66 mpg 2009 Totoya Prius, Champrius 4.0 Under Construction now

[freebeard]

Yikes! What's the symptom.

[Phase]

Originally Posted by Talos Woten

Well, we might be seeing the beginning of the end for Champrius:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfHZAqXFjB3/
Something in her radiator just failed and it doesn't seem safe to drive her currently.

I'll keep peeps posted, but it's going to be a week before I can even get into a shop to see what's wrong.

So prius prime and then mod it? Champrius prime?

[Talos Woten]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Yikes! What's the symptom.

The main error codes seem to be:
P1121 - https://lusciousgarage.com/blog/priu..._sensor_stuck/
P0A93 - https://lusciousgarage.com/blog/priu...r_pump_seized/
I'm also getting the Red Triangle of Doom and a red warning on the MFD, which I've never seen before. That can't be a good sign.

My guess is that the inverter coolant system is horked somehow. After doing some reading it looks like the coolant control valve getting stuck is a common problem, and in an old car just needs to be replaced. That's a $500 repair.

If I get lucky, that's why the inverter pump isn't working. If I don't that also needs to be replaced. That's at least a $500 repair.

If I get super uber lucky, the AC is still working and the reason I'm getting no cold is the coolant valve is dumping heat into the cabin at the same time. If the AC is out... that could be anywhere from a $200 to $2k repair, depending.

I've already called my Toyota dealer and have the car scheduled for an appointment for next week. That's when I'll find out how bad things are. If we are looking at multiple thousands of dollars to get Champrius ship-shape again... I have to seriously consider mothballing her and getting a new car. And right as I was knee deep in the mods for her, too. (sigh)

[Talos Woten]

Originally Posted by Phase

So prius prime and then mod it? Champrius prime?

Hahaha! That made me think of Optimus Prime.
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/ro...20140919185127

Actually, I think if I get a new vehicle it will be electric. Probably a Tesla Model Y or an electric van if I could score one. As much as I love the Prii, I think I want to migrate off of fossil fuels entirely and jump on the e-bandwagon.

[freebeard]

My goal is an Arcimoto FUV. What do you think of the xBus?

DDG:

https://topelectricsuv.com › featured › upcoming-electric-mpv-models
Future EVs: 20 Exciting New Electric Minivan/MPV models
4 Jun 2022 The company aims to price the Base, Premium, and Delivery trims between USD 34,750 and USD 49,950. It has started taking pre-orders with a deposit of USD 100. Morris Commercial JE van Source - Youtube/Morris Commercial

[Talos Woten]

Originally Posted by freebeard

My goal is an Arcimoto FUV. What do you think of the xBus?

The Arcimoto does indeed look like fun. The xBus is also a cute vehicle, but doesn't fit my use case. It doesn't have good aero, and doesn't look like it would be good to live out of for weeks at a time.

I was excited by Canoo and Rivian awhile back
https://www.canoo.com/
https://rivian.com/
But unfortunately, both of them got distracted from their original goals. Canoo wanted to build modular custom vehicles, and is now doing stuff for NASA. Rivian wanted to build outdoor adventure trucks, and is now building vans for Amazon.

And those are just two of the actual, real, non-vaporware companies. There were a ton of places that rode the electric hype, scored funding, and then disappeared. It looks like for the moment that Tesla is the only real alternative for an electric car. I wanted to use Champrius for another few years until the other car companies seriously got into the electric game, which would hopefully increase options and decrease prices. But it's looking like that may not happen, first, because supply constraints are driving up all electric car prices, and second, because (gulp) Champrius may not make it that long.

[freebeard]

I like the Canoo, too. The transparent A- and C-pillars.

From the article I linked it looks like xBus has supply chain problems.

Expensive but OEM:

https://www.intelligentliving.co › vw-launches-electric-conversion-kit-beetle
VW Launches An Electric Conversion Kit For The Classic Beetle
To be exact, the company will extract the Beetle's air-cooled flat-four-cylinder engine and replace it with the electric drivetrain from the existing e-up! city car, including the single-speed gearbox. With the removal of the rear-mounted petrol engine, there's the bonus of a usable amount of boot space. (Credit: Volkswagen)

https://www.hagerty.com › media › news › volkswagen-all-electric-conversion-for-vintage-beetles
Volkswagen will offer all-electric conversion for vintage Beetles
In this case, VW will bolt your Beetle's body onto a new platform with the electric drive system installed for the equivalent of $55,000, which is similar to the price of a conversion of an existing car by Zelectric Motors in San Diego, which charges $56,000. Or you can just buy the platform to install in your own car for $44,000.

Edit:

[ps2fixer]

My 2006 Prius just had the inverter coolant pump fail recently at 265k miles. Same code you have P0A93, but I didn't have any other codes with it. I was able to validate the pump wasn't running, and I swapped it with one from another Prius I happen to have ($500 beater/parts car, cats were stolen). Anyway, swapping the pump was a bit of a pain mainly because of the tight working area, but besides that it was pretty easy to do with just basic hand tools. It looks like the valve is in a similar location. A new OEM pump is around $110, aftermarket (probably Chinese) is $25 if I remember right. I've always been a DIYer though and it helps my dad was a mechanic, so I grew up around fixing cars and such.

