How best to get rid of a junk hybrid?
 

So I've procrastinated at doing this for a long time, but I really should get rid of the 2006 Prius this year. Today was the first day that I couldn't even get it to start. It needs way too many things, and would cost way to much for me to fix, both in time and money. And that's just fixing the things I know are wrong. Who knows what else it needs fixed.

It needs:

• An engine
• An HV battery
• Califoria compliant catalytic converter
• I'm not sure why it won't start, 12V battery is new and charged and voltage does not dip down past 12.5V
• Infotainment, heat, A/C all don't work.
• Instrument cluster doesn't work.
• Needs a windshield
• Several other odds and ends need put on, adjusted or buttoned up.

And this is in spite of all the work and parts I've bought for it and tried to get it going. It's also the list of the things I know are wrong, there may be more.

So should I...

1. Try to sell it or just plain give it away for free?
2. Try to part it out?
3. Just haul it off to a junk yard?

PS. I will not be replacing it with anything. THe Avalon will be our only car from now on (not like it hasn't been our only car since we got rid of the Nissan Leaf and the 1972 VW Beetle and 1985 VW Golf diesel, all three of which ran and were road worthy within their respective ranges).

Also, my insurance is some $15/month cheaper with this car on the policy because the multi-car discount is greater than it's increase in insurance. Can I just keep insuring it after I get rid of it?

I'd part out what you can, if you deem that to be worthy of your time. Then get a couple of quotes from junk yards for what they'll pay for what's left of the vehicle.

Switch insurance to get the best rate. It will save you way more than $15/mo.

Thanks! That makes sense. I'll try it.

Believe me, I've tried. I tried getting quotes from several insurance places and none were cheaper than CSAA except Progressive. So I went from $130 per month to around $115 by switching to Progressive. But then 6 months later Progressive went up to $185 per month. I called and couldn't get it changed back down. I ended up going back with CSAA for $130 per month.

However, I haven't tried getting a quote with only one car since my insurance will be $145/month with CSAA when I get rid of the car, but I don't see it getting much cheaper. And now that Progressive pulled that on me and in 6 months raised my policy without saying a word. I'm kind of affraid to try another insurance provider in fear I'll end up with this silient price increase again.

I need to practice what I preach. Just looked at my policy on the Acura, liability only, and I'm being charged $83/mo. That's for a car that gets driven maybe 1,000 miles per year.

EDIT: Cancelled.

I should probably just insure the car for the day I want to drive it, then cancel the policy and switch to another company 2 months later when I want to drive it again.

... Oregon allows a special account to be opened for the purpose of self-insuring. Perhaps I should do this for vehicles I hardly ever drive. I imagine it would cover any car I drive.

The Prius has been driven 0 miles per year for the past 3 years and has cost me $-15 per month. Not bad I guess.

The Prius uses the HV-battery to start the engine.

That got me thinking that a very simple test to make sure the contactors are closing on the HV battery is to turn the car "on", and see if the 12v battery voltage increases. It should go to ~13.3v when the car is on, and the traction battery is supplying the DC-DC converter.

That could possibly be the problem. But since there's no red triangle, and I'm not sure if the red triangle light even works, I guess I could try to connect with the Torque app to see if another module has failed.

However, a bad HV battery usually will still start the car, at least after unplugging the 12V and trying again. But I get zero response. The only thing that displays on the dash is the open door symbol.

I would part what you can and then send it to the scrap yard or call one of those guys that will pay you $50 a haul away a car.

These guys will buy the battery: https://www.hybridrestoration.com/recycling

Both of those insurance prices sound very high to me. For 6 months I pay $297 for the 2011 Acura TSX and $341 for the 2017 Bolt. I have the liability max to $500K and a $100 deductible for comp and $250 for collision. So I'm paying the equivalent of $106 a month for 2 cars and living in a major metro area.

You both mentioned a monthly rate. Hopefully you aren't actually paying for insurance by the month as that costs 15 - 20% more than paying every 6 months or yearly. (Progressive's longest payment term is every 6 months for auto)

Do you guys bundle? When I shop insurance I shop everything together: Homeowners, auto, motorcycle, umbrella, RV.

EDIT: I also did the Progressive Snapshot offer where they track your driving for 30 days. That dropped my rate 25%

I notice the remittance slip they send for my payment has room for four digits. IOW up to $9,999/mo..

No, that's with an app that tracks my driving (excelent according to app) and a $1,000 deductible and only one ticket (speeding) in my life several years ago.

Again, my fault for living in one of the highest places for insurance in the USA and for buying a newer car. Before I used to pay around $50 a month.

The contactors are LOUD. You hear them both quite clearly. Initial charging is to 14.0-14.2V, and it floats at 13.5V.

If you don't hear both, some fault is preventing the relays from closing.

Sound like your combo meter has failed. When combo meter fails, master warning, CEL, etc., don't work.

There are certain faults that will be immediately detected at power on.

Sitting for 3 years has almost certainly driven at least ONE of the 14 blocks to measure below 12V. The car will not start with a block lower than 12V.

I would see what Torque says and/or Hybrid Assistant if on Android.

Ya, I'll try.

I was starting it every month or so to try to keep the cells charged. But ya, it very well likely is a bad NiMH module.

Why not Frankensteen together a 36HP flat four, crank-mounted 911 cooling fan and Audi 80 (Passat) transaxle to prove it would get the same mileage as the heavier hybrid?

https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-f...7-12-29-57.png

[I added this to an album in 2013 :eek:]

If you would have sold in 2022 you might have gotten as much for inop as you would get now for good running.

