2003 PRIUS - LEAK DETECTED P3009 C1521

You're going to want to know where the voltage leak is. There are simple tests (you can google in the Gen 1 forum, they're also in your repair manual) to pin down whether the leak is in your battery, transaxle, or inverter/wiring.

A leak in the transaxle would really be the most unwelcome news, economically speaking. Finding the leak in the battery would be relatively good news, believe it or not. The dealer won't want to do anything but replace the battery, because that's just what they do, but your own way to fix a voltage leak is to take it apart and wash it.

But there are a few things you should not do.

1. Don't guess. Learn the tests to make sure you know where the leak is and where it isn't.
2. Don't put it off. If the leak is being detected in the battery, it is probably because a conductive path of electrolyte/corrosion has formed from one module to the steel case. That connection from one point in a circuit is not dangerous. The computer just tells you about it. But if that first path has already formed somewhere in the battery, the second one is probably close. You don't know how much longer that second one will take to complete the path. When it does, you may experience anything from a bad smell to a loud pop to a trunk fire. Fix the one leak while it is still one leak.
3. Don't skip any safety precautions while taking the battery apart. The safety features are sort of overengineered for normal circumstances, it is not that easy to hurt yourself while taking apart a battery in normal condition, because all of the voltages are isolated from the case. But in your circumstances, when the computer is telling you there is a leak to the case, the rules change.
4. Did I mention don't guess? None of what I just wrote about the battery will apply to you if the problem is really in the transaxle, inverter, or wiring, so back up to point 1 and find that out first.

Hope this helps,
-Chap

 

$428 doesn't sound like a bad price for a CV boot job. I need to do mine, and I think I can get the parts around $100, but it's not a trivial job.

$204 for a "fuel system service" because a $15 air filter was dirty sounds like there was an extra line on their service form and they needed something to put there.

-Chap

 

You defintely need to confirm the location of the leak.

Unfortunately if it ends up you need to replace a part (transaxle or the battery) either of them cost a couple thousand dollars.

Are you willing to spend a couple thousand dollars on this vehicle?
If not, cut your losses and move on.

 

It is hard to guess how long it will run.
Depends on where the leak is and how bad it is.

For example if it is a leak like this one

You won't be getting very far.