really need my sleep. I'm going to pretend all will be taken care of. Wondering if I should have local service guy test drive and give me feedback before salesman makes an service appointment for me. Certainly appreciate any feedback regarding what the noises could be.

    For those of you who made it this far, thank you for listening!! : )
     
    penquin230 likes this.
  2. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2014
    2,489
    2,153
    49
    Location:
    Top RH Corner of RH Coast on L side of The Pond
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    II
    daisy555 likes this.
  3. daisy555

    daisy555 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2015
    1,296
    532
    0
    Location:
    CT
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
  4. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2011
    3,318
    1,103
    0
    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    You might consider trying "NuFinish". Easy to apply and easy to remove also. Not a wax, but rather a polish.

    Glad to see you again! Best of luck to you. (y)
     
    daisy555 likes this.
  5. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2014
    2,489
    2,153
    49
    Location:
    Top RH Corner of RH Coast on L side of The Pond
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Did the twice-yearly wash & wax of the ChuggyPig this afternoon, and RainX-ed the glass, so we're almost ready for winter (snow-tyres/wheels still need to be swapped, but they're ready in the garage while we wait for the white-stuff):
    BTW - Anyone else interested in a quick get together in next couple of weeks, somewhere in the vicinity of Putnam, CT? Give some of us a chance to see Daisy's splendid Silver Prius, and swap stories, and have a bite to eat and a cup of coffee or three? - Wil ;)
     
    #545 WilDavis, Nov 13, 2015
    Last edited: Nov 13, 2015
    m.wynn likes this.
  6. daisy555

    daisy555 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2015
    1,296
    532
    0
    Location:
    CT
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Wow...she looks brand new!
     
  7. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2006
    7,028
    1,116
    0
    Location:
    South Jersey
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    No, the lights don't dim or brighten automatically.

    One temperature doesn't work for me either. The amount of light coming in through the windshield makes a big difference.

    How much stuff do you keep in the glove box? Do you still have the noise if it is empty? Since it is very easy to change the cabin air filter I would remove the glovebox. Does the noise stop when removed? If it is the source of the rattle I'd affix some felt pads.

    I would be surprised if you get anything beyond "Can not duplicate problem" from the service dept. on this.

    There isn't a squeegee inside the door and my 2006 didn't wipe water from the window either. It does sound like something is binding.

    Why do you need the salesman to make a service appointment? Call the shop yourself.

    I use Meguiars liquid wax but everyone has their favorite. Can't help with "scent free".
     
    daisy555 likes this.
  8. daisy555

    daisy555 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2015
    1,296
    532
    0
    Location:
    CT
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Salesman said he wanted to set up appointment. I'll call on Monday and arrange for service dept. tech to test drive car with me until we duplicate problem. It's not consistent but frequent enough for us to catch it. I've driven around with glove box open to see if I could get a closer sense of it. Need to empty next. Just manuals and a few plastic bags are there. I've even tried putting slight pressure on them to see if they are vibrating but very solid. It's almost sounding like it's coming from the vent between glove box and digital display. Driving me nuts when I hear it! : }

    Interesting the window is not squeaking after I opened it up during rain storm. There was definitely something binding but maybe it shifted with some moisture. Very strange because there were streaks occurring all along window. Who knows...

    Thanks for feedback!
     
  9. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2014
    2,489
    2,153
    49
    Location:
    Top RH Corner of RH Coast on L side of The Pond
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Any more takers for a possible face-to-face this weekend in Putnam, CT - just daisy555 and me so far…no one else? :cry:
     
    daisy555 likes this.
  10. daisy555

    daisy555 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2015
    1,296
    532
    0
    Location:
    CT
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    2000 mile update...

    Has anyone taken a turn at intersection and had a short beep come on? Sounded like seatbelt warning or back up beep but only one beep and no lights came on dashboard. Just happened and not repeated since.

