1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Hi all, new Prius v owner

Discussion in 'Prius v Main Forum' started by farmecologist, Jan 31, 2018.

  1. farmecologist

    farmecologist Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2015
    1,945
    1,785
    0
    Location:
    Southern MN
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    II
    Did the front struts this weekend. Took far longer than anticipated ( as usual ). Will try to post some photos at some point..although I don't have many.

    Just for fun...here is all the stuff I have done to this car since purchase...to bad I can't put this up in the first post.

    ---128,009
    o OIL CHANGE - MOBIL1
    o Used BG-EPR treatment before oil change.
    o Replaced Engine Air Filter and Cabin Air Filter.
    o Replaced Engine Under Vehicle Splash Covers.
    o Installed Clazzio Seat Covers.
    o Replaced 12V Battery.
    o Cleaned Hybrid battery Fan.
    o Changed Transmission Fluid.
    o Changed Engine coolant.
    o Changed Inverter Coolant.
    ---128,532
    o Manifold Cleaning.
    o Changed PCV valve & tube.
    o Changed Spark plugs.
    o EGR Cleaning.
    o Rear Brakes.
    o Front Brakes.
    ---130,267
    o Rear Shocks.
    o Front Strut Assembly.


    Thanks to @NutzAboutBolts, Surfer Dan, and the crew here for the help and awesome videos!

    Edit - It wanted to embed the video links..so I removed them for now.
     
    #81 farmecologist, Jun 3, 2018
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2018
    NutzAboutBolts and Raytheeagle like this.
  2. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,474
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Look forward to any tips as you went through the replacement of the struts as our 2010 will need them soon;).

    Pricing out options now(y).
     
    farmecologist likes this.
  3. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 5, 2013
    1,476
    1,551
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Probably the same as any suspension work on the Toyota lol
     
    farmecologist likes this.
  4. farmecologist

    farmecologist Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2015
    1,945
    1,785
    0
    Location:
    Southern MN
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    II
    First recommendation is to get a car that doesn't have rusted suspension components! (y) I have spent more time cleaning the existing components than anything else. Looks like you should be OK there.

    Second recommendation is to get full assemblies. Some call them 'quick struts'. Eliminated the need to do spring compression, etc...Great for the DIY'er. Plus, with my vehicle any new vs. reused component is a good thing ( i.e. - rust ).


    Yes but the vids sure help when you haven't done any suspension work before. (y)
     
    NutzAboutBolts and Raytheeagle like this.
  5. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,474
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Recommendation #1: check :).

    Recommendation #2: I will price and keep that in mind ;).

    Did you have to worry about alignment afterwards, as I’m gonna have to probably get that checked when performing the work I have a feeling:whistle:?

    Thanks for the info (y).
     
  6. farmecologist

    farmecologist Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2015
    1,945
    1,785
    0
    Location:
    Southern MN
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    II
    Just took it for a drive ( it was too late when I finished the job yesterday ) :D. Looks like it will need an alignment. Not alarming because this is the way it was when I got it ( a slight pull to the right and the steering wheel is not quite centered ). I'm waiting for sway bars to be delivered and after that I will get the alignment done.

    Edit: @Raytheeagle this post answers your question above. Got caught on a cross post. (y)
     
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  7. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2015
    2,254
    2,233
    2
    Location:
    Orange County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I have done the clazzio two tone scheme. I like it better. It is a special order and so you will have to wait longer, but its worth it. I have attached photos....
     

    Attached Files:

    jerrymildred and farmecologist like this.
  8. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,474
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    What brand did you go with:whistle:?
     
  9. farmecologist

    farmecologist Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2015
    1,945
    1,785
    0
    Location:
    Southern MN
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    II
    Folks are not going to like my answer..and I struggled with my decision for a while. However, I went with Sensen (yes, I really did :whistle:) because it is the only 'quick strut' assembly I could find for the Prius v (wagon). Note that the v (wagon) strut does differ from the liftback quite a bit.

    Yes, there are 'horror stories' out there on Youtube ( well at least one infamous video ) about Sensen. However, the more I looked into it the more I found that yes, many people use Sensen without issue....and many other brands fail too ( along with the requisite 'horror stories' ). Also seems like they have gotten better. I looked over complaints about them and many were due to 'bad welds'. Knowing that, I looked over the struts quite a bit and they look great to me ( nice clean welds, etc.. ). They also ride quite nice. I'll keep an eye on them and if they wear out faster or look suspect...oh well lesson learned. :D

    Please folks...I don't want to start a religious war about struts here...so please refrain from doing that here...pretty please? (y)

    Ironically, I also ordered some 'premium' sway bars :

    2 FRONT SWAY BAR LINKS FOR TOYOTA PRIUS V 2012-2015 | eBay

    And they are *really* nice and sturdy. However, I'm contacting the seller due to the weld points :

    IMG_5386.jpg IMG_5387.jpg

    Is it just me or do the weld points look odd....or am I being too picky? At any rate, they do not look anything like the photos on the product page. Unfortunate because other than that they look fantastic.
     
    #89 farmecologist, Jun 4, 2018
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2018
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  10. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,474
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Those swap bar end welds do look a bit janky (that’s a technical term):(.

    Other than that they look stout:).

    I’ve found some quick assemblies on Amazon that will work. Had decent reviews;).

    I figure since the originals are still in ok shape after 180 k miles, these will probably complete the useable life of our Prius :).

