Preventative care for Shaking/ knocking starts

If you open your coolant reservoir on the passenger side of the engine compartment and here a sucking sound that means you're losing coolant due to a head gasket failure, which is a common problem with Gen3 Prius. The good news is if you take good care of your car and avoid driving in hot weather, you can go years without fixing it without much issue.

But if you take it to far with the rough running on cold starts you'll eventually damage the transmission dampener.

And because Gen3 engine's were a disaster and also have issues with premature failing of piston rings, the best fix is to put a Gen4 Prius engine in, which doesn't have any of these problems. And fortunately for you, this guy in Oklahoma will do the engine swap in your driveway in one day for $1500: Drew Griffin (skimmilkhybrid) • Instagram photos and videos

 

Top Tier gas, hi mileage motor oil. Has your car been maintained in accordance with Toyota's maintenance schedule, especially coolant changes, spark plugs and oil and filter changes? It may be prudent to change the water pump. Also, I'd get on the head gasket diagnosis ASAP. Does the car burn oil? That's another consideration.

 

The one problem with this, it should have been done at least 51k back. You likely have a failing head gasket, those symptoms caused by coolant getting into combustion chamber(s), and EGR cleaning now will not repair the head gasket.

For head gasket diagnosis: boroscope inspection of the combustion chambers (preferably with cooling system pressurized to increase leakage) and/or leak down test.

then clean EGR.

 

Please don't take this as an attempt at a real diagnosis, but you're well past the time when prevention would have mattered.

There are still savings to be had from the right reaction to these symptoms.

 

+1 for top tier gas and in the wintertime I always mix it up with higher octane fuel.
I'm at 240k with no TSB ever done to it but I do highway driving 90% of my time.
Intake manifold cleaned and new PVC valve at 220K. The better fuel kept the intake manifold pretty clean.

I did have the death rattle start at 110k in a few very cold mornings. Now I get a blip of a rattle if I don't go to higher octane in the wintertime cold nights in the 20's. I don't think my car likes the winter blend cheap fuel in the east coast.

My2cents

 

Never had the EGR system cleaned? Water pump replaced? Did the Toyota required maintenance at the prescribed intervals?

I'm thinking that a cold startup rattle (misfire) at cold temperatures can be caused by moisture on the ignition wiring. Once I sprayed my engine with a hose to remove the dirt and it misfired afterwards.

 

He quit doing them remote because of too many callbacks.

You can spend thousands with cleanups and maintenance parts and still fix nothing. You can do a head gasket and maybe succeed. Many require a rebuild due to warping and oil burning. Some do all three phases one after another. Rebuild if you want another 100,000 or more.

 

What's the story on a Gen 4 engine in a Gen 3? Some say it works, others say no because stuff doesn't bolt up plus overheating issues.

 

It bolts up if you use gen3 parts like intake, egr and exhaust plus hack some hoses and connectors. Whether it is reliable from an overheating standpoint is questionable and may depend on location and driving distances. See my note above about callbacks. I would go rebuilt gen3 and get rid the car before 250k miles.

 

I just messaged him and you're making a false accusation! He's still doing them and no issues with call backs or overheating...

 

I still do 4th Gen swaps and the only call back I’ve had is for issues other than the engine. I’ve been driving my 4th Gen Swap for over 2 years and put over 100k miles on it. I have numerous customers running around with my 4th Gen. Swaps without a single issue for years.

I’ve done many 4th Gen installs, I’ve only ever had one issue and that was on my last install. He used head gasket sealer for 25,000 miles, and I can’t get a clear passageway to flow coolant. He also had a leak at his heat exchanger. Hardly the engines fault. I’ve remained in constant contact with him and traveling back to him to install another Engine. I would of never taken this job but he didn’t alert me to using sealant until I was about to start the swap.

RJ Parker, you misunderstood. I said I slowed down doing mobile work because I would be called back for issues that had nothing to do with the engine (inverter, Hybrid battery etc), as well as the last install which is a basket case due to liquid death in his plumbing.


if you need an install and I’m not busy doing local work (teslas and other vehicles) give me a shout.

 

Also it’s no longer for 1500 I need to delete that! Hah

 

Certainly reasons for callbacks are many and varied and are the bane of any pro in his own shop much less when it requires traveling to another state. Clearly anything can be done for a price.

https://priuschat.com/threads/i’m-a-traveling-prius-engine-installer.238764/page-2#post-3400999

 

What's the current price?

 

No EGR cleaning yet. I’m planning on the water pump soon. Rust is my biggest issue in the north east. I think for me highway driving is cleaner and better gas is a good preventive care for the rattle. Also fuel treatment doesn’t hurt either.

It’s 23degrees now and with a tank of 93 octane it just started clean. I do cross my fingers and listen like a hawk every time it’s this cold.

 

I’d change tactics; head gasket is likely failing. Boroscope inspection for starters.

 

Cleanup won’t make it run better or last longer. If you plan to junk it just drive it and check oil and coolant frequently. Maybe you get slightly better mpg.

Your finances tell the story. If you can afford a new car, especially a Toyota hybrid, gen 4 or 5 (rav4 or Prius), do it. Best value, better than used especially with good credit so you can get Toyota Financial rates.

Otherwise go shopping and see what car you can get for $4k-$5k which is about what a rebuilt engine installed should cost if you shop. You may find you can’t get a clean gen3 for much less than $8-10k at high interest rates.

Sent you a pm as well.

 

I bought my 2010 fixer-upper with 262k miles and a blown head gasket, thinking it would only be worth $5-6k, but the market around here for private-party sales it looks like I will get more like $7-8k if/when I decide to sell. If you only have 151k I would guess you are at least at the $7500 range minimum, unless it's beat up completely, which at that point it's certainly worth repairing.

Note that it's really not that hard of a job to do yourself, if you're inclined to DIY, and would save several thousand bucks.