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2 cars - Different issues

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by MOYS, Jul 25, 2018.

  1. MOYS

    MOYS New Member

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    2010 Prius
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    IV
    Hi everyone, I am a car guy and fairly new to the Prius World. I am building a little fleet of used priuses and renting them out.

    I typically before making a post on a Forum, I do a lots of research and I usually find what I am looking for. However, there are 2 particular cases, I would like to hear from more experienced owners.

    First one, is a 2011 with 175k miles.

    What I've done since I got it:
    New Plugs (OEM), air filter, cleaned the TB, new air filter, new cabin filter.

    Issue: When in traffic and the Hybrid battery is super low and the gas motor kicks in.. I hear a very loud knocking/Detonation. When this happens, I control the gas pedal to not to make it AS loud but its annoying. I found a lof ot information regarding to the "knocking" sound on these cars, but could never find anything specifically like mine. The car drives perfect, however, the other one with 210k miles, feels it has more power(although it has an issue I am about to post about) but its a much better car overall, the powertrain feels smoother.

    What I am about to start doi: Cleaning the EGR pipe and try to run it on 91 octane.
    Is this a good start? Anyone has experienced this particular issue? Again, it happens in traffic in very low speeds and the gas motor kicks in.. and occasionally going up hill, also in lower speeds.

    Second one.. 2010 Prius IV. 210k miles, IMPRESSIVE driving condition. The best 3 gen I've ever driven, despite the miles. The car feels so smooth that its hard to believe it has that much of miles on the odo.

    Issue: It shakes like a missfire when switching from hybrid to gas motor most of the times for a few seconds then goes back to normal. Only once I got a CEL light then I replaced the plugs (could have done other things while doing the plugs but I didnt know much). No CEL anymore, all IM Monitors are set. It does not knock, it feels like a misfire. The closest issue I could find on my issue is that it can possible have clogged injectors ? What do you guys think?

    If theres a link with the issues above I might have missed, feel free to send

    Thanks in advance.
    Moys
     
  2. MOYS

    MOYS New Member

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    P.S

    Regarding to the second issue, I forgot to mention I found the TSB regarding to the intake manifold, still unclear to me if every car is due to that or it could be something else.
     
  3. cnc97

    cnc97 Senior Member

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    Both of your Prii are exhibiting preliminary symptoms of a blown head gasket. They are both high enough in mileage that you should be concerned. Do a hydrocarbon test on the coolant. You can rent the tool to do that at most parts stores. The tool is filled with a blue liquid. Then placed in opening of coolant reservoir with engine(ICE) running. The suction bulb is activated by hand and color of fluid is noted. Any change in color means combustion is present in coolant.

    Do a compression test. Low compression, but even across all cylinders indicates the engine is laying down. Toyota says 157 psi to 195 psi according to my Haynes manual.
    Low compression on two connected cylinders is blown head gasket. Low compression on one cylinder alone is probably leaking valves.

    Ruling these two major issues out first should be at the top of your priority list.
     
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  4. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    If it’s a head gasket, replace it before you warp the head and make the whole thing cost a LOT more.
     
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  5. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    Translate, please!
     
  6. cnc97

    cnc97 Senior Member

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    If the compression reading is below the minimum of 157 psi, but all cylinders are similar, the engine is laying down (dying). The amount of difference from minimum indicates how much life the engine has lost.

    Most engines need about 90 psi for combustion to occur.
     
  7. Ragingfit

    Ragingfit Active Member

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    First unplug the wiring connector to the EGR valve. This will shut the EGR and your problems will go away. Ignore the P0401 code !
    Gen 3 Prii burn a lot of oil and blow oily exhaust into the intake trough a faulty EGR valve that gets stuck open. An open EGR will cause the engine to run rough and make knocking noises at low speed. To fix all this just leave the EGR unplugged. I ran mine unplugged for 70,000 miles with no issue. Eventually I replaced the engine with a superior Gen 4 Prius engine. I also replaced the EGR valve and cleaned the intake manifold because I still had a P0401 code for insufficient EGR flow. The manifold was clogged with soot and oil. - Fix That Prius!
     
  8. audiodave

    audiodave Active Member

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    Didn't you have to smog it?

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Never heard that one before; like a horse?

    I would prefer to get on it: remove the EGR and clean, also the intake manifold, and install an oil catch can. I'm out of my depth, but have read properly flowing EGR keeps the engine temperature lower. So maybe disconnected EGR equals slow death?

    I've been running an oil catch can for nearly a year now, and can definitely report: the "lake" is gone, the lake you'll invariably see beyond/below the throttle body valve. I took the throttle body off yesterday and below it there was an oil sheen, but that's all, not the 1/4" pool that invariably was there, prior to the oil catch can install. I'm pretty sure the bulk of the oil that's currently there is sort of spitting back from the intake ports: you can see it when you take the intake manifold off. Plus maybe a little bit that gets through the OCC.
     
    #9 Mendel Leisk, Oct 8, 2018
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2018
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  10. cnc97

    cnc97 Senior Member

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    In simplistic terms, yes.
     
  11. Ragingfit

    Ragingfit Active Member

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    Well, I do now, but I put in the new engine and EGR.
    It's only every 2 years in Chicago.
     
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I'd like to be a fly on the wall if your car's ever in a dealership service department. Mechanic pops the hood, looks, then steps back, checks the car again. Has anything like that happened yet?
     
  13. Ragingfit

    Ragingfit Active Member

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    Disconnecting the EGR is a diagnostic tool and a way to make the car run well until you can fix it. There should be no concern over need for the EGR. My car ran so badly before I unplugged it, I wanted to junk it. I had a VW TDI with EGR problems. I blanked it off but my friend Shawn said "why don't you just unplug it?" Duh good bye EGR problems.
     
    #13 Ragingfit, Oct 8, 2018
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2018
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  14. audiodave

    audiodave Active Member

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    Same in California, every two years. You do a lot of miles!

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.