Engine seized? 118k miles

Hopefully you got a good price? On the bright side engines from wrecked Prius are in the $1200 dollar range and I saw a post on here this week of a mechanic who swapped an engine in 4 hours. Probably most nobody can do it that fast, but the cost of getting this one going again is way less of a cost/challenge than most other cars...

 

My initial thoughts about that diagnosis is that they're idiots. But having not been there, who really knows. Personally, I think there's something other than a seized engine going on. Like maybe the crank sensor went bad, so the engine will not start? Like with an unkown crank position it doesn't know when to spark? (in simple terms). Like maybe the HV battery drained while they were driving 30mph with no engine running. Like depleting the battery made the car go slower and slower until it died. But, I could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. Maybe it threw a rod and broke the sensor face. But then it would also be likely the rod would have violated the side of the block or oil pan also.

What did you do to it that cost you five grand?

 

Based on the description there, I wonder if the inverter isn’t the issue.

Look in the vehicles history for the IPM software flash.

Do you have access to Techstream? Or what code reader are you using? If it is the inverter or something related to the hybrid drivetrain (which is where the dealer was going by calling for a hybrid tech), you’ll need a more advanced code reader to get a full picture.

But ultimately buying cars at auction is a risky business. What were the terms of the purchase? Do you have any recourse?

Good luck and keep us posted .

 

I would jack up the right front and remove the splash shield. Then attach a socket, extension, and breaker bar to the crankshaft bolt and see if the engine turns. Should turn fairly easy until you hit engine compression. Then it will get tight, and loosen up again until the next cylinder comes up.

If this passes, then follow up with getting the inverter tested.

If the engine is indeed seized, it can be replaced for around 1k (used) if you can do it yourself. Plan on 2k to 2500 if someone does it for you.

 

Gotta love semi-literate service record entries...

Seized seems unlikely to me, but hydrolocked could certainly impersonate seized.

 

Reading this post, it does sound as if the engine is seized. Probably popped the head gasket and filled a cylinder or two with coolant. Then on ICE startup you get bent rods and/or broken pistons.

 

Don’t forget you are on a pitch count as there is only so much juice in the hybrid battery.

If it is at 1 bar, you need to get it recharged before you can continue with anything else.

 

Here's info to ponder....
Tried to start car multiple times with a failed crank sensor...how many tries is the HV battery good for, before it's SOC is too low?
Disconnect the 12v battery and guess what? The HV battery display/ecu goes to a default value (3 or 4 bars) since it really doesn't know the true SOC.
Now try to start car again. Drain battery even more. Rinse and repeat until the HV battery is essentially a paperweight.

 

Your local Toyota dealer should have an emergency grid charger. I called mine when I did my engine swap. They were going to charge me like 179 to grid charge it. But my hv battery had enough juice to start the ICE.

 

Don't worry, it's unlikely you damaged the battery, it'll just be too low of a charge to turn the engine...

First, make sure you know your high voltage safety rules...
Then, use a meter to measure the voltage of the pack so you know where' you're at. Not sure minimum voltage to turn the engine over is, I need to find that...

Next, you can buy a grid charger ($400) via hybridautomotive.com, which is a bit expensive because the additional $150 wiring harness they sell has a box that imitates the hybrid battery ECU for the purposes of controlling the pack's cooling fan.

A less expensive, but more time consuming route is to pull the pack and charge each of the 28 individual 8.2v modules with a smart charger for NiMH batteries. There's lots of options for chargers, the most commonly used one on here is: IMAX B6AC V2

Or just head to your local RC car and drone hobby shop and see what they have. Also if you want to speed up the process you could wire the whole pack up in parallel and charge the whole pack up to 8.2, but that's not as thorough as doing each individual module so you're certain all modules are in good shape and you have a balanced charge.

Of course finding out what's wrong with the car and fixing that before you work on the pack would be wise. Also learning about reconditioning NiMH packs would be a good way to increase battery pack capacity and increase overall longevity: BU-807: How to Restore Nickel-based Batteries – Battery University

 

Remember the battery only has so much voltage.

But your friends could work if he allows you to swap a battery into his car that he’ll have to deal with.

Between the 2 Prii you and your friend have, the Prolong equipment from Hybrid Automotive might be a good deal going forward.

Good luck and keep us posted.