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newbie with some ?'s

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by joe fortner, Jun 22, 2015.

  1. joe fortner

    joe fortner New Member

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    Hello Prius owners. I've finally made the decision to buy a used Prius but I had a few questions I wanted to ask of those who currently own one. I'm looking at a 2007, but was concerned about the noticeable transition between the battery and the gas engine. Is this normal for this year Prius? I also hear a solenoid type buzzing from the battery area weather the car is on or not. It buzzes for 10 seconds or show then shuts off. The current owner said it is the battery cooling system. It is in the mid 90's here today so it seemed logical. And finally, is there anything on this year Prius that I should pay special attention to when inspecting the car? Thanks
     
    #1 joe fortner, Jun 22, 2015
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome! how many miles on her?

    the '07 is no different than any other year from '04 - '09. no way for us to feel the transition, but there is one, and different at different speeds and throttle pressure.

    there is a brake accumulator that buzzes for 10 seconds when you open the driver door, and the battery cooling fan and tunnel runs from the grille on the edge of the back seat, to the battery. not sure i would describe it as buzzing.

    there's a lot to inspect on a prius, and i would suggest hanging out here until you're comfortable, before making a purchase. all the best!(y)
     
    #2 bisco, Jun 22, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2015
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  3. joe fortner

    joe fortner New Member

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    It has 120 K and is in pretty good shape. I took it for a test drive today and I had only ever test driven a 2012 model before. I can feel the gas engine cut out and the electric come on, and vice versa. It's almost as if there is a delay. and it is mostly at a stop , like when I stopped for a traffic light. And the buzzing noise I spoke of isn't a actual buzzing but the kind of quiet buzz a solenoid will sometime make I hate to lose a good deal but more importantly don't want to buy a lemon. Hybrids are a whole new world to me and I don't know what is a normal thing and what isn't Thanks for any advice..
     
    #3 joe fortner, Jun 22, 2015
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    maybe take it to toyota for an inspection?
     
    #4 bisco, Jun 22, 2015
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  5. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    No "maybe" about that, given the OP's lack of familiarity. There should be no noticeable noise coming from the hatch area other than maybe the traction battery fan.

    The engine coolant heat recovery pump located in the driver's front fender will run upon startup and shutdown for a few seconds. As bisco pointed out, the brake actuator pump will run from time to time. Press the brake pedal repeatedly to force the pump to run so you know what it sounds like.
     
    #5 Patrick Wong, Jun 22, 2015
  6. joe fortner

    joe fortner New Member

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    Thanks for the info on the pump. The noise was coming from the driver side area near the fire wall and able to be heard inside the car as well. What struck me as odd was that I heard the noise before I even started the car. When I was doing the first look under the hood I heard it. Then every minute or so for about 10 seconds. With the car on or off.
     
    #6 joe fortner, Jun 22, 2015
  7. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    NJ is a CARB state so if the orig purchase was in NJ or other CARB state you should have 150k mile 10-yr CARB warranty on some of the major stuff such as HV Battery.
     
    #7 wjtracy, Jun 22, 2015
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    it sounds like the canister is leaking and will need to be replaced. there is no battery under the hood. the 12v is in the right rear quarter panel. that's where you confused us, it's your brake accumulator.
     
    #8 bisco, Jun 23, 2015
  9. usnavystgc

    usnavystgc Die Hard DIYer and Ebike enthusiast.

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    These are normal noises from a Prius and the transition is noticeable especially if you're stopped. The 2012 you drove, the transition is less noticeable because they made more advances with that in the Gen III.
     
    #9 usnavystgc, Jun 24, 2015
  10. tanglefoot

    tanglefoot Whee!

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    The pump running every minute or so doesn't sound right. The car does have some things that run when powered-off but just once or occasionally, around power-down, power up or when first getting in. Once the car's been off, it's usually silent.

    The engine transitions vary in how noticeable they are. The most noticeable are the engine starts and stops when the vehicle is at or near a stop, and they become smoother when the car is in the later warm-up stages (after about 10-15 minutes of driving). The electric drive is always engaged. It's just the gasoline engine that can start/stop (at speeds below 42 mph). The energy flow between the components is in pretty constant flux.

    Look at another Gen 2 so you can compare sounds and behaviors.
     
    #10 tanglefoot, Jun 24, 2015
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