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Stole a high mileage prius from a pensioner

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by oil_burner, Feb 26, 2017.

  1. oil_burner

    oil_burner Active Member

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    Ok not quite, but I did get a great deal on a 2006 with 210,000 miles showing. The car drove great, acted normal, no red flags. The owner was a retired fellow who bought the car new, the only issue is that the engine uses about 1 quart every 1000 miles. I have read varying opinions on here from "never buy a high mileage prius" to "these are the most reliable cars ever".

    Does it help that I only paid $1500 for it?

    Aside from oil changes and headlight bulbs, no major maintenance has been done. I do all the work on my own vehicles and was wondering what I should tackle first. I was thinking about doing the air filter, oil, and spark plugs tomorrow. Trying some fuel system cleaner to see if the oil issue can be helped. I have no idea how to do a compression test on this engine? Any input? Should I just keep driving it until something breaks?
     
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  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    I suggest you drive 1000 miles and see how much oil it's actually burning, based on your own measurements.

    Then decide if any work is warranted. The pensioner might have the same thinking as you, stole $1500 from a non pensioner
     
  3. b100

    b100 Member

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    An engine flush can reduce oil consumption.
     
  4. jadziasman

    jadziasman Prius owner emeritus

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    It will not take long to find out how bad the oil consumption is. If it's a quart every 1000 miles $1500 is about all that the car is worth because you will be needing to rebuild or replace the engine in the not too distant future. HV battery pack repair or replacement is also inevitable if you plan on driving it for many years.
     
  5. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    BUT.....with a high mileage engine, it can make it worse too, which is more likely.
    I NEVER put solvents into my oil.

    I suggest using a slightly higher weight oil and if that doesn't help, try the higher weight in a "high mileage" variety.

    When you change the plugs, the old ones should tell you a story.
    I wouldn't do anything that is not absolutely necessary.......because something is sure to pop up soon that will have to be done.
    Why bother with a compression test; what will you do if the numbers look bad ?? Which they probably will.
     
  6. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    If you want to do an engine compression test, use Mini VCI which has a software menu to facilitate that. There is no point in doing a compression test when the engine is spinning at 1,300 RPM which is the normal start speed. That speed will make a worn engine appear to be pretty good.
     
  7. oil_burner

    oil_burner Active Member

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    thanks, I will add some injector cleaner to the gas and keep driving it, keeping an eye on the oil level every fill up.

    Honestly at $1500, If I can just drive this car for 1 year / 18,000 miles instead of my truck it will be paid off and I will have an extra $1500 in my pocket.

    I can tackle any kind of maintenance myself, so even putting a junkyard motor or opening up the battery to replace some cells a couple years down the road isn't a big deal to me.
     
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  8. oil_burner

    oil_burner Active Member

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    Ok first issue/oddity. The ABS really sucks in this car, when I get on the brakes hard in snow the brakes pulse so slowly. It feels like the very first generation ABS systems like on my old 90's toyotas. Is this normal? Every car I've had in this era had quick acting ABS that felt like a chatter or stutter whereas these are like grab, let go, grab, let go.
     
  9. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    To be sure, you need to try it on ICE.
    The traction in snow might be better than you think it is.
     
  10. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Yes.

    Other than normal maintenance, I'd put about 1,000 miles on it just to see what's normal and what's not.
    Consider a transaxle fluid change, and monitor the oil.

    $1500
    No brainer.
    If everything works and you get some miles out of it, I'm thinking that it's a good buy, even if you use it to keep miles off of something else.

    Good Luck!
     
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  11. oil_burner

    oil_burner Active Member

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    thanks Patrick, do you know the best place to find a cheap mini vci cable? is the software free?
     
  12. Rph74

    Rph74 Active Member

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    Does yours have Stability control? It was optional for 2006. Mine has it, and if anything, the brakes are very quick to pulse on snow or ice. Perhaps yours doesn't have it and it could be the difference.
    If when you turn the car to the "run" position by pressing the power button twice without hitting the brake pedal, you Would see a light with a car and 2 squiggly lines under it if you have stability control.
     
  13. tf4624

    tf4624 Active Member

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    You will burn out the cat eventually if you don't fix that issue with the oil. There are a few ways that oil can get into the combustion chamber: worn piston rings or cylinder walls, worn valve seals, or a bad PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) valve.

    Check the PCV first and get a new one. It's the cheapest fix
     
  14. oil_burner

    oil_burner Active Member

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    I just changed the spark plugs and the engine runs much more smoothly now. I have only driven it on short commutes around town so I will be monitoring the oil level. PCV valve is on order. Previous owner changed the oil religiously every 3000 miles but the PCV has never been touched.
     
  15. oil_burner

    oil_burner Active Member

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    I installed a new PCV valve and the car was running excellent, much more power and smoothness.

    I pulled the intake off, cleaned the throttle body and MAF sensor and now the car is feeling kind of rough. Especially around idle it seems like the engine really stutters/vibrates when kicking on and off. I have driven it about 20 miles since, does this car learn fuel trims?
     
  16. Kevin_Denver

    Kevin_Denver Active Member

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    You cleaned the MAF using MAF cleaner correct? If you cleaned it using intake or another cleaner, you'll need to clean it with MAF specific cleaner. And yes, the Prius adjusts fuel trims, etc. Also note that when going from stage 3 to stage 4, the engine always gives a hard stop of the engine, indicating this transition. Google Prius Warm Up stages for more info.

    The ECU is good at detecting engine problems, so if you aren't getting an engine code or other major problem, it's likely that there is just a small leak in a seal, engine rings, etc that is causing the engine to use oil. I personally would just change all of the fluids in the car, do everything in the PM schedule to get the maintenance up to date, and run a thicker oil (eg. 10W-40 or 5W-40). If the car still uses excess oil than you can switch to high mileage oil for the remainder of the life of the car.
     
    #16 Kevin_Denver, Mar 17, 2017
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2017
  17. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    1. Is it possible that you damaged the O-ring for the mass air flow sensor, or there is some air leak downstream from the throttle body? Did you use the correct MAF sensor spray only?
    2. If you are sure there are no problems, then disconnect the 12V battery for a few minutes, then reconnect. That will encourage the engine ECU to reset to default settings, then it will adjust as needed.
     
  18. oil_burner

    oil_burner Active Member

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    Update: I have been keeping an eye on the oil and just hit 4000 miles mostly highway and towing a trailer for 1000 miles, the dipstick is finally reading on the low mark and I measured roughly 1qt to top back up to full. 1qt every 4000 miles is within tolerance to me. All that has been done is fresh spark plugs and I ran a couple bottles of FI cleaner and MMO in the gas, and replaced the PCV. Love this car, i was still able to get 35mpg towing a 500lb motorcycle trailer around 70mph.
     
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  19. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    1 qt per 1000 miles to 1qt per 4000 miles.....wow, good job
     
  20. 05PreeUs

    05PreeUs Senior Member

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    Actually, if you want to KNOW the health of an engine accurately, you need to have a "leak down" test performed. Anything else is subject to far too many variables.