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2006 Problems.......

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by JC91006, Jan 5, 2014.

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  1. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Hi All,

    Just purchased one of the members 2006 Prius. It wasn't in good condition and I knew that upfront. The price I paid justified the imperfections on the car. The car has 117k miles and it does burn oil. To the tune of 1 qt every 3000 miles according to the seller. However I believe it burns more than that amount now. I changed the oil and the dipstick reading was slightly below the minimum mark. The engine doesn't sound all that great but seems to run very well.

    I have 2 problems that I can't figure out. Maybe you guys can help me with it.

    1. I was cleaning the throttle body today and noticed there is oil in that area. I looked down the throttle plate (not sure what that's called), and there was a layer of oil on the bottom. I know oil is not suppose to be in that area. What could this be?

    The car had a leaking ice water pump and the coolant was a bit low, not sure if it could have overheated before.

    2. The car also has that buzzing sound (the sound hybrids make occasionally), but it happens almost every time I hit the brakes. It will buzz and stop after a few seconds. My 2008 didn't do this when I braked.

    The car seems to run fine so I don't know what to make of these things. Any comments would be appreciated.
     
    #1 JC91006, Jan 5, 2014
  2. vskid3

    vskid3 Active Member

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    A bad PCV valve could be the cause of the oil in the throttle body. They don't cost too much, but I think the Prius' is a pain to get to.
     
    #2 vskid3, Jan 5, 2014
  3. 00-00

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    #3 00-00, Jan 5, 2014
  4. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    The car is braking fine, there is no loss of brake pressure. I don't think mine lasts for a specific duration, it would turn on when I press the brake. It seems better once the car warms and I have driven a few miles.
     
    #4 JC91006, Jan 5, 2014
  5. 00-00

    00-00 Member

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    Mine would brake fine also. When the brake pedal is depressed,some of the pressure in the brake accumulator is used up. The brake accumulator pump motor activates to replenish the lost pressure. I'm guessing that your buzzing noise is the bearings starting to bo bad in the motor.
    On mine, not only were my bearings bad, but my accumulator wasn't maintaining the required pressure, thus repeated cycling.
     
    #5 00-00, Jan 5, 2014
  6. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    How difficult is it to replace this part? What's the cost for new replacement?

    I do hear it cycling as well but it's mostly when I brake. I'm not sure how that would affect anything if it brakes fine. Could it be a hazard to drive?
     
    #6 JC91006, Jan 5, 2014
  7. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    1. It actually is normal for a thin layer of hydrocarbons to have collected in the intake manifold below the throttle body. The reason for that is the engine operates on the Atkinson cycle which means that the intake valves for a given cylinder are still open as the piston starts to move upwards in the compression cycle. Hence some of the air/fuel mixture will enter the intake manifold and will condense over time.

    Replace the engine coolant pump now if the leak is sufficient to cause the level in the radiator to be low. Do not rely solely on checking the level in the overflow tank.

    2. It sounds like your brake actuator pump has a leak which is causing hydraulic pressure to not be maintained, which forces the brake actuator motor to run more frequently than normal. Eventually this will get to the point where the skid control ECU will log a DTC and then you'll see a brake-related warning light appear.

    The brake actuator assembly is located on the firewall and can be seen after you remove the sheet metal cowl tray that the windshield wiper motor sits on. You'll need to have a Toyota dealer purge air out of the brake lines, should you decide to DIY the actuator replacement, since Techstream is required as part of the fluid bleeding process to open the solenoids within the brake actuator. The cost for dealer installation of a new part will probably be in the high three-digits and may approach four-digits.
     
    #7 Patrick Wong, Jan 5, 2014
  8. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Thanks Patrick for the reply. I read another thread regarding the brake actuator and mentioned something about bleeding the brakes to solve the problem. Do you think that would work? The seller told me he had replaced the brakes on the car not too long ago, could that have anything to do with the actuator leak?

