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Told I need to replace transmission

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Prius Sam, Oct 18, 2014.

  1. Prius Sam

    Prius Sam New Member

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    Hey everyone its my first time posting. :)

    I have a 06 prius that decided to conk out on me the other day. I pulled over to the side of the road restarted it and it worked fine but all the warning lights were on. Next morning it wouldn't start. Had it towed to the dealer they said it needed a $5,000 transmission. I said no thank you, and took it to a local mechanic who quoted me $2,800

    Basicaly he said the inverter inside the transmission is fried. (supposedly from when the recalled water pumps would make it overheat). He said he has a transmission already that he could put in for $2,800. He also said he couldn't find just the inverter. (I did a quick search and found on in 5 minutes from a scrap yard for $300)

    My main question is can I put an inverter or a transmission (if i decide just to replace the whole thing) from a 2005 prius into my 2006? I'm pretty sure I can but wanted to ask someone who knows anything about cars. It would be awesome to fix it for $1,000 instead of $5,000.

    Any other advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
     
    #1 Prius Sam, Oct 18, 2014
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    how many miles on your car?

    yes you can use an inverter and transaxle from 2005
     
    #2 JC91006, Oct 18, 2014
  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    As you probably already figured out, there is a difference between the inverter and the transaxle. So your first task is to figure out exactly what has failed. Mini VCI is an excellent diagnostic tool (Toyota Techstream clone) which will help you do that.

    Once you've figured out the failed part, the transaxle is interchangeable across 2G model years but make sure the replacement inverter part number is the same as the original - if not that may cause some incompatibility issues between the inverter and the hybrid vehicle ECU.

    It is pretty easy to replace the inverter (assuming you have reasonable DIY skills) and more difficult to replace the transaxle. There are many posts about how to do both. Good luck.
     
    #3 Patrick Wong, Oct 18, 2014
  4. Prius Sam

    Prius Sam New Member

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    Its got 147,000
     
    #4 Prius Sam, Oct 18, 2014
  5. Prius Sam

    Prius Sam New Member

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    The mechanic said its the inverter. He said the reason the Dealer was going to replace the entire transaxle is because you cant have a 3g inverter with a 2g transmission because of compatibility issues. I recently moved to the area so unfortunately I haven't found a trusted mechanic yet.

    I will make sure the part number matches. Thanks. I would love to do it myself but I'm currently in an apartment and don't have the means at this time.
     
    #5 Prius Sam, Oct 18, 2014
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    isn't the inverter 10/150?
     
    #6 bisco, Oct 18, 2014
  7. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    If you correctly understood the mechanic, this makes no sense. Clearly you would find and install a replacement 2G inverter, assuming the inverter is the failed part.

    A competent dealer tech would have the parts department source a new 2G inverter on behalf of the customer who was willing to pay $$$$ to have a new part installed. There is absolutely no need to replace the transaxle if that part is still good.

    Only if the OP has a car that was first sold and continuously registered in California or another state which had adopted CA emissions regs prior to the vehicle's first sale. Otherwise the inverter would be covered by the standard hybrid components warranty, 8 years/100K miles.
     
    #7 Patrick Wong, Oct 18, 2014
  8. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Are we sure that a new inverter coolant problem would not fix the problem ?
     
    #8 SageBrush, Oct 18, 2014
  9. Prius Sam

    Prius Sam New Member

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    I'm going to Question him more on Monday, it just seems like what he's saying isn't lining up. I'll let you know.
     
    #9 Prius Sam, Oct 18, 2014
  10. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Sam, your location ?
     
    #10 SageBrush, Oct 18, 2014
  11. Prius Sam

    Prius Sam New Member

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    #11 Prius Sam, Oct 18, 2014
  12. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Consider 'Taylor Automotive' in Sanford for diagnosis and repair.

    I originally asked for your location because I was curious whether DIY garages might be available. There are some around the country, but not in Raleigh so far as I could tell. Charlotte was the closest.
     
    #12 SageBrush, Oct 18, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2014
  13. PriusToo

    PriusToo Junior Member

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    Tao Auto in Ralegh is a good place.

    Some folks work out of these storage places, often with enough space.
     
    #13 PriusToo, Oct 18, 2014
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