    Noise coming from dashboard was fixed. Dashboard piece under tiny triangle shaped window was vibrating. No missing clamps so they used an interior noise kit. No left one is a little noisy but nothing like the right. : }

    Dashboard dimmer switch is being replaced at next appointment (warranty is over next week). Thought I was losing my mind when switch was intermittently failing to adjust lighting.

    So far digital display says my average mpg is 45. I haven't manually calculated yet.

    Hope all is well with everyone!

    Thanks!
     
  11. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2014
    2,489
    2,153
    49
    Location:
    Top RH Corner of RH Coast on L side of The Pond
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Haven't noticed any extra "beeps", however there is the occasional "bo-iiiingggg" (like a dull chime) on a slow, sharp, sudden right-hand turn coming from (it sounds like) under the driver's seat - I'm still trying to work out what my car is trying to tell me! (tool/umbrella/something rolling around and striking something under the seat??? …ah! the mysteries of driving a Prius!) Your mpg sounds about right for this time of year (weather, gas formula (which is changed according to the seasons))! …sounds like you're getting the hang of it! ;)

    …just checked, and sure enough there was a loose water bowl (for the kitties (in another life, I volunteer for a cat shelter)) on the floor, and sometimes as I cornered, my breaker-bar (...everybody carries a breaker-bar, right?) would roll around striking the bowl! (thanks for the reminder, daisy555!!!!) :)

    PS: …anyone else up for a get-together in the not-to-distant future? (…see previous posts)
     
    daisy555 likes this.
  12. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2006
    7,028
    1,116
    0
    Location:
    South Jersey
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    Daisy, it is the season for the "snowflake alert". When OAT drops to 37F a message flashes for a second on the MFD and I believe there is a chime (not sure as it has been too long ago.) It is the generic warning that bridges freeze before road surfaces.

    Is your grill blocked yet?
     
    daisy555 likes this.
  13. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2014
    2,489
    2,153
    49
    Location:
    Top RH Corner of RH Coast on L side of The Pond
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Interesting you mention that "snowflake alert", Jim - I was in Maine for part of the weekend, and as drove home last night, a couple of times I noticed a message "Outside Temp 37ºF" flash across the top of the MFD, no warning bell/chime, I noticed it out of the corner of my eye, and even more so when it occured again not much later. Thanks for the tip!
     
  14. daisy555

    daisy555 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2015
    1,296
    532
    0
    Location:
    CT
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Thanks! Temp was not that low when the chime occurred. I read that one chime will occur if smart key battery is low (haven't changed battery in this key because I haven't had problem with it again) but doubt that would happen as I was driving along.

    Gas gage issue today scared me terribly because I was afraid I might damage car. Wil already heard about this and I've read some posts on this topic.

    Gage started flashing as I was on my way to gas station. I pumped 2 gallons to get me by until I went to my regular station. The flashing gage wouldn't stop despite driving around and shutting off multiple times.Tried putting 2 more gallons but pump kept shutting off as if tank was full. Slowly clicked the 2 gallons into tank and still no change in gage. I've never let tank go below 1/4 before.

    Finally after driving 20 minutes and filling up tank, gage moved to full. While all of this was happening I realized I had filled tank two days ago and taken two 100 miles trips. Tank should not have been on empty. All along I've been feeling like I have to fill tank more often than expected but I've been ignoring it because of other things going on. Need to carefully keep track this time.

    Salesman (service not open today) said ball in tank could have been stuck causing tank to still read empty? He wasn't sure. I need to read more and call/email in the morning. Only have warranty until 12/8 so better be sure nothing is wrong. Could tank have suctioned into a smaller size due to pressure from being close to empty? I'm clueless again!

    I'll read more on the topic. Just want to be sure they are checking everything that could be causing this. I guess documenting the issue will help in case issue lingers.

    Thanks again!