    The oil that I saw on the bottom of the intake manifold was not present on my 2008 when I clean the throttle body. When I wiped it up, it looked like a combination of oil and wet carbon deposits. Looked quite dirty
     
    #8 JC91006, Jan 5, 2014
  9. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I do not think that bleeding the brake hydraulic lines will help the issue of the actuator pump continually running.

    Regarding the fluid accumulation on the intake manifold, note that a small amount of exhaust gases may enter the intake manifold to the extent that the piston exhaust stroke does not completely push all combustion products out of the combustion chamber. That will add to the carbon deposits you noted.

    Also, I haven't really noticed much of a fluid accumulation on any of the three Prius I have owned, so part of the issue may be differing driving habits.
     
    #9 Patrick Wong, Jan 5, 2014
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  10. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Another member has replied that a bad PCV valve would cause oil to get inside the manifold. I know I've cleaned many throttle bodies before and can't remember ever seeing oil present. Thank goodness it's not an overheat or head gasket issue. I was quite worried.
     
    #10 JC91006, Jan 5, 2014
  11. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    That is possible, and you can find the PCV valve on the end of the engine valve cover, nearest to the inverter. You'll have to remove the engine wiring harness over the valve cover for access.
     
    #11 Patrick Wong, Jan 5, 2014
  12. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    This seems to be a reasonably common issue, I've seen several people report seeing a layer like that. I don't think it's all that serious, but changing the PCV valve could help.

    Make sure you keep it topped off, and make sure you check the level under the actual radiator cap, and not just in the overflow reservoir.

    It sounds like the accumulator is not holding it's pressure as well as your 2008. If it wasn't holding pressure at all then the pump would run continuously, so it mightn't be too bad. I guess it could also be something as simple as worn (or badly adjusted) brake shoes, hence needing a longer stroke which uses more vacuum each time they're applied.

    Hey what's the story here. How long have you driven it and why weren't you checking the oil and topping off as necessary? Sorry to be the one to say it, but it does seems like odd behavior for someone who is concerned oil consumption (re your other threads).
     
    #12 uart, Jan 6, 2014
  13. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    I just bought the car last week, and yes I'm paranoid about these things so I'm already working on fixing them.

    Another thing I have that whining noise when I shut down the car from the coolant heater storage pump. There are a lot of problems with this car!!
     
    #13 JC91006, Jan 6, 2014
  14. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    I was driving it tonight to see if I can predict when this actuator sound comes on. It seems to also come on when I accelerate from a stop, but only for a second or two. It's not always when I'm applying the brakes.
     
    #14 JC91006, Jan 6, 2014
  15. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    That is the very least of the various issues you've described and can be safely ignored.
     
    #15 Patrick Wong, Jan 6, 2014
  16. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Ok no problems, running the oil that low isn't ideal but it shouldn't have hurt anything. Just keep your eye on it.

    Obviously you can't judge the oil consumption yet, there's just not enough information.
     
    #16 uart, Jan 6, 2014
  17. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    I will have the rear brakes checked out soon, hopefully that might be the cause of the excessive accumulator noise.

    I did however successfully repaired the loose rear spoiler and garnish assembly that broke off. The rear spoiler had 2 bolts that came off, just had to tighten them back on. The garnish assembly bolts/clips were all broken off. I used some epoxy for plastics and was able to glue everything back. One bad thing, it won't be able to come off anymore with ease.......gonna have to rip that darn thing out next time around.

    One thing I did notice about the 2006 vs 2008, it seems much more powerful. Not sure why, it comes off a complete stop much faster than the 2008
     
    #17 JC91006, Jan 6, 2014
  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    at least you got a good price and can afford to make all the repairs necessary. all the best!(y)
     
    #18 bisco, Jan 6, 2014
  19. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    If I really were to make all the repairs necessary, it would end up costing more than a similar car without the problems.

    I didn't mention the state of the car body yet.

    I was going to use it as a delivery vehicle so I didn't mind all the body imperfections. But I didn't expect to find the mechanical issues that I've found.
     
    #19 JC91006, Jan 6, 2014
  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    ouch, sorry to hear that.:(
     
    #20 bisco, Jan 6, 2014
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