Toyota Prius Engine Problems

I have a 2004 Prius. This has happened to me infrequently but more than once.
1. Make sure you get the software upgraded by your Toyota dealer. That should be a no cost upgrade.
2. I have ALWAYS been able to get it to start somehow, sometimes by playing with the start button which usually worked at least on the 5th or 6th try.
3. The one time it wouldn't start at all, I disconnected the 12V battery using the underhood red terminal. After an hour I reconnected it and everything was back to normal.
4. There may have been one occasion (in 2006 or 2007) when even that did not work so I left some lights on overnight so the 12V battery fully discharged. The next morning I jumped that battery with cables and everything was back to normal. There may have been still another earlier problem when I disconnected the hard drive under the passenger seat which caused a hard reboot when I reconnected it a few minutes later. I may be imagining this last solution.
5. I don't recall this happening again since then. I never had to get the dealer involved except to upgrade the software as mentioned above.
6. I do need a GPS map upgrade and will probably have to pay $250-350 for them to do that

#100 of 104 Re: extended service warranty [shay2] by krautnribs

Oct 07, 2011 (3:36 pm)

Replying to: shay2 (Apr 06, 2010 3:07 pm)

I have a 2005 Prius and got a recall notice for a water pump, it was installed at no cost. I think it was a universal recall for leaking pumps.

#101 of 104 Engine knocking noise by sljbfam

Nov 26, 2011 (2:32 pm)

Just got my 2004 prius fixed. The engine was making a load knocking noise when the gas engine turned on and the noise did not go away at all. So this went on for a week then noticed reddish fluid leaking on passenger side, thought it was either transmission fluid or radiator fluid. Took it to the dealer and found out it was the water pump & they also changed the outer belt. And no more noise. Also had the pedal & prius water pump done. So if you other prius owners I have read that have the constant gas engine knocking noise the water pump to the radiator may be it. Mine now has 99,710 miles on it and looking to get at least over 200k on it.

#102 of 104 2008 Prius issues... by k_prius2008

Nov 15, 2012 (12:21 pm)

Hopefully someone can help me with this. I just recently purchased a 2008 Prius. The interaction with the Prius has been unique to say the least. i enjoy the car very much however there are problems i have noticed. First is that when I have the car running it has a significant stalling feel. I have noticed it happening at a few different times. The stalling happens everytime I drive. When I have the care idling the car seems to be running on battery them starts the gas engine and when it goes to disengage the gas engine it sputters out as if the engine is dying. Also when I am driving then go to slow at a light, stop sign or anything else that required decceleration it again has the stalling feel. The car never stops running but I am not at all buying that that is just what happened when the hybrid system engages. I have yet to have this looked at but would like to have additional information from anyone.

Second is the keyless entry.. I have no idea why this is such a pain in the butt but I would like to have my care unlock all the doors since most often then not I am not the only passenger in the vehicle... Oh might I add that this car I go has no owners manual.

Third is the navigation/bluetooth/voice command system. How do you get the voice system to recognize your voice? I would like to use my navigation and other toys but the voice recognition is not working at all. I am not familiar with the commands but nothing is recognized. It look forever to get the bluetooth to recieve the contacts from my Evo. Now I have to use my phone almost as a remote.

Fourth and last thing that concerns me is the mpg. My car is currently getting 38.9mpg mixed. Most of my driving is on the highway during rush hour. Traffic has not been horrible so the average speed is 50-55. I know the vehicle is suppose to be getting 48/45mpg. This is a pretty large concern too.

Replies to this message:

ducati2v (Dec 19, 2012 7:10 pm)

#103 of 104 replace gas engine at 135K?! by davemcle

Dec 08, 2012 (8:14 pm)

I have recently learned that my gas engine in a 2008 prius may need to be replaced. At a minimum, I have been told that I should change the oil every 3K miles. I am very disappointed because I was expecting to get 200K out of this car without anything major going wrong. It is a Toyota after all. I have been very good about getting the oil changed regularly. I usually went in almost immediately after the maintenance required light went on. Any suggestions on how to proceed? Change the engine? Continue with 3K oil changes? New car?
Thanks for any insight...

#104 of 104 Re: 2008 Prius issues... [k_prius2008] by ducati2v

Dec 19, 2012 (7:10 pm)

Replying to: k_prius2008 (Nov 15, 2012 12:21 pm)

The stall feeling will happen to me when there is a large accessory load on the engine, specifically AC or heat. Try turning these off if you're using them and see if it goes away? IMO, it's almost as if the car can't decide if it needs to keep running to maintain the AC/heat or whether it should shutoff. Try just changing the temperature control so that your car isn't working so hard to maintain your temp setpoint - this may get rid of the stall.

Keyless entry: You can change how the doors unlock by doing the following: Turn power switch off, when the indicator on the key surface is turned off, push and hold the panic button while pushing the lock button for about 5 secs. This will cycle the car through different lock features. There's about 6 different modes and you have to wait 5 secs before trying another mode. (pg 43 in owner's manual)

For voice control: Press talk switch>help>operating guide>tel. Follow instructions on the screen. To cancel, press and hold talk switch, press phone on steering wheel, say cancel, and then press cancel. (pg 286 of owner's manual)

Gas mileage: hard to say because so many factors influence it. How's your maintenance? -new air filter? tires inflated to correct pressures (esp. because of winter)? changed the oil? Do you have low rolling resistance tires? Aftermarket tires? Aftermarket wheels? Wheels and tires will have a dramatic affect on your MPG. What about your driving style? When you want max MPG, braking is your enemy as well as fast starts. You can achieve 50 MPG but you will be the one everyone is passing on the freeway. You should be able to expect 42 to 48 MPG though for average conservative driving. Make sure your not carrying around unnecessary weight in the car because it will affect your mileage quite a bit.

Last, look on ebay and try to get yourself an owner's manual. You'll know your car a lot better. Good luck and I hope my answers help you out.

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