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Wrong size tire on 2007 Prius, slip indicator coming on, can this damage car?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by EllenD, Apr 14, 2015.

  1. EllenD

    EllenD New Member

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    I am new here and have read some of the threads but not all so I apologize if I'm posting this in the wrong place, but I need some advice as soon as possible! I am afraid to drive my car on the highway and if I am damaging my car by driving it I want to make sure I hold the auto care shop that put the wrong size tire on my car responsible.

    I have Bridgestone Ecopia EP100 BL tires size 185/65R15 on my 2007 Prius that I got in 2010. Because of a nail in one tire I had to replace one of the tires two days ago. The technician said they did not have the exact same tire any more but he would replace it with something comparable.

    The next day I drove 2 hours on the interstate and the slip indicator light kept flashing, it felt like the engine was revving a lot and/or the transmission wouldn't shift when I got to highway speeds, and it was a little scary. My first thought was something with the new tire since I had absolutely no problems before.

    I dug out the paperwork for my older tires and compared it with that for the new tire and found that the new one is 185/55RT15 instead of 185/65RT15. I called the shop and they said they will replace it with the right size tire, but the only problem is I can't get back to Indianapolis until May 2 and they do not have a shop within an hour and a half of where I am currently located.

    Should I take the car somewhere and have it looked at or go ahead and get a new tire and try to get the shop that made the mistake to pay for it? I am a doctoral student and pretty low on funds so I don't want to spend unnecessary money getting my car checked out if I am overreacting. I can wait and drive 2 hours back to Indianapolis on May 2 and try to avoid interstate driving in the meantime, but I'd rather come up with a better solution. I am in contact with someone from the headquarters of the auto shop and he is going to check and see if they have a relationship with someone closer. I believe they should fix the problem since it is their fault but I don't know how far I can go with asking them to pay.

    Any suggestions or advice will be very much appreciated.
     
  2. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    Put on the spare until you get it sorted out?

    I think the mismatch is confusing the ABS/VSC.

    Why a spare, which is a different size, also, does not do that...you got me??

    Having said that, I am sure others here will have a better answer for you, but again, I would put on the spare for now.
     
    #2 Stevewoods, Apr 14, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2015
  3. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    You should agree to pay for another tire from another shop. Keep the old tire and return it for a refund when you get back there.
     
  4. mmmodem

    mmmodem Senior Taste Tester

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    I'm willing to bet the spare tire is smaller than the wrong size tire they gave you, so it would be no more dangerous. In your shoes, I would treat your car as rolling on the spare and drive under 55 mph until you get it replaced.
     
  5. RobertK

    RobertK Member

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    The tire shop should have put the new tire on the rear. If they did it this way you should be OK for a month until they replace it with the proper size tire. If the new tire is on the front you might be putting extra strain on the transaxle because the two front tires are always spinning at different speeds due to them having different diameters. The speed differential is what is causing the slip indicator to go off and the car is trying to correct a situation that is beyond its control.

    Some car makers recommend that a temporary spare always be used on a rear wheel position, moving a good "normal" tire to the front axle if you have a flat on a front tire.
     
  6. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    I'd do whatever it takes to get a real tire, of the proper size/match on your vehicle.
    Then I'd return the old wrong size one at your convenience and expect a full refund.

    In the meantime? Drive carefully.

    Poor form of the original shop to send you out with a vehicle performing like that.
     
    #6 The Electric Me, Apr 14, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2015
  7. EllenD

    EllenD New Member

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    Thanks, all! I took it to a local shop and got a new tire and am sending the bill for reimbursement to the original shop, as per a phone conversation earlier today. But something odd happened just as I was pulling out of the shop--the red triangle light with the exclamation point lit up as well as the yellow brake indicator. I parked the car and turned it off and back on, and the lights were still there, so I drove right back to the shop. The technician checked it out and while admitting he didn't know much about the Prius and that I should take it to a dealership if it happened again, told me that the "throttle (something?) control module circuit" was stuck open but he reset the indicators and it was probably just a random thing. I don't understand this at all, but the car drove fine on the way home with no lights on. Does anyone know what he might have meant and if it is something to get checked out? Could some damage have been caused by driving on the interstate for two hours with the wrong tire? Thanks again for any suggestions! I love my Prius but haven't run into any issues with it so far, so now that it is over 80,000 miles and 8 years old I am sure I will need to learn more about maintenance.
     
  8. EllenD

    EllenD New Member

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    The technician also wrote down two codes, which I looked up: P2111 Throttle Actuator Control System - Stuck Open
    and P2103 Toyota - Throttle Control Motor Relay Circuit High