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Finally had to do some work on my Prius.....

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by FazilHussein, Mar 25, 2019.

  1. FazilHussein

    FazilHussein Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2014
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    Location:
    Perth, Ontario, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Folks,

    I have not had to do anything on my DD 2005 Prius since 2014...oil and gas, change cabin filter, clean air filter...that's it.

    On Friday night, to my surprise, I had only one headlight!!! Could it really be? Something actually broke on this car?

    Bought the bulb ($12), struggled to get the light replaced...1 hr and several skinned knuckles later...back in business.

    2014 -> 140km, today -> 265km.....120km and nothing broken??????? A halogen bulb that lasted 14 years??? Crazy.

    I'm not quite sure what they made these cars out of, but they should do another run of them....best car I've ever owned.

    Faz
     
    kenoarto, Graeme1949 and bisco like this.
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
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    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    well done! (y) they are tanks, aren't they?
     
  3. FazilHussein

    FazilHussein Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2014
    63
    32
    0
    Location:
    Perth, Ontario, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Big time! I've had some pretty durable cars in my time...83 Tercel, 95 Integra, 98 Volvo V70, 96 Golf 1.8L....all over 300k before I sent them on their way. You could tell they were getting tired near the end....squeeks, rattles, back to back repairs, rotten lines, exhaust...

    But not this one! Tight as a drum...starts at -30C, no issues. Exhaust is still mint. I've owned this car from 38k onward...here's the list of things fixed:

    1) Wheel bearings; potholed, both had to be replaced (140k)
    2) Changed the rotors/pads at the same time...plenty of life left, but for the extra $60 why not.
    3) Shocks: Coils broke, might as well change shocks at the same time.
    4) +12V battery
    5) ICE water pump
    6) Inverter coolant pump was changed by previous owner under warranty
    7) Tires...probably 4 sets?
    8) 1 x transaxle fluid replacement
    9) 1 x coolant replacement when I did the water pump.
    10) ....and now 1 bulb :)

    That's it....for 220k of driving....

    No timing belt, alternator, starter, brakes, exhaust, O2....none of the usual you'd expect.

    The kicker is it still gets 4.8L/100k in the summer and 5.8L/100k in the winter. Does not burn a drop of oil!

    This is the first car I will continue to maintain after 300k...can easily see 400k in the cards.

    Thoroughly pleased with this car...cannot think of a better value for money than a Gen 2.

    Faz
     
    Knightrider, Mendel Leisk and bisco like this.
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
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    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    would love to see you hit the 500k club!
     
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,474
    38,106
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Starting to think I bought into the lemon generation, with the EGR/PCV nonsense. Culminating in failed head gaskets, bent piston arms, things coming out of the engine block wall...
     
  6. Knightrider

    Knightrider Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2019
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    Location:
    Kansas City
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I too had a 95 96 and 98 Volvo
    Was sad to leave the Swedish Metal
    It am pretty impressed w the sewing machine o am driving for purchase price of 700$

    Has it needed work yes-
    But I enjoy it as a hobby
     
  7. Danny13pruisc3

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2020
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    Location:
    maryland
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Three
    I just bought an 05.. odo stopped at 299k and that was the mileage like a few years ago.. so it probably has 350k
    it seems to need a rear shock/strut..
    was driving and the left headlight went out.. turned them off and on and it came back on.. it happened a few more times..
    and then the right headlight did it just the other night.. not sure what causes that?

    and the odometer will blank out but usually if i keep turnng the car off and on with the headlights on and windows going up and down it'll come back on with all the dash warning lights on and hten one more reboot and it's lit up without the problem lights.
    i guess i'll pull another meter from a junk yard prius one day.

    looks like it has rear struts, i wish it had shocks so i could put air bags in it..

    I got it for $1700.. has the ea6 so the car is going ot pay for itself..
     
  8. Another

    Another Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2021
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    Location:
    Naples, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    How old is 12v battery?
     
  9. Colorado Boo

    Colorado Boo Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2021
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    201
    8
    Location:
    Monument, Colorado USA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius
    Model:
    LE AWD-e
    I love success stories like this! I remember when our family, in the late-70's/early 80's starting buying Toyota's because anything else seemed to be pieces of crap. In 1979, my first car was a 1977 Ford Mustang II which was just a Pinto rebranded (same 4-cylinder engine). Anyway, Mustangs were $2,000 new and mine was only 2 years old and I paid $1,500. She broke down on the drive home...seriously! So much for GM "quality" My Father-in-Law bought a new Toyota Cressida in-line 6-cylinder that same year. (He said he was done with American built cars and he was a 100% union man). Anyway, he put over 200,000 on that car, gave it to his daughter, she put another 150,000 and gave it to her daughter. The only thing that killed it was the salt from the roads in New England.
    So our family has owned just about every model of Toyota cars and trucks and SUV's. We are the first to buy the Prius (we now have two) and drove one from Colorado to Maine and back a few years ago and gas was $200 round trip.
     
  10. Another

    Another Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2021
    1,802
    508
    0
    Location:
    Naples, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    The only cars in past decades that I’ve regretted selling were my Toyota cars especially my 1984 Supra.
     
  11. Colorado Boo

    Colorado Boo Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2021
    307
    201
    8
    Location:
    Monument, Colorado USA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius
    Model:
    LE AWD-e
    Yep, I miss my 2005 Tacoma but had to let her go to get the V-8 in the Tundra (2014) to pull our 7,000 pound camper trailer.
    I would love one of those older, smaller Tacoma trucks.
     
  12. FazilHussein

    FazilHussein Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2014
    63
    32
    0
    Location:
    Perth, Ontario, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    This car is so dependable that I forget to check in with my Prius brethren :)

    Update time; since 2019, I have fixed the following:

    1) The other headlight bulb
    2) 2nd set of rear shocks
    3) Spark plugs @ 280k/km
    4) PCV at the same time
    7) Replaced transaxle oil at the same time
    5) Exhaust nut holding front pipe to manifold
    6) Hood cable

    She now has 340k on her; original front suspension, tail lights, exhaust, rear brakes, inverter, traction battery, etc, etc.

    Runs tight too! No squeaks or rattles. Body is starting to rust, undercarriage is mint (Krown every year).

    My friend let me drive his Model 3 performance on the weekend....man, what a beast. :p

    Been trying to rationalize a replacement car for the last two days; really can't find a reason....for the amount I would save in gas, I'd have to shell out $70K....and will it last to 400K? Will it be cheap to fix?

    As long as she wants to roll, I'll keep 'er on the road....LONG LIVE THE BEST DAMN CAR EVERY MADE!!!!

    Faz

    P.S. Stay away from the Tesla dealership....those cars make me want to do bad things ;)
     
  13. Colorado Boo

    Colorado Boo Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2021
    307
    201
    8
    Location:
    Monument, Colorado USA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius
    Model:
    LE AWD-e
    340,000? Dang!! I know I'd have well over 200,000 on my 2005 Tacoma by now...and I believe I've seen her driving around...still miss her as my commuter car.
    There's been lots of chatter about a video on Youtube, by Chris Fix who bought a 2007 Prius with a dead hybrid battery, had 168,000 miles. It had the dreaded exclamation point in a triangle as well as the VSC light and Check Engine light. Toyota dealer wanted $4,000 to replace the hybrid battery. He got a new replacement battery for $1,500 and showed step-by-step how to do it. (As a DIYer, it doesn't look all that hard.) Reason it's so controversial is the high-voltage you are dealing with. So would it be something I'd do in my future? Hmmmmm.....