Good luck with the repairs, sounds like pretty simple issues to get solved, but might be expensive to pay someone else to do them.

[Talos Woten]

Originally Posted by ps2fixer

My 2006 Prius just had the inverter coolant pump fail recently at 265k miles. Same code you have P0A93, but I didn't have any other codes with it. I was able to validate the pump wasn't running, and I swapped it with one from another Prius I happen to have ($500 beater/parts car, cats were stolen). Anyway, swapping the pump was a bit of a pain mainly because of the tight working area, but besides that it was pretty easy to do with just basic hand tools. It looks like the valve is in a similar location. A new OEM pump is around $110, aftermarket (probably Chinese) is $25 if I remember right. I've always been a DIYer though and it helps my dad was a mechanic, so I grew up around fixing cars and such.

Good luck with the repairs, sounds like pretty simple issues to get solved, but might be expensive to pay someone else to do them.

Hah! Champrius just broke 280k. Maybe the inverter system failing around now was planned obsolescence.

Hmmm... you raise an exceptionally good point, though. My options aren't limited to a) pay lots of money for repairs or b) get a new car. I could take option c) attempt repairs myself on a car I was going to junk otherwise anyway. That's definitely a lower cost option, and if I get lucky and don't screw anything up, potentially just as good.

I'm still going to take the car in and get it diagnosed professionally, as I need to know whether the problem is with the valve and/or the pump. But after that depending on the situation, I might (ahem) take matters into my own hands.

Thanks ps2fixer! If I royally hork my car, it will be because of the bright ideas you placed in my head.

[ps2fixer]

If it doesn't work out, bring the car to Michigan and I'll pay ya scrap value for it =).

Not much to mess up on the pump, it's 2 hoses and a 2 pin electrical connector and 3 mounting bolts. It's just a tight fit getting to it. After it's hooked up, you turn the car on and open the bleeder to purge the air out. There's some youtube videos on how to do it.

It's pretty easy to check if the pump is running, just turning the car to ready mode the pump will be running. If you feel no vibration on the hose, or can't see any flow in the resivor, then the pump isn't working.

The engine coolant valve code sounds like one of the issues existed, and the other recently popped up since the engine coolant system and inverter coolant system are isolated. The only thing they share is the radiator, but the compartments are separate.

If your car has the factory catalytic converts on it yet, those are worth close to the value of the car, worst comes to worst, could cut those off and get someone to pay a fair price for them (or ebay them) and sell the rest of the car to a junk yard or scrap yard. Locally that's $200/ton and the car is 1.5 tons. That puts scrap value around $1500-1800 complete.

Always good to look at all options, I'm huge anti debt for the way I live, so the only way I'd replace a vehicle is if I could afford to buy it out right with no loans. Save a ton of insurance, no interest, older car plates are cheaper. Generally older cars also have cheaper insurance as they are safer too. My 1997 Corolla was cheaper insurance with 2 air bags than my 2006 Prius. Insurance company owner told me it's because there's more metal in the corolla and there's less chance of getting hurt in a wreck. That reminds me, I recently got a dash cam I need to install, and I need to ask my insurance company if there's any kind of discount for having the dash cam. It makes legal battles much simpler if there's ever an issue, no going off of what someone says, just watch the video.

My Corolla hit 305k miles before the gas tank straps rotted off the car, still runs and drives but from sitting the brake lines rusted out too. I also have a 92 camry with 300k miles. My dad's Toyota T100 pickup 4x4 has 330k miles and still going. Toyota makes very good vehicles, just Michigan is terrible on any vehicle due to the salts used during winter. My 1990 Lexus LS400 is just getting a little rust around the wheel wells in the rear (it's RWD) and V8 powered, but it only has around 240k miles currently.

Anyway, I replaced my pump and all seems good with my car, code didn't come back and I put the grill block back in. When the code came up, I removed the grill block and it didn't come back, so efficient driving can keep the inverter from over heating even with no coolant flow.

There's always a plan D too, if you have any colleges near you, call them and check if they have an automotive repair class. It's pretty common for them to work on vehicles for people so the students get hands on experience. I'm not sure if you have to pay for anything besides parts or not though. If you know anyone wanting to be a mechanic, it's a simple enough job to do, not much to mess up besides not "burping" the system or leaving a hose clamp off. I'm sure my cousin would have loved to be paid to fix a car back when he was taking automotive repair classes. I think he was in high-school back then too so that might be another spot to check.

Either case, good luck with whichever route you go with the car.

Talking about the car, I was hoping I could get 50mpg out of my car driving it "normal", but I got 46mpg instead. Once I slowed down and tried to coast as much as possible (nothing too extreme) my last tank was 55mpg. I see trips 60-65mpg fairly often, but I'm traveling at 40-45mph in a 55mph zone out in the country and 55-60mph on the express way gets me about 50mpg for longer trips with just a lower grill block. My cat is reporting as bad (P0420), but I live in a state with no emissions testing, so probably going to delete it and cash in on the scrap value of it and get to keep the car still. I've wondered if the cat being deleted would effect mpg much as it is a bit of a restriction in the exhaust. Not exactly the best "green" mod to do of course, but buying an electric vehicle isn't really green either when you consider where the power comes from (most likely coal for most areas of the usa), how the car is built, batteries, mining for materials, etc.