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

Engine shake - Gen3 2013 Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Antal Gergely Kote, Dec 17, 2019.

Tags:
  1. Antal Gergely Kote

    Antal Gergely Kote New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2019
    4
    1
    0
    Location:
    Hungary
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Hey,

    I've some strange vibration under medium acceleration from my car. It's only coming when the engine is nice and warm. If it's cold, there is zero shaking or vibration. There is no vibration under EV mode also.
    My car is a 2012 Gen3 prius with 93 000 miles in it. And the vibration only appears in under a certain acceleration. Nothing above or below.

    It isn't consume any oil or water as far as I see it.
    The EGR has been cleaned, and I've put in some new Denso spark plugs in it, but the shake is still there. I've also added some fuel injection cleaner (OEM Toyota).


    Also, the shake is more likely to come when the batteries are down and the car is in ECO - mode and you start a medium acceleration from zero or going up in a hill with steady, slow speed.
    If you push the accelerator pedal towards from that point where it's shaking, the shake goes away.


    Any idea what can be the problem?


    Also, when there is the shake appears and you step of the gas pedal there is a slight rattle noise but it's only coming when the vehicle can't switch itself to EV.


    P.S.:

    There is no check engine light or anything other.
     
    #1 Antal Gergely Kote, Dec 17, 2019
  2. tankyuong

    tankyuong Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2012
    1,555
    660
    0
    Location:
    Central MO
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    II
    Clean the the intake manifold and throttle body add a oil catch can, if it consumes antifreeze then you have blown head gasket
     
    #2 tankyuong, Dec 17, 2019
    SidecarThief and Antal Gergely Kote like this.
  3. Antal Gergely Kote

    Antal Gergely Kote New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2019
    4
    1
    0
    Location:
    Hungary
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Intake manifold has been cleaned with the egr.
    I am not sure about the throttle body.
     
    #3 Antal Gergely Kote, Dec 18, 2019
  4. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2013
    5,884
    3,486
    0
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Did you clean the EGR cooler and pipe? These will be pretty clogged up when approaching 100K miles. Clean the EGR Throttle is not the same as cleaning the EGR cooler.
     
    #4 orenji, Dec 18, 2019
  5. Antal Gergely Kote

    Antal Gergely Kote New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2019
    4
    1
    0
    Location:
    Hungary
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    III

    I've handled it out to my mechanic.
    He told me they cleaned the EGR valve and the intake manifold. They might left out the cooler... I'll ask them.

    Thanks for the tip!

    Yesterday, I didn't noticed the shake on eco so much, but on very low speeds and on low throttle there was this terible rattle noise. (cruising around 5 miles/h
     
    #5 Antal Gergely Kote, Dec 19, 2019
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,703
    38,242
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Watch Video #17 here for complete EGR cleaning:

    Nutz About Bolts Prius Maintenance Videos | PriusChat

    There's several other related videos worth to watch too, in particular EGR Pipe Cleaning (#16), Intake Manifold Cleaning (#24) and Oil Catch Can Install (#25).

    More info:

    The simplest way to see where you're at, is to check the degree of carbon build up in the EGR pipe, a stainless steel connecting pipe between the EGR valve and intake manifold. Watch @NutzAboutBolts video #16 here:

    Nutz About Bolts Prius Maintenance Videos | PriusChat

    Two or three other videos linked there too, for the full cleaning of the intake manifold, full EGR clean, and Oil Catch Can install.

    Good thread:

    EGR & Intake Manifold Clean Results | PriusChat

    Another:

    Oil Catch Can, Eliminate that knock! | PriusChat

    Some tools worth having:

    E8 Torx socket (mandatory)
    E6 Torx socket (optional, but good to have, to remove the throttle body studs from intake manifold)
    3/8" ratchet wrench, regular and long handle, flex head, you can never have enough (or 1/2 plus reducer)
    1/4" ratchet wrench, or 3/8" to 1/4" reducer
    Ratchet extensions: you can never have enough
    Long needle nose piers, straight and bent tip
    Ratcheting 12mm box wrench (optional, but makes disconnection of the EGR cooler from exhaust easier)
    Torque wrench (3/8" and 1/4" both good to have)
    Floor jack and safety stands (or ramps): basically some method to raise front, if you need to take underpanel off, which you may need to, both for access and to recover dropped items.
     
    #6 Mendel Leisk, Dec 19, 2019
    NutzAboutBolts likes this.
  7. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2017
    6,113
    4,040
    1
    Location:
    Wilkes Land
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Of course they will. It’s a way to get you back in the door again. Hook line sinker, They’ll then take the cooler out and clean to milk you for more money.
     
    #7 Grit, Dec 19, 2019
  8. Antal Gergely Kote

    Antal Gergely Kote New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2019
    4
    1
    0
    Location:
    Hungary
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    III



    Thank you!

    Also, the EGR pipe was quite cloged. They sent me some pics about it.
     
    #8 Antal Gergely Kote, Dec 20, 2019
    SidecarThief likes this.
  9. JCEze

    JCEze Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2020
    5
    0
    0
    Location:
    HUntsville, AL
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Have you corrected the problem? Final solution?
     
    #9 JCEze, Jul 25, 2020
  10. AbdullaImtiaz

    AbdullaImtiaz New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2024
    1
    0
    0
    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I have the same problem, i blocked the egr pipe by steel plate but still when driving at contant speed it shakes. Did you find any solution to it?
     
    #10 AbdullaImtiaz, Mar 30, 2024
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)