100,000 Mile Service. New Odd Behavior

I took Priapus to the dealership for a 100,000 mile service. Part of this was done because at 100k miles I felt that I should perform some of the suggested maintenance. Part of it was because there was a clanging sound coming from the front of the car when I would turn.

Having read Galaxie's post about what maintenance is needed and when, I was willing to accept certain items but declined others. It was mostly fluids and brakes. Here is the breakdown:

1. Resurfaced rotors and replaced front brake pads
2. Brake fluid flush
3. Rear brake clean and adjust shoes
4. Replace spark plugs
5. Fuel injector cleaning
6. Throttle plate inspection and cleaning

The mechanic explained that the clanging was not the CV joint, which I originally suspected, but rather the front brakes.

I got Priapus back on Wednesday and he immediately felt different. There was a constant physical feedback which I wrote off as "they let the air out of my tires." This was not the case as the tires were still at the pressure I set.

Rather, I now think of it like it feels as though I can "feel" the gears rotating. Almost as though they are "tighter" than they were previously. It's not as bad as dropping into B-mode but it's sort of like that. And there are other things I find disheartening.

• If the engine is not off when I come to a full stop, it will more often than not never shut down. I mean, almost an hour of driving and a two-minute stop, the engine will just sit there and idle at a low RPM.
• When I let my foot off the accelerator, there is a more dramatic drop in speed than previously. Even to the point that he decelerates on minor downhills.
• Even when I'm gliding (no arrows) I can feel this feedback.
• I've only had a few days with him but achievable mileage is noticeably lower.

I recognize that if a brand new owner typed the 'symptoms' I have listed, we would write them off and say that they need to get used to the car. But I have driven this car almost daily for nearly eight years. I drive the same route to/from work and know the mileage I should see for each segment. I have 100,000 miles of knowledge about this car. I know that something is very different and I don't like it.

 

So it looks like I'll be disconnecting the 12v.

Thanks for ht thought, Josh. Since they did Throttle Plate work, perhaps this is why it's idling. I'll let you know how it turns out.

As for the physical feedback I described, I'm not sure about the brakes rubbing but I'll jack up the wheels and spin them. I would describe the feedback as being more like driving on new tires (they're not) or on a metal grate. I'm half-thinking that they rotated the tires (perhaps accidentally) or that they are now ridiculously out of alignment. They allegedly didn't touch the alignment.

As though that's not bad enough, I have noticed that the dash is bowed up above the glove box. It was never like that before. There is an extremely noticeable gap and the leading edge of the dashboard is sticking up. To top it off, the top glove box only opens a little bit and doesn't stay open if you pull it up.

What a freakin' mess. I'm preparing to head out of town for a while and don't have time to deal with this right now. However, I will have my car with me and will visit friendly mechanics for their thoughts.

 

Nope. I had nearly 600 miles and 69.5mpg on the tank when I took it in. Though the mileage dropped like a stone, the mileage had barely moved. They merely move the car around the shop which wrecks the mileage. But I have to agree with Patrick: as much as I love my car, an '04 Prius is not exactly joyriding material.