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2010 Prius Engine Shaking / Engine Vibration

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Smiling Bob, Mar 9, 2016.

  1. Smiling Bob

    Smiling Bob New Member

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    My 2010 Prius engine shakes/vibrates when the engine is showing between 50-75 MPG on the gauge/meter on the dashboard. There is no vibration when coasting (100 MPG on the gauge/meter on dashboard) or when I am accelerating pretty modestly. Only when accelerating very softly. It started a month or so after I had my spark plugs replaced at 133K miles last June 2015. It has gotten progressively worse. It is especially noticeable once the engine is warm or the outside temperature is warm. During the winter months the vibration was there slightly, but not nearly as noticeable as it is becoming now that warmer weather is here.


    I have been using Lucas Gas Treatment thinking it might be clogged fuel injectors but this hasn't helped. Replaced the engine air filter but that didn't help. There are no codes showing up when I drive. Is it possible the spark plugs and/or one of the plugs they put in back in June of 2015 was bad and/or was put in wrong? Would we get a code showing up on the dash if there is a bad spark plug? Could it be a problem with the fuel intake system or a disconnected hose? It is really bothersome and what used to be such a fun car to drive is no longer fun. Can someone help me ... PLEASE ... any suggestions?
     
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  2. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    Motor mount?
     
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  3. Smiling Bob

    Smiling Bob New Member

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    Thanks for your feedback. Already had this checked and the motor mounts appear to be fine.
     
  4. tankyuong

    tankyuong Senior Member

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    dirty throttle body and intake manifold or need oem plugs
     
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  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    injectors?
     
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  6. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    I would suspect it to be the spark plugs if it wasn't doing that before. I would check if the spark plugs were put in properly and gapped. Also make sure it's Denso or NGK spark plugs, the Prius engine's are sensitive.
     
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  7. Smiling Bob

    Smiling Bob New Member

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    Thanks for the above feedback ... it is greatly appreciated. The Spark Plugs keep coming up, from other people I have talked to as well.
    Do you have an idea of what the cost would be to do the above. I know the plugs will be about a $250 job as that was the approx. cost from the Toyota dealership the last time.

    Again, thanks to all of you who responded ... I greatly appreciate your feedback!
     
  8. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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  9. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    That person had a blocked gasket on the EGR pipe, totally different issue. Unless he has a modified blocked gasket on that return end. Whoever replaced the EGR pipe gasket on his car, replaced it with a modified one. That gasket is normally open for the EGR. I mean you can try cleaning the EGR pipe and see if the vibration goes away. If not, then you know that problem is something else.
     
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  10. Smiling Bob

    Smiling Bob New Member

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  11. Smiling Bob

    Smiling Bob New Member

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    I'll look into the EGR Pipe as a possible issue. Any other ideas/suggestions are welcome. Thank you!
     
  12. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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    No, you got it wrong. The previous owner blocked the EGR to stop the knocking, but the blocking plate ruptured causing knocking again. The knocking is actually caused by dirty intake manifold causing all the EGR gases going into the first cylinder causing misfiring. Cleaning the IM fixes the issue. Blocking the EGR fixes it too, but the expense of MPG loss and hotter cylinders (burned valves).
     
  13. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    Ah, I guess I misread the op about his issues then. Thanks for the clarification.
     
  14. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    That EGR's getting to be a real damned if you do, damned if you don't thing. :(
     
  15. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    Lol... That's why there's a maintenance for that. I haven't done it yet but will be doing it soon. Gotta find a day to video it.
     
  16. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Look forward to that. More than doing it myself for sure, lol. The worst bear appears to be the component right at the exhaust manifold. One member got it off, and the interior was a carbonized disaster, he ended buying a slightly used one and replacing it, impossible to clean the interior. It has four coolant hoses hooked up, and in tight quarters.
     
  17. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    You don't happen to have a picture of it do you?
     
  18. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I made some notes. The first thing on this list is the sub-assembly with the coolant hoses, first inline from exhaust manifold. I think on ebay they'll usually sell the whole thing, that plus the valve assy:

    EGR components:
    PIPE SUB-ASSY, EGR W/COOLER p/n: 25601-37010
    VALVE ASSY, EGR p/n: 25620-37110
    website for above:
    2010 Toyota Prius Exhaust Gas Recirculation System

    Here's some decent pictures. The top listing just the sub-assembly, and the second one is the whole unit:

    eBay

    All the above are used, some not clearly described as such, and I do not know: miles is what clogs these, so used might be a crap shoot. Here's new, item 7 on this page:

    EGR SYSTEM for 2010 Toyota Prius

    Not that much more than Ebay, either.

    I'll attach too, what I found in the repair manual.
     

    Attached Files:

    #18 Mendel Leisk, Mar 10, 2016
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2016
  19. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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    the gen 2 used valve overlapping for the EGR operation, so no EGR piping, valves, and problems.
    toyota removed the VVT from one of the cams in the gen 3, so you have to use dedicated EGR system that plugs up just like any other ICE with dedicated EGR system.
    not sure why they did that, but must have been some efficiency gain, maybe more EGR doable that way?
     
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  20. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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    I actually purchased the whole unit from ebay when one of the sellers decreased the price. I paid $112 shipped. I made sure i got one with the newer, revised EGR valve (per the TSB on EGR). sadly i had no chance to take it apart and see the condition inside the valve. looks fairly clean from outside.