Repair

Prius HID D4R Headlights

Upgraded packages for 2004-2007 Prius include High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps that cast a crisper, brighter, cooler-colored light than conventional halogen bulbs.  In automotive fashion, the improved visibility is of secondary importance to the impression that the car is high tech and sporty—implying the same of the person who drives it.

For Prius owners, when one of these bulbs goes out, the prevailing notion of HIDs is that they are absurdly expensive. Dealer price for one bulb is $314.23 (as of today) and rumor has it that service departments charge an additional couple hundred dollars for the physical replacement, since the procedure calls for removing the whole front clip.  Two bulbs installed can run $900.

The Prius is a terrifically economical car, and owners are rightfully shocked by the component failure as well as the cost to repair.  The bulbs are thought to last longer (I’ve read up to 8 years), which validates their price, but try explaining that to the owner of a 2006 Prius with no headlights.  Warranty coverage varies depending on the service writer on the other side of the counter.

In true form, PriusChat has a hot thread regarding this problem.  Discussion includes class-action plans to speculations of a bad batch around MY 2006.

Prius Headlight Problem via Priuschat

Our purpose at Luscious Garage is to fix the problem.  After ardent research we found a direct source for OEM bulbs (Philips Brand D4R 4300K) for $92 each.  We also offer upgraded bulbs that are brighter (Onex Brand D4R 6000K) and whiter in color.  The bulbs can be changed from above, without removing anything, in a half hour.  Two bulbs installed: $260. 

Posted by Carolyn Comments 0 Trackbacks 0 Permalink Categories: Repair »

270k Mile Prius: Dead A/C Compressor

Luscious Garage has the distinct pleasure of servicing several high mileage Prius, including this one in a courier capacity, now topping 270,000 miles: My Favorite Prius

This car has needed *very* little attention up to now, with the first high dollar repair affecting the air conditioning system. The A/C was inoperative; climate control would blow but not cold.  The compressor was silent (it puts out a particular whine when on); a quick query to the HVAC computer turned up a P1472 (Open or short in A/C inverter high voltage output system) and P1474 (A/C inverter (w/ converter inverter assembly) malfunction).  The Prius is special in that it uses an electric drive, high voltage compressor (controlled by the inverter assembly), allowing it to operate when the engine is off. Clearing codes, the compressor would operate but with a much louder, lower whine than normal.

The diagnostic procedure lists a resistance check of the compressor motor windings, these were slightly high.  Whatever the reading, it was clear the compressor was bad.

Unlike the dealer, LG will happily replace parts with second-hand ones, so long as the replacements are reliable.  In the case of a 270k vehicle, any replacement will have less age.  We purchased a used compressor out of a crashed Prius with 60k miles for $400, less than half the price of new.  Naturally we were excited to inspect the innards of the 270k mile compressor, and we were not disappointed.  The original was completely shredded in its scroll gears.  Shrapnel was everywhere.  This compressor was finished. 

With a replacement compressor, a new drier (desiccant), HV rated A/C oil, and a fresh batch of refrigerant, this cold Prius was back on the road.  Total cost of the repair: $870. 

Posted by Carolyn Comments 0 Trackbacks 3 Permalink Categories: Repair »

2004-2005 Prius Misfire Condition

2004-2005 Toyota Prius have a flaw in their wiper cowl; specifically how it seals water from breaching the engine compartment.  The result is a small but significant trickle onto the top of the engine, right where the ignition system sits in a ready-made canal for water storage.  As water sits for an unknown length of time (the plugs are not due for service for 100k miles), the metal rusts and corrodes, making a nasty mess of the spark plug itself and the coil that perches above it. 

The problem is otherwise invisible since the plugs and coils are mounted into tubes through the top of the head and any residual water evaporates with the heat of the engine.

In this case, the cylinder that still held water (#1) began to misfire only after extended highway driving (roughly 10 continuous minutes); there were no symptoms in the city or short trips, basically anytime the engine stayed cool. 

Once it did act up, the condition amplified until it was present for all conditions (light or heavy throttle, low or high speeds).  The sensation was a kind of rubber-band power, unlike conventional cars where the engine connects directly to the wheels.  The “check engine” light flashed, indicating a catalyst damaging misfire.  The vehicle did not store hard codes, only a pending one for cylinder #1 (P0301 Misfire Detected, Cylinder #1). 

Toyota identifies this problem in a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB EG063-05) and recommends replacing any damaged plugs and coils and updating the seal on the cowl.  The repair is covered under warranty for three years or 36,000 miles.  Otherwise the fix costs $150 per plug and coil and another $150 to reseal the cowl.

Posted by Carolyn Comments 6 Trackbacks 0 Permalink Categories: Repair »

Information Codes

It was a brief decade ago that the modern “check engine” light emerged.  Though it looked the same, it fronted the second generation of “on-board diagnostics,” a.k.a. OBD II.  With OBD II came a standardized format for stored codes (formally known as “diagnostic trouble codes” or DTCs in tech jargon)—five digit hexidecimal codes, to be exact.  P0301 is now known as “Misfire Detected Cylinder #1.” P0455 points to the gas cap.  There are hundreds more.

Hybrid owners are advanced in their automotive fluency, both because their cars are high tech and owners themselves are more interested.  But the cars have done their part to up the ante. With the popularity of the Prius comes a newfound warning indicator more ominous than “check engine:” a red triangle fondly known as “the red triangle of death.” Not only that, owners must negotiate a secondary level of diagnostic trouble codes, “information codes” also known as “INF codes” or “sub-codes.” Without this data, the DTC is too vague to properly (or efficiently) diagnose.

Witness the dreaded P3009, for instance.  Generally it describes a voltage leak (short) somewhere in the Toyota hybrid system.  People often worry about the high voltage wiring being chaffed somehow, causing this code.  It’s better known on the Gen 1 Prius, whose undersized drive motor is prone to fatigue (and eventual failure).  The failure aspect often comes in the form of the P3009.

High voltage spans the length of a hybrid, from battery to motor-generator.  So how do we know where to find (and therefore fix) the problem?  Help comes in the form of information codes.  I’ve copied the first page of the 18 page instructions pertaining to P3009 on the 04 Prius; note that there are five different sub-codes: 526, 611, 612, 613, and 614.  Each points to a different aspect of the high voltage system.  The HV ECU quarantines the problem depending on the operating conditions when the leak is detected. 

The details and their importance are largely private to the technican in getting the job done.  But awareness of Information Codes is essential to the vehicle owner when it comes to warranty disputes or elusive repairs.  When multiple people get involved, a DTC alone is not enough to understand the situation.  In record keeping it’s now essential to list not only the main codes but any secondary information of importance as well.  Who’s to say if and when that information may be needed, and after clearing the code, it’s a guess to say what it might have been. 

Posted by Carolyn Comments 1 Permalink Categories: Repair »