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Axle Schmaxle

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by ion, May 27, 2010.

  1. ion

    ion New Member

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    Opps. This isn't supposed to happen to one owner in the space of a week. I just found out in addition to my MDF problem I am now the dealing with either a transaxle or transmission problem. About a year ago I detected a dry crunching noise coming from the left front wheel area of my 2004 Prius, when I turned right at a stop sign. I took it to my dealership and they said it was a case of 'dry boot', which they lubricated. Still, the problem persisted. This week I took it in for an oil change and asked that they look again. They assessed it as a defective left transaxle. They ordered a new one and installed it. Still the noise persisted. They removed it. They then talked to Toyota super techs and decided it must be the right axle. Ordered and instlaled that and nope, still the noise. Now they are looking at the transmission. Very frustrating. There goes the gas savings for the next 700 years, unless it's a warranty issue.
     
    #1 ion, May 27, 2010
  2. donee

    donee New Member

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    Hi Ion,

    How many miles on that 2004? A more common problem to those symptoms is a wheel bearing. Do you drive over unpaved roads allot, that a boot would get torn up?
     
    #2 donee, May 27, 2010
  3. jelloslug

    jelloslug It buffed right out!

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    I would find another "Toyota super tech" if their way of diagnosing a problem is throwing parts at it until the problem goes away. You should also ask for reimbursement for the parts that they replaced that were unneeded.
     
    #3 jelloslug, May 27, 2010
  4. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    +1
     
    #4 qbee42, May 27, 2010
  5. ion

    ion New Member

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    Brief update: Car is still sitting in the dealership lot, waiting for word from above re the possible need for a new tranny. Toyota Canada is taking their time in dealing with it. I suppose they have their hands full these days. To answer an earlier post in the thread, the dealership is not, to their credit, trying to put any costs on me regarding their earlier misjudgements. New transmission is a $7000 job, so I sit and wait to hear what they plan to do or not.
     
    #5 ion, May 28, 2010
  6. ion

    ion New Member

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    130,000km, no rough roads, no torn boots.
     
    #6 ion, May 28, 2010
  7. Mr.Vanvandenburg

    Mr.Vanvandenburg Active Member

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    My experience with worn CV joints is once the sound appears,(when turning and under acceleration, not straight ahead), it is very close to failure. It is a knocking sound. This happened on a Honda Accord, twice, and VW Vanagon, once. If there is such a thing as "dry boot" they didn't fix the problem undrying it. Just what in a transmission could fail that only is bad when turning?

    Cars can need repairs, all of them, the Prius still saves the money, the way I see it.
     
    #7 Mr.Vanvandenburg, May 28, 2010
  8. justin time

    justin time Junior Member

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    Sounds like a CV joint. Had a Honda Civic Wagon that started making horrible noises and acting strange about two years ago. My first FWD car(other than an '68 Saab 96 for about 6 mos.), wasn't sure what it was but though it might be a CV(noise only coming from L front). After an emergency trip to a dealer and two to a local independent shop no one could find the problem, though they managed to find plenty of others. As it kept getting worse, took it one last time to the local and had them go over the front with a fine tooth comb. After replacing the L front axel, looking at the old one showed me how lucky I'd been. One of the CVs was at the point of catastrophic failure.
     
    #8 justin time, May 28, 2010
  9. ion

    ion New Member

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    Anyone who followed my thread on axle problems should know that there is no happy ending. In spite of not fixing the problem I was charged $356 for labour. In the end the dealership removed and replaced both axles, only to find out that wasn't the problem. They of course had to then reinstall the originals. After consulting with Toyota Canada, the Dealership came to the decision that it might be a front bearing and assembly, although they wouldn't know until they replaced it. Which by the way was a suggestion made on this chat forum by a member at a cost of 0$. Today, I am struggling to get the Dealership GM on the phone to get him to explain his company's policy of 'a day's pay for a day of no gain'. And apparently, he's having trouble accepting my point of view, nothing gained, nothing lost...$$. Now the pain has gone from my wallet to that part of me that sits on it. Amen to this sorry event. Thanks to all with suggestions.
     
    #9 ion, Jun 15, 2010
  10. northwichita

    northwichita .

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    About a year ago I detected a dry crunching noise coming from the left front wheel area of my 2004 Prius, when I turned right at a stop sign. I took it to my dealership and they said it was a case of 'dry boot', which they lubricated. Still, the problem persisted. This week I took it in for an oil change and asked that they look again.

    Are you up for opinions on this problem? I would be surprised that a wheel bearing would have the same 'problem' for over a year.

    Possibly.... the wheel strut mount .... actually I'd suggest taking the car to a good front end shop for diagnosis and repair. In the worse case scenario that the transmission is causing the problem, and you choose to replace it, there are tranny shops that will install used transaxles . Since the problem only occurs during turns, this seems very unlikely to me however.

    link about strut mounts I just found from kyb with video
    http://www.kyb.com/technical/what.php
     
    #10 northwichita, Jun 15, 2010
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