Major problems after oil change at Take 5

Don't panic, The dealer has the car and is working on the issue and that's the most important part. When they finally fix it, will you be able to determine if Take 5 had a role in whatever happened.

Honestly I don't see how a throttle body would lead to a "check hybrid system" indicator...but I'm only an expert on watching YT videos. I'm not a big fan of places being a "parts changer" either, so they had better test the snot out of it to make sure that is your problem. Did they say anything about the hybrid system, ya know since the warning was about the hybrid system? Like the batteries are all charging fine, have correct voltages, etc...?


Now, the part that you may not like . Your car is now entering the window of a dirty EGR system that will need to be checked and cleaned to avoid possible engine issues. It's also 7 years old on what was once considered an 8 year battery (hybrid). Even though those batteries don't just go belly up at 8 years, you will still need to prepare yourself for its eventual replacement. The silverlining of these things aren't cost prohibitive. A new battery can be had for less than $2k, and an egr cleaning can be done for less than $500 (these are high estimates though). If you are willing to tackle them yourself, the cost is much much much less.

 

If the Check Hybrid System warning went on, there WILL be trouble codes stored. Ask the dealership for those codes, and post here.

 

Here's a possibility to consider:

Perhaps they left the passenger door open a long time to work on the cabin air filter, without disabling the dome light. This depleted the 12v battery, now the hybrid computer is booting up wrong. The errors may be real, but they may just be consequential symptoms of a 12v brownout.

I suggest:

1. gather and record any diagnostic codes currently available
2. recharge or outright replace the 12v battery
3. reset all codes and give it a fresh start and see where you're at.

 

Could well be an ailing 12 volt, and quick-lube place left the doors open just tipped it over the edge. The dealership observation about the throttle body needing cleaning probably valid, but not relevant?

 

Is it the original 12 volt battery? Then I wouldn't hesistate, just get it changed.

 

Time to sell car?

 

Your subtle message is not lost on me, but not knowing anything about the OP and their thoughts about vehicle ownership...then YES maybe it’s time to sell the car! A running car is worth a lot more then a non-working car. Being informed about things that are expected and can be prevented isn’t necessarily a bad approach. I know I would have been very appreciative of knowing these things instead of spending $6k on a new engine. Our car was worth next to nothing sitting at the dealer dead. Batteries have a life span, that’s no secret. If a hybrid owner is naive to think the battery will last forever is foolish, but if your not willing to pay for a new battery, it’s better to get more money out of it BEFORE that part fails.

Yeah I said Don’t panic because, really there is NOTHING to panic about for her immediate issue. The dealer has the car and they will figure out what is needed to get it running again. It’s not like the OP was sitting on the side of the road with no money wondering how they were gonna get it to a repair shop. Maybe my original comments about the gloom and doom at the end were misplaced, still doesn’t change the fact that being alerted about known issues allows the OP to make a decision about future ownership costs. The car has, at 98k miles and 7 years old, entered into a time to be proactive and prepared. Nothing wrong with that.

Again, yeah I get your point, I may have jumped the gun, what’s done is done. My job requires me to be open and honest about all possibilities regardless of how depressing they may be. I don’t regret trying to help a like minded person keep their car running for many more miles or make a decision to do something else.


-Spiral

 

The user & post below will disagree. Buying the car new won't give you any battery issues.

"I don’t see why it would be a battery issue. I’ve owned it since it was new." - Spenny

Transmission Issue?

 

I recognize that quote, and at first was sorta taking it at face value. But I think in fact he was answering two questions, not tying one to the other.

 

Grit I must be missing something and not sure what you’re trying to get at. But I guess it really doesn’t matter. I offered my thoughts and the OP can do what she wishes with them. I hope what is going on is an easy fix, she can resolve the question if the oil change people are at fault, and doesn’t end up costing her a fortune.

Godspeed Emily! Hopefully you get your Prius back shortly!


-Spiral

 

Leaving a door or hatch slightly ajar will deplete the 12v battery, even if all the interior lights are switched off and the door-bottom lights are disconnected. In that case the drain rate is about 0.7 amperes, which is about equivalent to an 8-watt dome light.

 

Oh I'm VERY sceptical about that. Do you have anything in writing, saying the throttle body is beyond repair? Hang onto that, for the court case, lol.

If you want to see for yourself, and can round up a ratchet wrench, a 3" and 6" extension, a 10mm socket, and a pair of long handle needle nose pliers, watch @NutzAboutBolts video #14 here:

Nutz About Bolts Prius Maintenance Videos | PriusChat

And then see for yourself. It's not hard at all, just takes a bit of patience.

The throttle body can even be lifted right off (leave coolant hoses connected), for a more thorough cleaning. Watch video #24 (just the portion required to get the throttle body off). I would recommend to use a torque wrench (3/8" or 1/4" drive size is most suitable) for reinstall of the throttle body. Torque values in attached.

Again, contrary to the video, you don't have to disconnect coolant lines.

 

It can, though it isn't a guaranteed result. When the car is put into Ready mode, several different computers are booting up, reading a variety of sensors and deciding whether or not everything truly is ready. If the reference voltage from the battery isn't correct, some readings will inevitably be false. Give a computer bad data and all sorts of stupid things can happen.

I don't think I've seen enough info to properly evaluate this. Either way there's no point whatsoever in pursuing that tangent yet. I'd be at least mildly suspicious of the troubleshooting done on it so far, given that there is still a bad 12v battery in the car.

Everything the throttle body does is for the benefit of the gasoline engine. The functionality of that part has no bearing at all on getting into ready mode, it can't trigger hybrid fault display error etc. That doesn't mean it isn't faulty, just that it isn't worth spending any money on it yet.

Prius 12v batteries are unusually expensive because they have little in common with most other automotive batteries. Different size, different connector type, different ventilation scheme.

 

Just putting together some jigsaw puzzles pieces:

1. Recent oil change
2. Warning lights immediately thereafter
3. "Totalled" throttle body report from dealership (which is absurd at the miles)

Could there have been a gross overfill of oil?

Did anyone check the dipstick?

I'm just wondering if the PCV valve barfed a bunch in, directly below the throttle body, and managed to foul it in the process??

 

well i learn something new every day. I figured it was just a regular ol' 12v battery. I get that the battery is in the rear vs under the hood, but didn't think it needed to be special. Thanks for the heads up.

I guess one thought i have reading this, yes I know batteries go bad and some people say 5ish years, but I would also have my ears perked up on the replacement to make sure something else isn't allowing the battery to go bad (like alternator, voltage regulator, corroded wires, etc). I sat out in my car the other day for 45 min with it in accessory mode working on the OBD reader and didn't drain my battery. Again, I'm not saying that anything else is wrong other than the battery and it still obviously needs to be replaced, but if the new battery drains quickly from the door being left open for 20 min, something else isn't right.

 

An open door will indeed drain the battery, but not nearly that quickly unless something is wrong.
The battery is not as "special" as some would have you believe. Within the lineup of some battery brands (obviously not Toyota), the one recommended for Prius is identical to their AGM offered for non-hybrids that take a Group 51, excepting the smaller JIS terminals for their Prius version.

 

It'd be good to have a look at this "totalled" throttle body.