Misgivings about 2010 Prius

Hi Ray
Is there a step by step procedure for cleaning the EGR? Thanks!

 

I don't have an "official" procedure, but here's what @m.wynn and I did when we performed the job at the end of April:

My Prius is down 4 quarts of oil 9000 miles after oil change

I'll be doing this again next weekend with @Rebound and hopefully have video.

 

This is from the Repair Manual, the steps to remove and install. I've yet to really read through it and understand. I'd suspect it'd help more during the actual work, when you really see what's going on. The install instruction towards the end, are with the aim of getting everything mating, not stressed connections. There's a lot of instruction to temporarily loosely install this part and that part.

 

I recently sold my 2008 and when I got it at 143K I didn't check dipstick after oil change....Just assumed it's a Prius and I've seen the forums where almost 100% of the owners (gen 2s) are posting happily in the 200K and even 299K plus clubs basically saying they didn't change anything (LOL).

Well, I went about 7k miles thinking they run for infinity....When I finally decided to stop into the oil change shop they said there was nothing on the dipstick!! Luckily car was running perfectly fine and proceeded to run perfectly fine to 188K where I sold it this weekend....I just checked oil on regular basis after that incident.

I buy/sell vehicles and just acquired a 2011....It has 185k and there was absolutely nothing on the dipstick! I am keeping this for a while so I have no idea how bad the oil consumption is.

I got a 2005 F150 this week with 5.4L....NO OIL ON DIPSTICK....I ADDED 3 QUARTS AND STILL NOTHING!!! I ENDED UP HAVING TO PUT 5 QUARTS IN FOR IT TO GET TO FULL....It must have been running on 1 quart of oil...I have no idea how it was able to still perform amazingly and not be affected (and neither was my 2008 or 2011 Priuses by the lack of oil)...

I can only assume and imagine but my guess is all 3 of these vehicle (2008 Prius, 2005 F150, and my 2011 Prius) were within 1000 to 4000 miles of complete engine explosion!!! I have had pretty good luck with cars running on low oil but I don't want to jinx myself.

 

i have 148k on mine

Pixel XL ?

 

I have to say, this has been a most informative and interesting thread, in both mechanical and cultural dimensions. I tend to come to fora such as this searching for information on a specific problem I have, rather than for general reading. Perhaps I should change that habit, as this thread has alerted me to a problem I don't have yet, but at 105K, may start to develop. So far as I know, our 2010 still consumes no significant oil between changes (10K miles using Mobil 1 AFE 0W20). I say "so far as I know", because I got out of the habit of checking, and the drain pan looks about the same at change time. We previously had an old Saturn that used a quart in 3-600 miles, and a Jetta TDi that leaked, so there was always something to see on the dipstick. We've had the Prius since about 42K, and have been lulled into inattentiveness by the repeated experience of "nothing to see here, maybe you'd like to check the washer fluid", and by the alleged reputation of Toyota. I'm as shocked as the OP that this vehicle could deteriorate to '95 Saturn levels, but glad to know why and what can be done to prevent it. Thanks to all!

 

That is way too long of an interval if you start burning oil! At minimum I would check it after driving 5,000 miles!

I just got one with 185,000 miles! Had NO OIL IN IT! I am dumping about a $1000 into it right off the bat ($800 of which is just tires, oil change, and brakes/rotors all around)....I am cheap enough into the car that I will have no problem at all going on to car-part.com, finding a very reputable yard that has a low mileage motor (with VIN carfaxed so I can confirm they aren't lying on miles), and replacing gas motor should it explode. If you shop around I'm sure someone would do the motor swap for $600-$700....and the gas motor will be around $1300-$1400 with low miles. So it would truly suck if my motor blows in the next few months (I just got the car) but I figure if it happens I am out of $2000 and I can live with that.

I'm cheap, and there is no way I would have paid $650 for a tow....I really don't want to "rub it in" but did you break down on the other side of the country or was your tow driver pulling a fast one?

#1 I always have AAA RV+ which gets me 5 free tows up to 100 miles no questions asked. It is about an $85 a year service if I recall correctly.

#2 I buy and sell cars. Here are some of the prices I get.....Had 2 trucks delivered from Utah to Michigan (over 1,600 miles!!!) for $500 a truck.....I get trucks delivered from Texas to Michigan from $400 to $500 (1200-1400 miles).....From either Ohio or Chicago to Michigan is $120.

I probably would have rented a car and tow dolly if a tow driver said $650. That's half the price of a low mileage motor.

 

Yeah when changing oil the last thing on your mind is checking the oil, but very good to do, especially if it's a friend or relation's car, when they may not be checking the dipstick periodically. This is something that gets neglected in dealership maintained cars I'd think: their job is to just change the oil, they tend not to care.

 

This is getting good!

But this part I'm confused. You cleaned everything, stem to stern, the cooler and all? Valve apparently clean and functioning? Wiring connected ok?

 

curious.. did you disassemble the egr valve ? or just unbolt it from the cooler? I'm going to do mine soon and wanted clarification on this.. also did you replace any of the metal gaskets?

 

Including the EGR cooler?

Valve is red hatched, cooler is yellow:

 

It is the mother lode of clogging, a bit more expensive than the valve (both retail for over $200) and a bit of a bear to access and replace.

For them NOT to propose replacing the cooler does not inspire confidence in their competency.

I've attached Repair Manual info:

 

Video coming tomorrow !

Maybe you could show them so it all gets done at once.

Keep us posted .

 

How prevalent is the 2010 oil burning problem? Should I avoid higher mileage 2010s in general when shopping for a used Prius?

 

I would. Seems none of them have been correctly fixed when symptoms of oil burning started. Plus, it seems the motor is destined to a limited life after 150,000. Hoping my 2015 doesn't fall into this trap when I hit 150,000.