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Prius Owners w/50K - What We Think Now

256 messages,  Last post on Mar 02, 2013 at 8:01 AM

You are in the Toyota Prius Forum.

What is this discussion about? Toyota Prius, Hybrid Cars, Hatchback, Sedan

Messages Page 23 of 26

#216 of 256 HID &/or ECU prob. by genie2196uk

Jan 26, 2011 (12:24 pm)

My 2006 Prius has 89,000 miles on it. My passenger headlight started flickering and dying about 6 months ago; it does not illuminate now. The driver light is sometimes dying; no flickering like the passenger side used to. I just turn the light off and on in order to get the illumination back (but at a lower brightness). The postings that I've read suggest that Toyota would be willing to pay for, or at least discount my costs for repair. Is it sufficient to deal just with the Toyota dealership, or do I need to talk to Toyota Corp.?
 
Thanks
 
David in San Diego

#217 of 256 Re: HID &/or ECU prob. [genie2196uk] by railroadjames

Jan 26, 2011 (12:52 pm)

Replying to: genie2196uk (Jan 26, 2011 12:24 pm)
I'm unaware of coverage for a hd lt bulb and while I've replaced 3 hd lt bulbs in 8 yrs on my '04 Prius I must say that the method of replacing a bulb is next to brain surgury to say the least. Toyota makes it a task of major difficulty. No one ever said that they keep things simple. They just don't. Truth be known.

#218 of 256 Re: HID &/or ECU prob. [railroadjames] by rick294

Jan 26, 2011 (1:49 pm)

Replying to: railroadjames (Jan 26, 2011 12:52 pm)
Oh, swell. Now I have something to look forward to...

#219 of 256 Re: HID &/or ECU prob. [genie2196uk] by mickeyrom

Jan 26, 2011 (1:59 pm)

Replying to: genie2196uk (Jan 26, 2011 12:24 pm)
Replacing light bulbs would be considered maintenance.I seriously doubt that Toyota would pay anything.Let us know if it's otherwise.

#220 of 256 Re: HID &/or ECU prob. [rick294] by railroadjames

Jan 26, 2011 (5:20 pm)

Replying to: rick294 (Jan 26, 2011 1:49 pm)
No car seems to accomplish perfection (although I think if they would REALLY listen to auto owners they could come alot closer). I love and am amazed by the Prius and its inovative difference to all other cars. I have over 136K miles and original brakes, muffler, both batteries and nary any repairs or replacement of parts. Oil changes, tires, filters and wiper blades are my only expenditures after over 8 yrs of ownership. No other car has come anywhere even close to this remarkable success. That's over 50 vehicles. Nuf said.

#221 of 256 HV Battery Failing, have lost ability to go in reverse (reliably) by gwmort

Feb 15, 2011 (1:52 pm)

My 2003 prius is now up to 164,000 miles, and still on the original HV battery, but it is dying a slow and painful death.
 
For about the last 30,000 miles or so I would get random error messages when first starting the car that would disappear later in the day once the battery had built some more charge up again. I really can't afford to sink a lot into repairs so I have avoided going to the dealer.
 
At some point the car started to not go into reverse "gear" any longer. Remember there is no traditional mechanical transmission and even what there is the ICE doesn't operate the car in reverse, its all electric. My research and best efforts to troubleshoot have led me to believe that reverse in particular relies on certain specific cells in the HV battery, and I may have lost some of those. Luckily, having no mechanical reverse transmission makes it effectively in neutral in reverse and I am generally able to stick my foot out the drivers door and "flintstone" out of most spots, and I learned to always look for pull throughs and what not.
 
Now I am having trouble getting the car going in the mornings (especially since winter came back this year). The ICE stalls shortly after starting, and not the normal going in to standby until needed, if I pull away in electric it never comes on no matter how fast I try to go it just depletes the battery. So I pull over and restart it.
 
My morning routine is then: 1. Start car, it stalls but is still "on"; 2. Try to put it in reverse (chances are presently 1 in 3); 3. regardless of whether it actually goes in reverse my driveway is steep enough to roll on gravity into the street, then pull in front of house on electric power; 4. Turn off car, wait about 30 sec and restart, get into drive and gun it to have some gas flowing and things go fine from there.
 
If I drive for 2-3 hours in a particular day I can usually restart it and have no warnings or alarms and actually have reverse the rest of that day, but it starts all over the next.
 
I really love my Prius, other than the above its never given me a bit of mechanical trouble, and its been paid off for years. I'm thinking if I never replace the HV battery it will eventually just become more or less a 4 cylinder conventional car with no reverse. I have a Volt on order and now need to decide to sell the Prius or get it fixed up and given to my son. I'm thinking spending a few grand on the repairs might be better investment in an otherwise reliable old car then taking some unknown for him off a used car lot. Either way I am just hoping she can make it another 8 months til my Volt arrives.
 
 This is the longest I have ever owned a car and do not regret my purchase at all.

#222 of 256 Re: HID &/or ECU prob. [railroadjames] by mickeyrom

Feb 15, 2011 (2:52 pm)

Replying to: railroadjames (Jan 26, 2011 5:20 pm)
50 vehicles! Man you're whackier than me.I've only had 35

#223 of 256 Re: HV Battery Failing, have lost ability to go in reverse (reliably) [gwmort] by grandtotal

Feb 15, 2011 (8:31 pm)

Replying to: gwmort (Feb 15, 2011 1:52 pm)
Reverse in a Prius does not rely upon particular cells in the HV battery, and Reverse is no more "all electric" than Drive is.
 
Have you ever had the 12V battery replaced? If not I suspect that your problems may be due to that rather than anything else.

#224 of 256 Like a Timex...Just Keeps on Ticking... by railroadjames

Sep 01, 2011 (8:00 pm)

Never before, in all my automotive dealings , has a car given so much quietly, dependably, and ...most of all, thriftily than my '04 Prius. With these most difficult times, I found a little paridise in the Prius. Toyota has not built the perfect car but....it's pretty darn close from my perspective. Closing in on 9 years and nearly 150 K miles I'm convinced that this is a car that deserves the highest accolades of praise for acheiving a near "Bullseye."
 
   How much money have I saved in gas thrift? Conservatively about $12,000.00 over these 8 plus yrs. That ain't chicken feed folks. That's the definition of thrift. Low maintainence is true to form. Original brakes at the near 150K miles is unheard of in any other vehicle. I don't know exactly why but I love it. Brake jobs these days run $600.00 to $800.00 and that is money saved. By this time frame I would have had to replace exhaust, starter, 12 volt battery (twice) and most likely a rebuilt tranny. Do the math. That's about $2,500.00- $3,500.00 conservatively speaking.
 
   Lastly, I get a kick out of the styling that ran the nearly same look for 8 yrs and even close to the 3rd Generation look also. This supports a better resale value to the owner and as long as gas prices continue to flirt with $4 bucks there will be folks lined up to buy a used one.

#225 of 256 Re: Like a Timex...Just Keeps on Ticking... [railroadjames] by stevegold

Sep 02, 2011 (6:54 am)

Replying to: railroadjames (Sep 01, 2011 8:00 pm)
I have to agree 100%. I love the 04 Prius. I change the oil and filter myself twice a year. I also wash the two air filters at the same time and replace them after 3 or 4 years. I switch from regular to snow tires and back myself and replace them when necessary. My only complaint is loss of battery boost after 5 minutes going over the Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70. That should be better starting with the 2010 model but my 2004 runs fine. (Independence Pass does not have the same problem because you can't go 75+ no matter what).

Messages Page 23 of 26

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