Central Florida H E L P

Did the dealer do the recall work? You need to atleast start with that. It isn't going to cost anything.

 

That's a good place to start. No sense in doing anything if the 12V is iffy, and the IC pump needs to be replaced anyway. It would also be very helpful to have the individual block voltages read off, V1, V2 ... V14. They should have done this as part of pulling the diagnostic codes. For example, if one of the block voltages is 0, that usually indicates a broken sense wire, while having one of the block voltages 1.2V less than the rest means a bad cell in one module.

 

Yes good idea. With so many different codes it would be a good idea to be sure of the 12V battery before doing anything else.

Robin : Follow my link in reply #12 above and get a voltage reading for the 12 volt battery.

Also, can you let us know of any driveabilty issue you're having. Does the car lack power and the engine rev a lot? Do you notice rapid swings in the "state of charge" display (the 8 bar purple/blue/green display that indicates traction battery charge). Please list any driveabilty issues you noticed during or leading up to the problems you're currently having.

 

The first story I would be interested in is what dealer was the car taken to? An "odd code P0A93," "pretty sure that means that the crankshaft position sensor is showing a malfunction." Is he joking?

Do a search on this forum. P0A93. Clearly for the Inverter Coolant System Performance. Got it right here on the Advance Auto Parts printout they did gratis. Here is one of 100K other links on the Internet telling about it: Toyota Questions - what does code P0A93 in a toyota prius mean - JustAnswer . If these numbskulls don't know what P0A93 is they shouldn't be mechanics.

All the other codes, while extremely serious if they were true, are HIGHLY questionable. I would guess that the original battery has never been replaced, and is the culprit. You can get the elearnaid Optima battery and be much better off, if you can do it yourself. Here is the thread on that: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...eshooting/90763-need-replace-12v-battery.html . Otherwise you'll have to use the Toyota battery and probably pay an exhorbitant price to a dealer to install it. If you could get the car and either one of the batteries to Bartow I could install it in 10 minutes for you as my good deed for the day.

 

She can buy the battery from the dealership. I think the going rate is about $140. The unknown is how much the dealership will try to charge for the installation.

Very kind of you to offer to put the battery in. At least for me, the first DIY of most things in the Prius is a bit of a head scratcher, the second time is a breeze and I wonder why I was so slow.

 

Has the recall work been done yet? Did you replace the 12v battery?

 

I'm stunned. Not electrocuted, but definitely stunned.

 

No, it can't be.

So does this mean that instead of changing the 12V battery, which is extremely simple, then getting the Inverter Coolant Pump recall done, which is free, another main hybrid battery was found in Tampa and swapped with the one in the car? So several hundred dollars and probably five hours of work, at least that when you count driving to Tampa and back?

My opinion is that now you've got two fine hybrid batteries, one swapped into the Prius and the other sitting on the floor of the garage. Time for the BMS+ system so you can use this other battery.

 

Ok I'll be interested to hear how it turns out. Make sure you let us know.

 

DTC P0A90 "Drive Motor A Performance".

There is a problem with the drivetrain, and the repair manual suggests several tests. If the tests do not reveal a problem then the transaxle will need to be replaced which will result in a major repair bill, well into four-digits - $6K or so for installation of a new transaxle.

 

It can be the HV Battery current sensor. It depends on the sub code.

 

About the lowest you might expect to pay to have a used transaxle installed is $1500. That involves sourcing a salvage trans yourself from a junkyard and finding an independent shop to install it. An independent with a Toyota focus would be a good choice. Typical practice is to drop the engine and trans together and separate them outside the car, as it is a PITA to leave the engine in place. It is not too different from removing the transmission from a conventional FWD car. But, going this route carries little or no guarantee if it doesn't fix your problem.

You have been offered a very generous deal on the new transaxle. The installation price is very reasonable for a dealership, and the part itself is deeply underneath MSRP. It appears to me like they are going above and beyond to help you out.

The only sensor that could be faulty is the current sensor in the HV battery pack. With P0A90, there are additional 3 digit codes called sub codes or INF codes. If you could get the INF code and post it here, we could tell you if the current sensor was one of the questionable components. But, I don't get the feeling that the dealer is trying to pull one over on you.

 

It sounds like the transaxle needs to be replaced, and your dealer's pricing appears to be quite attractive (except that only 1 gallon of Toyota SLLC coolant is needed.)

You'll have to decide whether you are willing to have a used part installed, since a new part only costs $1,700 more. Good luck with your repair.

 

Robin, I'm so sorry to hear about this. Yes, those are unfortunately the "replace transaxle INF codes." The only caveat is that the crankshaft position sensor (CPS) is a possible source of trouble, and your car did have a P0335 for a CPS problem at the initial dealership visit. You could ask for the resistance measurements that they made on the CPS and its wiring harness to the ECM, just to make sure that they actually ruled out the CPS.

As far as the estimates.... a new trans at $4725 is typical whether it be dealership or independent shop. A used trans at $2995 is expensive, but maybe they are giving you a 1 year warranty in the process, which would explain that. Having an independent shop install a used trans might run $1500-$2000 as I described earlier. I would urge you to think about this, as reputable salvage parts dealers (LKQ etc) will guarantee their parts for 90 days - one year. The cost of new from the dealer is more than twice the cost of salvage installed elsewhere. Perhaps sub3marathonman knows of a trustworthy independent shop in your area.

P.S. if the dealership tries to scare you about how only they can do this work, you should take a look at this thread, where an aircraft mechanic changed out his trans with a salvage one at home.