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What is the longevity of the EV drive train?

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by Jnbrown, May 24, 2017.

  1. Jnbrown

    Jnbrown Member

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    Since I drive mostly in EV mode I can see getting up to 200K miles and only having 20K on the gas engine.
    Since 200K is where most gas engines start to decline, I wonder how long the EV motor / drive train will last before needing expensive repairs or replacement.
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i think toyota designs for the 150 to 180k range. but of course, how you drive and maintain it will have an impact, and as always, ymmv.
     
  3. Jnbrown

    Jnbrown Member

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    I hope its much more than that, I can see keeping this car a very long time. Even if the battery needs replacing at 100K, battery prices are coming down so much, in 7 years it will feasible to replace the battery I think.
     
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  4. alexcue

    alexcue Active Member

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    I think the battery has a warranty of 150k here in California (10yrs?)
     
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  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    correct, in carb sates, 10/150 on the battery, not the ecvt.
    historically, i think the ecvt has been one of the strongest parts of the prius. but even if it does go, it's not that big a deal to replace.
    if keeping a long time, i would do a 5,000 mile oil change, and every 30k after.
     
  6. Jnbrown

    Jnbrown Member

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    5,000 mile oil change, even if there is only a couple hundred miles on the ICE?
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i'm talking about the ecvt oil, (tranny) which is used no matter what mode you are driving in.
     
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  8. alexcue

    alexcue Active Member

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    yeah I thought the oil changes were every 10k? I think that's just because of the potential for contamination from the heating and cooling, not from wear and tear.
     
  9. alexcue

    alexcue Active Member

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    ahhhh gotcha!
     
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  10. Jnbrown

    Jnbrown Member

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    Is that part of the free service, or do I have to request / pay extra for it?
     
  11. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    You are aware this is the first year the Prime has been sold right? So any thing we say will be speculation, not facts.

    The first generation Prius (2001 to 2003) did have issues with the motors shorting out. Toyota changed the specified ATF to WS after that and the issue is reduced.

    Gen 1 Prius Transmission Repair, P3009, P3120, P3125 - Luscious Garage | Hybrid Specialists

    What you can do is only 'magical thinking' mechanics, Toyota does not specify it, but many owners change the ATF WS routinely. Any routine will do, but I choose 30,000 miles (50,000km) then 90,000 miles (150,000 km) and then every 90,000 miles. (150, 000 km)

    There is very little evidence that this does any good and no evidence it does harm.

    So far as I know, there is no history of the transaxle itself failing, wheel bearings are much more common failure points.
     
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  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    toyota considers it lifetime, so there is no service, free or otherwise. you have to request it, and some dealers refuse to do it. any shop can do it, it's a simple drain and refill, 20 bucks worth of oil and parts, and 80 bucks for labor, if you shop around.
     
  13. CharlesH

    CharlesH CA HOV Decal #5 on former PiP

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    There just isn't that much to the Prius transaxle. Just a couple of permanently connected gear sets plus a one-way clutch in the newest version. All the complexity is in the software controlling the motor-generators. I laugh when I see the AAMCO commercials on TV, saying that your automatic transmission has 800 parts, and AAMCO can keep them all working together right.
     
  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    the windings are usually what go, and the cleanliness and temp of the oil can be a factor in that. a factory defect is also occasionally possible.
     
  15. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Length of time is also a factor. Some oil components will oxidize, and contaminates could still find their way into the crank case. They'll consume some of the additives. Motor oil is changed not because it stops lubricating, but because of additives, mostly the ones that protect against acids, getting used up.

    I think Toyota calls for a year max between oil changes on the Prime.
     
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  16. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    The worst thing you can do to an electric motor is start it. Inrush current is about six times the full load current. And the MGs in the Prius are constantly changing speed. But I think the oil does an amazing job of keeping them cool. Apparently, it's working well since failures are practically non existent.

    I just changed the transaxle oil in my PiP at about 59,000 miles. It was dark, but still had streaks of the original red in it. I assume it's the first time it's been changed. I hope to change the wife's '07 this weekend. It has about 188,000 miles.
     
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  17. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Are the Prius motors actually bathed in oil? The photos of damaged M/Gs from a gen1 looked awfully clean.
     
  18. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    As he opens the Motor/Generator 2 end piece, you can see the ATF come out. The center of that panel contains the ATF oil pump.
     
  19. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Nice! I figured they had to be bathed in it or at least bountifully splashed in order to keep cool, plus the size of the motors compared to the size of the case.
     
  20. mr88cet

    mr88cet Senior Member

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    FWIW, out here in TX, I was quoted 8 years for the (big) battery. I can't recall for sure how many miles, but I *think* it was 100K.

    Generally speaking though, electric drive trains are pretty simple. However, on my gen-2, I did have a couple of EV-system cooling problems. One was caught on warranty and then later called out in a recall. The other was covered neither on warranty nor recall, but thankfully wasn't terribly expensive.


    iPhone ? Pro
     
    #20 mr88cet, Jun 2, 2017
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2017