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If you could rebuild a high mileage Gen 3....what parts would you replace?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by BrianStranded, May 6, 2021.

  1. BrianStranded

    BrianStranded Member

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    2011 Prius 161,000. Paid $3,800. White with the solar roof; it looks brand new.

    I’ve decided I’m going to rebuild or replace the engine. I want this car to be super duper reliable, and I only want to take it apart once. I purchased in California and drove it 1800 miles to Louisiana; its showing head gasket issues and I may have gunked the cooling system with stop leak gasket.

    What parts should I change to get this thing reliable as new? Would you do a rebuild or a Gen 4 swap? I’ll do all the work myself, I’m skilled. The hybrid battery is 1 year old, the inverter pump is 2 weeks old. I’m thinking...

    Engine water pump, radiator, thermostat, heater core, a/c compressor...thats all I got, maybe the brake actuator. I don’t want this thing to break, ever!


    After I tackle the engine I’m gonna luxury up the interior. I’ll post progress pics.
     

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  2. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    o_O
     
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  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    You may be able to dissolve and flush the stop leak; some at least will dissolve in vinegar. Test some of the blobs to confirm. Then if it works:: drain, then do a flush with 50/50 white vinegar and water, then a straight water flush, then put in half the specd amount of required coolant, but use (full strength) Toyota Long Life Coolant (no “Super” in the name), and then finish filling with distilled water.

    this will more or less get it back to normal, but you should maybe do a final change, with Toyota Super Long Life Coolant (pre-diluted), say two years down the road.
     
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  4. abdullah arslan

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    New pcv valve, egr cleaning, oil catch can install, manifold cleaning with new gasket, fully charge 12v, new coils&plugs, clean injectors, led headlights, re-condition rubbers around suspension

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  5. BrianStranded

    BrianStranded Member

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    I’m going to try this, thanks.

    Hell yeah this is what I need, thx! What does the oil catch can do tho...
     
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  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    This is a bit of a stumbling block: IIRC Toyota doesn't spec system capacity. Based on my experience (seem to recall it took about 1.5 gallons of the SLLC when refilling), and assuming there was some residual, I would put in one gallon of the LLC (full strength, not pre-mix), then do all further top ups with distilled water.

    check after with coolant hydrometer, but I’d guesstimate that’d get you in 50~60% range.
     
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  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    brake actuator
     
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  8. abdullah arslan

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    It catches any oil/liquid comes from pcv valve going to intake manifold. So simple, just replacing the pipe between pcv and manifold with this can and its hoses. The can catches any liquid and releases air unless it's full :) So it keeps the manifold without any gunk, which is one of the factors that triggering head gasket issue
    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Maybe replace all the “any” with “some”. The PCV gasses are moving very fast, and trust me, you’re only waylaying a portion.
     
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  10. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Unless that is an actual new Toyota battery pack, budget for a replacement of the repaired pack. Only Toyota and its dealers can get new packs. A few Hybrid repair shops buy from a dealer though.

    To be safe budget for the core charge too Toyota may not accept a modified pack as a core.
     
  11. BrianStranded

    BrianStranded Member

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    Nice youre correcting yourself . Thx bro

    Shit really? I was hoping to avoid this, I think mine might be on the edge, it makes noises constant, even with the engine off. And the pedal is squishy but I’m not sure if thats normal Prius feels.

    It was a Toyota OEM...according to the previous owner. I’m going to budget for a greenbean replacement and their lifetime warranty
     
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  12. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    :LOL:
     
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  13. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    Your list is good, I'd add "all four wheel bearings."

    Everyone forgets that fresh healthy bearings are what really gives you the ultra-quiet ride. They wear so gradually before they go noisy that you adapt without realizing it.

    Sometimes I even see people going nuts adding noise dampening materials... why not just cure the noisemakers? (Okay, do both if you really want a treat.)

    Oh and your suspension bushings are likely dried out/perished by now. Regain steering precision and braking confidence with new bushings all around.
     
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  14. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    So which do you want?? Their lifetime warranty does not mean reliability. It just means they will replace it WHEN it fails.

    What is their warranty claim percentage? We asked that here and when they heard that the kit of new cells from newpriusbatteries has a 0% warranty claim rate they fled. I do not think @2k1Toaster has had any of his excellent kits die yet.
     
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  15. BrianStranded

    BrianStranded Member

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    I plan on noise dampening the car, bearings tho we’ll see, I’ll probably do it.

    Lol whats the Greenbean situation. Clue me in. Greenbean unreliable? Everything fails, I like the lifetime warranty aspect. I’ve never heard of @2k1Toaster ‘s packs, I’m in New Orleans btw
     
  16. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Every commercially rebuilt or reconditioned battery is unreliable. Some hobbyists like @TMR-JWAP here spend the time to properly test, Baja d, and recondition a pack but commercial companies cannot afford to spend that much time and care

    @2k1Toaster works with rechargeable batteries daily in his profession so he knows how to source and test his kits. He developed the brackets along with another company selling a similar lower cost kit but their cells do not test to the specifications they claim.
     
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  17. Tim Jones

    Tim Jones Senior Member

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    www.newpriusbatteries.com
     
  18. Tim Jones

    Tim Jones Senior Member

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  19. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    Wow! Where in the world did you find the time to check every commercially rebuilt or reconditioned battery?????
    Where you able to stop time? That's amazing!
     
  20. AzusaPrius

    AzusaPrius Senior Member

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