    Thanks for the information (y).
     
    farmecologist likes this.
  11. farmecologist

    farmecologist Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2015
    1,945
    1,785
    0
    Location:
    Southern MN
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    II
    So here is the reply from the seller when I asked if I could get replacement sway bar that 'look decent'. :D

    "no. welding is good. if you do not believe me. you can bend it to see whether it is broken or not. we did test a lot already."

    I get the impression they don't want to replace it..sigh..:D And it does imply they 'test' them at the factory. Note that this airmailed direct from Taiwan ( and went thru Anchorage, Alaska ) so I'm assuming this is 'direct from the factory. It does seem sturdy..maybe I will use it?
     
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  12. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    3,902
    1,064
    0
    Location:
    New Yawk
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    They "test a lot", which I interpret to mean they make random QC inspections.

    Those welds look terrible; sticky and run too fast.
     
    #92 Air_Boss, Jun 5, 2018
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2018
    farmecologist and Raytheeagle like this.
  13. farmecologist

    farmecologist Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2015
    1,945
    1,785
    0
    Location:
    Southern MN
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    II
    Ok you guys convinced me...I will demand a decent replacement. So the technical name for a bad weld like this is what then?

    Unfortunately, I'm thinking they will put up a fight. However, when you compare the product page info with my photos above...it seems like I *should* have enough info to make a case with Ebay when they disagree. However, you never know with Ebay these days. :mad:
     
    #93 farmecologist, Jun 5, 2018
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2018
  14. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    3,902
    1,064
    0
    Location:
    New Yawk
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
  15. farmecologist

    farmecologist Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2015
    1,945
    1,785
    0
    Location:
    Southern MN
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    II

    Nifty. Thanks!

    BTW - here is the photo from the product page with nice clean welds :
    Sway_Bars_Product_page.jpg

    The welds on the units I got ( Hi all, new Prius v owner | Page 5 | PriusChat ) certianly do look horrible compared to that! :eek: I'm not sure what category I would put it in when looking at your 'weld problems' picture though.
     
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  16. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    3,902
    1,064
    0
    Location:
    New Yawk
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Category is "unlike what is shown in their ads"... which could be because heat too high and speed too fast or slow. Very sloppy welds.
     
    Raytheeagle and farmecologist like this.
  17. farmecologist

    farmecologist Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2015
    1,945
    1,785
    0
    Location:
    Southern MN
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    II
    For the record....after I submitted the comparison photos above via an official return request, and pointed out it is a potential safety issue, I got the refund without any whining. So now that it is settled I'm going to go with genuine Toyota sway bar links. (y) However, I was only going to change them since 'I was in there' when I did the struts and I'm past that point now. :D If I do decide to change them it will be a very easy job compared to the struts...that's for sure!

    BTW - looking at photos of genuine sway bar links it appears they are one single unit...with no weld points like these had. Seems like a much better design. Maybe the Toyota engineers do know what they are doing..eh? ;)

    Edit : Moog is a good brand..correct? Looks like very good quality.
     
    #97 farmecologist, Jun 7, 2018
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2018
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  18. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,474
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Just an aside: Moog are made all over the globe, so quality can be spotty:(.

    Bought a Moog hub assembly for the right front and I already hear it again after about 7 k miles:cool:.

    The Dura Go hub I bought for 1/3 the price is still rolling along well after 10 k miles on the driver front :).

    Good luck with your purchase (y).
     
    mjoo and farmecologist like this.
  19. taxibuddy

    taxibuddy Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2018
    79
    57
    0
    Location:
    Atlanta
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    Sorry the the late reply!

    About the blown mind, I work in the industry and have experiencing design, building, and servicing various battery management systems and I'm familiar with the principle of operation. My amazement is not related to the functionality, but rather the high cost and labor requirements of this particular product. I've made some more detailed posts on this topic elsewhere on the forum so I won't repeat the details of my reasoning now. My apologies for not being clearer on that point.

    To the second question, the data is all from priuschat. There is a very long thread which I would encourage you to read in full which supports what I stated. For example, if you read the thread you'll see that people are choosing to do these reconditions over holiday weekends in order to have enough time to complete the procedure. It's also clear from the thread that at least one priuschat member has failed a battery by using the product in question.
     
  20. taxibuddy

    taxibuddy Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2018
    79
    57
    0
    Location:
    Atlanta
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    This article, or at least the sources it references, are about a decade old. To my knowledge Toyota doesn't offer or recommend anything other than a new Toyota pack. Beyond that, the reconditioning method mentioned in the article would apply to a pack that has already failed and is radically different method than using the product in question. The only similarity is that the word "recondition" is used in both instances.

    All that being said, a financial calculation that you make given that your pack has failed will be fundamentally different than a financial calculation you make when your pack is still healthy. When the pack is healthy, it's proper to consider the risk of inadvertently damaging your pack by using this product, the risk that you may prolong the pack's life until just beyond the warranty period, the likelihood that you will receive no financial benefits from using the product during the time you own the vehicle, the extent to which the product price could offset the cost of a new or aftermarket replacement pack, how you might prefer to spend your holiday weekends, and so on.

    There's more but I'm just rehashing what I've already said. Those who are curious can search my posts and find the rest. As one final example, however, there is a recent thread about a 2012 Prius that is about to be totaled after a minor accident. That can happen to anyone. If that owner had spent his money and holidays babysitting his car then all his money and effort would have been a complete waste.