    Edit: Yes, I've been spelling gauge incorrectly. No, haven't blocked grille yet. Will do that this week with Wil's help but really can't have it on car when bringing it in for diagnostics. My complicated life with Pria. : )
     
    #554 daisy555, Nov 29, 2015
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2015
  15. daisy555

    daisy555 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2015
    1,296
    532
    0
    Location:
    CT
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I just read that others hear a chime when gauge is flashing near empty. I didn't hear any chiming. Maybe that single chime last night had something to do with gas gauge but the flashing didn't occur until
    I was on the way to gas station today.
     
  16. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2014
    2,489
    2,153
    49
    Location:
    Top RH Corner of RH Coast on L side of The Pond
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Good idea to document everything! (…makes things easier to have a paper trail!) If you read all the other threads I mentioned earlier you will learn there are many varying opinions on what is actually happening to the flexi-bladder-thingy inside the fuel tank. One good reason never to let it run out of fuel is that the fuel-pump is cooled by having it immersed inside the fuel tank, so if the level goes way down, the pump runs the risk of overheating and the repair can be quite expensive, other reasons for avoiding running low on gas include not stirring up all the crud & sludge at the bottom of the tank, and of course the inconvenience of being stuck miles from a gas-station. When getting gas, I usually try to never let the gas-gauge go below ¼ (about 2 bars, I think), always fill to the first "click-cut-off", repeat, and then once more, and I mostly get my gas at the same station, from the same pump, so the car is parked in the same position (I realise that sounds incredibly OCD, but that's what the Hypermilers (and the ScanGauge folks) recommend, so that's my story, and I'm sticking to it! :rolleyes:) …here endeth the lesson! …let us now all sing the praises of Toyota!!!! …la la la la lah…:whistle::whistle::whistle::whistle: :sleep: :sleep::sleep::sleep::sleep::sleep: (y)
     
  17. daisy555

    daisy555 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2015
    1,296
    532
    0
    Location:
    CT
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I will NEVER go below 1/4 tank again after today. It was unusual circumstances and a good reminder especially with colder weather coming along! Seems like I'm putting gas in Prius almost as often as I was filling Vibe. Wasn't expecting that....obviously price per visit is less.

    Can't imagine how they would diagnose a gas tank bladder issue. Maybe it's either working or broken. I'll leave that up to the experts!
     
  18. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2006
    7,028
    1,116
    0
    Location:
    South Jersey
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    That's why it is called "the guess gauge". The gauge doesn't recognize a couple of added gallons. The bladder will expand and contact. Some days it will take more, some days less. That salesman is the first one that I've heard say that the tanks have balls.

    Generally I pumped 6 to 8 gallons usually once a week or so. I wasn't buying gas less frequently but I was buying half as much. The only way to keep track is to record your mileage and the gallons.

    Just get used to the car. You know where you want to buy gas on your regular route so you'll set up a routine. Don't be afraid to push a tank. There is a nominal 11.9 gallons in there. I figured 1 gallon per pip. At two pips think about buying gas. At one pip look to buy gas. Buy gas at the flashing pip. (You probably have another 1 or two gallons usable in the tank).

    There are so many noises and beeps I don't hear them any more.
     
    WilDavis likes this.
  19. daisy555

    daisy555 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2015
    1,296
    532
    0
    Location:
    CT
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Thanks....I've actually become used to most of the noises already. Now its's the ones that pop up out of nowhere when taking a turn that concern me. I heard a small scrape when turning a couple if times too. It's obviously my anxiety regarding something going wrong that could have been caught before warranty was up.

    I've logged mileage with this last fill up. I read somewhere that top part of gauge moves down faster than the second half. That's been quite noticeable to me.

    Thanks again for listening to my concerns. I am enjoying the driving experience! : )
     
  20. Hokie-Dave

    Hokie-Dave Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2005
    161
    41
    0
    Location:
    Manassas, VA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    The gas gauge will flash first for a while on one pip, after a while it will start chiming every once in a while just so you don't forget. When it starts chiming, a notice will also come on the top of your MFD stating "Add Fuel".