I didn’t sell back then and a good thing I didn’t because the car I wanted to sell ended up being the only one not requiring repairs.

Depending on the cars mileage and physical appearance you could put it up on marketplace as-is inop for a price you don’t expect to get, rarely pays to scrap out unless you have lots of space and time.

I'm very tempted to get a Karmann Ghia for my next car.

:D

I know. I was trying to buy inopperable Prii for spare parts (make one car out of two) and couldn't get one for a reasonable price. I should have sold it then, back when it still ran and the dash, heater, A/C and infotainment all worked. I just don't understand why they have stopped one by one.

Your target would be 50MPG:

https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-f...276-miler.jpeg

Of course. That an independence from mechanic shops as well as $50/month insurance in a car with perhaps the most produced engine in the world.

Because these are common failures of the Gen2.

1: Combo meter. Extremely common failure. $150 DIY fix.
2: Likely the blend door actuator. Cheap part but a real pain to replace. ~$50 DIY fix
3: Every Gen2 I've owned (7) has a leaky A/C system that needs occasional recharging (along with 100s I've serviced). One needed a replacement compressor. $20 hose and $10/can of SuperTech R-134a.
4: If you mean touch screen - another very common failure. $299 @ autobeyours.

Others include the inverter coolant pump ($150), coolant control valve ($125), hybrid battery ($1950 list) and ABS actuator (about $1200 online discount dealer - BIG DIY job).

When was the last time you started it? Any chance the hybrid battery itself has just fully discharged down to 0?

I try to start it once a month and floor it with the brake pedal depressed while in drive in order to fully charge the HV battery. But what is happening seems to act like there's no key, 12V is charged, door ajar light comes on, but key in socket and the on button does nothing, with or without the brake pedal depressed.

I meant I can't get the heater or A/C to turn on because the touch screen is not working. The blend door is probably fine. Who knows about the A/C, it never gets hot enough around here to need it.

Fuse box under hood. One down from top right - check the AM2 fuse.

A/C can be engaged from the steering wheel buttons. If steering wheel buttons don't work, you also have a failed clock spring - very common.

I think you're trying to convince me to fix and drive it.

Or getting it driving and boost your sales price and potential pool of buyers.

I checked the AM2 fuse. As you suspected it was blown.

I replaced it and tried starting the car. Dash lights came on and it seemed like it was going to start.

Looking at Google it could be an inverter cooling pump short circuit. But this was replaced at the dealer less than 100 miles ago.

About 5 seconds later the dash went black again with only the door ajar light on. I tried restarting, which was a no-go. I checked the new AM2 fuse and found that it too was again blown.

I checked the AM2 fuse. As you suspected it was blown.

I replaced it and tried starting the car. Dash lights came on and it seemed like it was going to start.

About 5 seconds later the dash went black again with only the door ajar light on. I tried restarting, which was a no-go. I checked the new AM2 fuse and found that it too was again blown.

The inverter pump was replaced less than 300 miles ago at the dealership.

Either it has failed again in short, or you have another short elsewhere.

Disconnect this plug:

https://attachments.priuschat.com/at..._Connector.jpg

Replace the fuse. If the fuse blows again, you have a short elsewhere. If it does not blow, the pump is likely shorted.

Given that the car has been sitting awhile, there is a risk that critters have chewed wires.

Thanks! I'll give it a try when I have the time and fuses. I have to leave tomorrow but should be back next week so I'll try it then.

S Keith,

I did try the unplug and new fuse test and the car started fine and didn't blow the fuse. So yes, it appears to be the inverter cooling pump. Now the question is, to fix or not to fix. Any suggestion where to buy an inverter cooling pump other than from Toyota. The closest dealer is 4 hours away now that the bridge west of town is out. And their website is something less to be desired.

Auto parts stores carry aftermarket, but they are garbage. Family has 5 gen2 Prii, so it's a regular thing for me, and I only use genuine Toyota. I tried one from Amazon, and it barely lasted a year. I get a lot of calls from folks with failed pumps that say, "but I just replaced that X months ago."

A friend of mine bought a clock spring from this dealer, and it went smoothly:

https://parts.nucartoyotanorthattleb...ius-g902047031

That price is about as good as you can get at the consumer level.

I use this method:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXiGlP7Cv9E

Takes me about 35 minutes. I'm headed out the front door to do one right now... daughter's car coded with P0A93 literally as she parked the car at home. Could be worse.

Thanks! Well, I was using just OEM Toyota parts from the dealer for the most part but now I need to figure out how to get those parts. The road out west of town has been closed until who knows when (authorities said "indefinitely") and now the closest dealer is 4 hours away in good weather. And I just tried ordering online some filters today on autoparts.toyota.com but the website keeps crashing and I can't get my payment to go through. Maybe I should call and have it shipped.

Any luck getting a pump?

Yes, I ordered one from a local autoparts store. I just haven't had time to go get it since I'm working double now.

If it was me and you only make short trips to town once a week sell it to asians and invest in a used honda jazz or chevy spark, or maybe a bike. But if travelling the country, being taxi or running a business it will change your life.

Like all cars it will only pay you back what you put into it


....Incidentally a customer with a new range rover has a Mil light the garage cannot fix so don't always assume a new car will be easy going

Thanks, ChatGPT!

Reported.