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Cost/hours to remove/replace/clean EGR cleaner/etc

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by TheLandYacht, Dec 6, 2020.

  1. TheLandYacht

    TheLandYacht Member

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    So...I got this dreaded code tonight (fortunately? it's sitting as only a "pending" code, so only pinged the code once right?)

    2010 Prius, 130k miles, possibly badly maintained (just got it a couple of months ago).

    As I neared the end of my nightly 40mile commute, I started up a small/slight hill & the whole car started shaking. I took my foot off the gas, shake went away. Started acting normally a few seconds later. Never actually threw a CIL. Looked away from the road long enough to get TorquePro to give me a code-reading anyway & it gave me this "Pending" code.

    P0401
    p0401.jpg

    Means I'm likely to at least need to address the EGR system, I've been told.

    So here are my questions. Bearing in mind that it will NOT be a DIY project, so I gotta foot the bill to have a gearhead do it.

    1. What's the tear-down/rebuild time to get at it & get it back together?
    2. What's the time investment in cleaning the EGR cooler by a mechanic? Looked online & it looks like I can get one from ebay for anywhere from $60 to $180...and it's "on hand" to simply swap out, which also limits downtime. So if it saves anywhere near that much in labor cost, I'd just buy the part & replace it...keeping the "old" one to clean at home for a spare. I've been told the EGR Cooler cleaning itself can be a somewhat time-intensive and/or labor-intensive process. I've watched a couple of the videos showing it done.

    EGR.png

    3. Anything else I'm overlooking?
     
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  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i have read a thousand dollars at a dealer. maybe translates ti 6-8 hours?

    don't go by what anyone tells you they diy'ed it in x hours, dealers gonna charge by the book, private mech is gonna take his time
     
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Intake manifold should be cleaned too, in particular the EGR passages.

    I'd REALLY consider DIY. Start with the EGR pipe, see how that goes. Getting a pro to do it. I think will be very frustrating/expensive; it's not an established and common maintenance.

    Cooler cleaning is not crazy hard.

    I'll post a link to bunch of info in a bit.
     
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  4. ETC(SS)

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

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  5. AcidSun

    AcidSun Junior Member

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    Pretty sure most dealerships will just replace the pipe and cooler they will not clean.

    I also suggest DIY.

     
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  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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  7. pjksr02

    pjksr02 Active Member

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    How much did you pay for the car? Do you love it and want to keep it?
     
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  8. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    About a thousand for complete egr service and then a few thousand more for hv replacement battery because the hv battery averages 10 year life span. Gas savings comes at a high cost.
     
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  9. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
     
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  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Hey, I'm trying to talk him off the ledge of a financial abyss...
     
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  11. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    You sure it isn't just a chasm:whistle:.
     
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  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Abyss sounds more abysmal. :cool:
     
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  13. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    I would check your oil level before anything else. going up an incline/hill and getting problems usually is oil starvation problem
     
  14. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    A couple of important points for the NORMAL guy like you who would rather do his job and get a mechanic to fix issues. Most of the regular first responders on this site are passionate diyers.

    1. I have seen dealers in Texas offer the job for $800 which includes a $300 plus new egr cooler. Based on that its probably four hours for them. I once had a dealer change a timing belt on a Tundra while I waited for less than the decent local mechanic charged. You have to go down to the service adviser and talk to them.

    2. Search for hybrid mechanics with many good google reviews. There is a decent one in Taylor east of Austin that advertises on Craigslist and another in SE San Antonio if you want to go that far. They won't be much less than $800 but are an option if the local dealers are too expensive. It is a fairly big job most mechanics might think they can do but you want someone who has done it on a gen3.

    3. Be careful with the ebay egr coolers as many are just junkyard pulls and have not been internally cleaned. You want one that specifically says it was cleaned internally and every channel is clear from front to back. Some include cleaned egr valves as well. If buying new on ebay make sure its not a middle east seller. See pic of two currently available used coolers.

    4. Ensure the work includes cleaning the intake manifold so they don't up charge when they see that issue. Also include an pcv valve as its easy at that point. Oil catch can if you want to spend another $150 for a good one with a sintered bronze filter, hoses and mounting.

    F9BDC6B5-A105-41FD-A612-7ED6DAC6FFCC.jpeg
     
    #14 rjparker, Dec 6, 2020
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2020
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  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Buying a clogged cooler is not the end of the world either: should be cheaper, and you can take your time cleaning it.

    It's possible to clean your existing cooler with a few hours, particularly at 130k.

    All said, I would still consider a leak down test. You may be closing barn door after horses have bolted.
     
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  16. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    With a cooler pulled and access to a pressure washer, the cleaning takes 15 minutes, including setup(y).
     
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  17. TheLandYacht

    TheLandYacht Member

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    Had already thought of that, as the car will already be apart at that point. Maybe catch-can & plugs while it's apart?

    Only had it for a couple of months but I really love how it drives. As to how much I paid... "more than I should have". I REALLY should have done some research first.

    I'm honest enough with myself to know that I'd likely flub something up in a project this complicated. Changing the oil? Air filter? simple stuff? I can handle. Taking half the small stuff off the top of the engine compartment? Not so much.

    I'm the guy who, sitting in an empty livingroom floor assembling a piece of furniture...can lose half a dozen parts & at least 3 tools
    ...without moving from where I'm sitting.

    Yep, checked at LEAST weekly, last checked on Tuesday.

    I'll ask a mechanic if that's something he's comfortable doing first.


    Thanks all, for the great advice.
     
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  18. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    Pressure washer, oven cleaner. Shouldn't take maybe an hour. Depending on how
    bad it's clogged. EGR Cooler that is...
     
  19. TheLandYacht

    TheLandYacht Member

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    So...
    This morning (commute home) and tonight (commute to work again)...not a hiccup, no code or "pending" code thrown. And that's 80 miles without a hiccup.

    This isn't the first "symptom" I've seen that has been essentially a "one-off".
    The Engine Shake on startup on a cold night, cold engine. So far only once
    The P030(#). Again, only on startup, on a cold engine, has happened 3 times in a month. Never the same cylinder twice
    Now P0401 (and the whole-car shudder) last night. Again, only once...but this one happened at the end of a 40-mile commute so the engine was well-warmed.

    I've got somebody on the line that's gonna help by getting HIS hands dirty, he's a fellow Prii owner & actually IS a gearhead...unlike me who could kill an engine just by looking at it cross-eyed. Is there such a thing as a brown thumb when it comes to mechanics?

    Anyway, he's gonna come over sometime in the next few days to start with a leak-down test & we'll proceed to the EGR/etc cleaning IF that passes. Fingers crossed because I don't want to spring for a new engine on a car I just got (and on which I owe a sizeable note). If the leak-down test passes, that means the head gasket's essentially gone?

    at that point I start looking for a new engine...everyone on here seems to be of the opinion that a head-gasket job is hit-or-miss at best.

    But...do I just drive it (the old engine) into the ground until I can source/afford the new engine? Will that damage anything that won't be fixed by replacing the whole engine anyway?
     
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  20. mjoo

    mjoo Senior Member

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    If you catch the head gasket early I think the success rate for head gaskets is close to 100% from what I've been reading.

    Intermittent P030x is probably just the common PCV congestion/condensation in the intake manifold being sucked into the cylinders. That or the EGR clogging. Either is easily fixed with OCC and thorough EGR system, intake manifold and PCV cleaning.
     
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