Cam Sensor Recall?

There is always a risk of 'charges' but I would be more interested in making sure the transaxle oil and inverter coolant have been changed. Both are fairly easy 'do-it-yourself' projects if you don't mind getting a little dirty.

In the Fall with winter coming soon, it is also a good idea to:

• throttle body cleaning
• 12 V battery check

This is a 'new' used car for you?

Bob Wilson

 

The 12 V. battery is located in the trunk on the left and there isn't a whole lot of room. Only a few batteries fit in the space and there is a vent hose hose which limits the options unless you are using one of the more rugged batteries.

Lets start with the DC voltage of the battery without the car running. The recommended approach is to measure the voltage at the battery terminals. With the car off, over 12 V with the car off and with it running 13.8 V or better. A weak battery will be under 12 V with the car off. There is no need to change the 12 V battery unless it either measures low or has trouble starting.

When I got my 2003 Prius in 2005, there were several long threads about adding sound insulation to the engine compartment and other parts to reduce noise. I know Doug had done some work in this area so it was an after-market effort.

We used to own a 2001 Echo and our 2003 Prius was significantly quieter. The 2001 Echo was not noisy but you sure could tell at highway speeds.

The inverter coolant bleeding is a little involved but not that big of a deal. The transaxle lubrication is fairly straight forward.

The message archives are the experts and I'm just here to share what others have often pioneered. You might also consider joining some of the Yahoo Groups that date back to 2000, "Prius Technical Stuff" and "toyota-prius" groups. By all means, use the search function at PriusChat to look for related postings. Often PriusChat includes photos and links to other web pages with more details. Of course, Google is your friend.

Bob Wilson

 

I'd like to recommend some strategic thoughts:

• ScanGauge (~$150) - this can provide hybrid vehicle and battery codes thanks to vincent1449p and w2co's efforts. It also provides quantitative numbers as well as diagnostic support and continues to receive user sustained development. For example, it also reads out the 12 V battery values, live. It doesn't record data but often, just seeing the values is enough. Having the codes can avoid a visit to the Toyota Service Center. There is a neat adapter w2co and vincent1449p figured out that works great especially if you add a diode and 9 V battery.
• Treat 65 mph as ideal highway speed - the car can run faster but 65 mph is very good for highway mileage. Even 70 mph is OK but not into a headwind. As for urban travel, 38 mph is really, really good. Any speed in the 45-65 mph range is also pretty good.
• Volume 2 maintenance manual (~$75 used) - this is the 'how to repair' manual so you can find any parts that may need replacing or repair. Do not buy any of the CD-ROMs, these are usually pirated and not from Toyota.
• Volume 1 maintenance manual (~$75 used) - this is the diagnostics manual that is the road map to the error codes.
• Transaxle oil change (~$50-60) - you'll need to order a gasket for when you drop the pan. Have a clean, dry water bottle to take a sample that for $20, if you feel like it, can be tested. However, we have enough samples, testing is more for your own curiosity.
• Inverter coolant change (~$25) - bleeding is a little tricky but no big deal if you're patient.
• Tires - inventory the tread depth of the current tires across all threads. Then in the Spring, measure them again. You also have two options on tire wear: (1) rotate tires to even the wear and have to buy four new tires when they wear out, or (2) let the front tires wear out first, move back forward and just put two new tires on car. I'm moving towards #2.
• ICE oil level - it needs to be just under the F mark, not above it. If it is above F, plan to drain enough to bring it just under F. Overfilled oil in the 1.5L engine is death to efficiency and has been implicated in accumulation of oil in the manifold.
• throttle cleaning - you can wait for the symptom or do some preventative maintenance.
• tire pressure - I run at the maximum sidewall pressure found on the side with +2 psi in the front compared to the rear. If the ride is not to your liking, let a little air out. Experiment to find a happy value. Check and add air every three months.
• traction battery - "heat is the enemy" and without instrumentation, it is hard to understand what warms them up. The Scangauge can be your friend.
• 38 mph is a great urban speed - this will also reward at the pump.
• 25 mph with frequent "N" for first mile or two - cut through the neighborhood to let it warm-up before putting a load on the car.
• 30-38 mph last mile - by staying in the speed range, the car will maximize final MPG.
• use moving trucks as pacing vehicles - on the highway, there are trucks that tend to cruise at 65 and they make great pacing vehicles. Use slow moving vehicles as camouflage on the road. Don't be in a hurry and you'll get there with great MPG.
• find a web site to record mileage - there are a lot but on my short list: myhybridcar .com; www .fueleconomy .gov; and fuely .com. You might also consider ecomodder .com, more for experimentalists.

This is my short list and others will have more. I'm not the only expert but one of a set of 'gray beards.' I didn't invent this list but learned it over time, since 2005, thanks to the pioneers.

Bob Wilson

 

It is a strong spring. You're looking for 'sticky' and it sounds like you're OK.

Try to measure the vehicle off voltage and let it be your guide. IF you need a boost, be very, very careful not to reverse the polarity. This has killed our computer operated cars in the past. The ultimate test is January-February after a cold-soak weekend.

I typically get about 1-2 years out of paper filters bought at WalMart or other cheap places. The main thing is the knock out the debris every Spring and Fall. It takes about this time for the fine material to block the paper.

Don't know.

GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson

 

Since the Classic air filter sits above the throttle body, I would recommend against using an oil-soaked air filter. The oil might drip onto the mass air flow sensor.