How hard is a Prius to work on?

So, with the Saturn all but sold, I can turn my attention to my next project- and sitting square in my sights is a 2005 Prius that looks to be rather underpriced and have a problem that my limited research without actually seeing the car leads me to believe would be inexpensive for me to fix and turn around and sell the car for a lot more. Perhaps after handing it off to SWMBO to drive for a few weeks while I tackle some much-needed maintenance on her vehicle.

My concern though is about whether it will be more difficult to work on it than I want to deal with. The problem seems to be motor mounts, so I would figure that should be relatively easy to replace- but there could of course be other issues I'd need to tackle. What have people's experiences been in working on them themselves? Thanks!

This question seemed funny to me somehow.

I'll be the first to say I've never so much as seen under the hood of a Prius, but I imagine there is more computer than mechanical stuff going on in there. Seems like you would need a degree in electrical engineering to properly work on one.

I'm just spouting though, I know next to nothing about hybrids or the like.

I've just done maintenance stuff on them-oil changes, brakes, spark plugs. All that stuff was easy and straight forward.

Stayed clear of the high voltage side of the power plant.

I've had one for 7 years and all I've done is brakes, which were just like a Corolla.

Well, I went out and looked at the car after work... and it is rather her rough-looking. I wish my iPhone obd app would have saved the codes I pulled from it, but there were likely at least a few things that needed to be addressed. It did run and drive without any issues though, so that's a start. Would need to essentially pull the whole interior out and shampoo the living crap out of it though- small children do not do good things to the condition of an interior.

If all goes well with the Saturn's sale tomorrow, I may offer them what I'm getting for the Saturn for it and walk if they say no- I'm sure there's money to be made, but I will have to spend a good bit too (new tires, several cases of upholstery cleaner) and it will be a while before I could either letter SWMBO use it (or rather, a while before she'd be -willing- to use it...) or try and re-sell it.

I Think that they will be the next Must Have ECONObox. At 100k the eng has only had 10 oil changes. To me that means that there is lots of life in it. If you compare to the over all run time of the eng. They should be worry free for 300k. As for the rest of the car. I can only tell you that the hot water valve fails and the water pump. If the trans goes out I would upgrade it to one out the SUV and Add a turbo. To make a bad ass Sleeper

They aren't bad to work on. Harder than the Saturn, but that's not saying much. The engine bay is a little more cramped with the added electronics, wiring, and cooling.

The good thing is they rarely require work.

If you can snag a 2G for what you get for the Saturn, jump on it immediately.

I want to put a prius drive train into a SAAB sonnet 3.

GVX19 wrote: If the trans goes out I would upgrade it to one out the SUV and Add a turbo.

Huh? Which SUV?

stan_d wrote: I want to put a prius drive train into a SAAB sonnet 3.

And I want to subscribe to your newsletter.

Motor mounts probably aren't bad to do. Lots of codes and sensors failing would be the gamble on flipping it.

GVX19 wrote: I Think that they will be the next Must Have ECONObox. At 100k the eng has only had 10 oil changes. To me that means that there is lots of life in it. If you compare to the over all run time of the eng. They should be worry free for 300k. As for the rest of the car. I can only tell you that the hot water valve fails and the water pump. If the trans goes out I would upgrade it to one out the SUV and Add a turbo. To make a bad ass Sleeper

I thought about this the other day and I have to wonder how the turbo would like the engine shutting down and dropping oil pressure. It would be pretty fun making peak boost almost all the time.

clutchsmoke wrote:

GVX19 wrote: I Think that they will be the next Must Have ECONObox. At 100k the eng has only had 10 oil changes. To me that means that there is lots of life in it. If you compare to the over all run time of the eng. They should be worry free for 300k. As for the rest of the car. I can only tell you that the hot water valve fails and the water pump. If the trans goes out I would upgrade it to one out the SUV and Add a turbo. To make a bad ass Sleeper

I thought about this the other day and I have to wonder how the turbo would like the engine shutting down and dropping oil pressure. It would be pretty fun making peak boost almost all the time.

Add a big oil accumulator to give the turbo a few extra seconds, might even be able to stretch that out if you pressure limit the accumulator output.

Back on topic of the original post...

EDIT: posted in the wrong thread, my bad. Sounds like you might have already done this anyway.

Check with an electrician. this might not actually take much work to run another wire if it is in underground conduit. Also, if you haven't already, unplug EVERYTHING from the garage, including light bulbs and the door opener. You might have a short in something that is plugged in, and no actual problems with the actual wiring.

rcutclif wrote: EDIT: posted in the wrong thread, my bad. Sounds like you might have already done this anyway. Check with an electrician. this might not actually take much work to run another wire if it is in underground conduit. Also, if you haven't already, unplug EVERYTHING from the garage, including light bulbs and the door opener. You might have a short in something that is plugged in, and no actual problems with the actual wiring.

Yeah, I've tested it with things not only unplugged but completely disconnecting the wire coming in from everything else at the subpanel. I don't know if the wire is run through conduit- I'm not betting I'm that lucky, and with it as rainy as it is I'm not likely to get out and be digging in the yard for a bit to try and find out. :P

I have not made time to research it yet. If I am correct all the Toyota hybrids use the same trans. The have a lower final drive so you will be able to lots more fun under boost.

As for oiling the Turbo they only need 5 psi. Use a 3/8 line and put the restrictor at the turbo and run the line from a point higher than the turbo. that way when the eng shuts off it will continue to be oiled.

the Prius speed transmission in an upgrade and be sweeter than the regular Prius transmission

The Prius V transmission in an upgrade and is geared than the regular Prius transmission. For some fun driving.

So, have a Prius add Turbo. Have fun until the trans gives up. Upgrade to the Prius V trans go have fun.

clutchsmoke wrote:

GVX19 wrote: I Think that they will be the next Must Have ECONObox. At 100k the eng has only had 10 oil changes. To me that means that there is lots of life in it. If you compare to the over all run time of the eng. They should be worry free for 300k. As for the rest of the car. I can only tell you that the hot water valve fails and the water pump. If the trans goes out I would upgrade it to one out the SUV and Add a turbo. To make a bad ass Sleeper

I thought about this the other day and I have to wonder how the turbo would like the engine shutting down and dropping oil pressure. It would be pretty fun making peak boost almost all the time.

Water-cooled and/or sealed-bearing turbos. Problem solved.

I thought the Toyota Perpetual Motion drive system was maintenance free.

I've done a couple cells on the battery before. Only real issue I have with them honestly. If you have a way to balance the cells when one goes bad, its not bad at all. But those chargers are expensive and to make one myself was doable but would have taken more time than I had at the time. After 3 cells, she was having a 4th one go bad. All where the one next to the one I relplaced. Talked to the guy I was buying cells from and thats common when you don't balance them.

i put a water pump in one. it was cheap and easy to do. that's all i have to add.

I corrected my earlier post. Note to self, Dont post and drive

The Prius V transmission in an upgrade and is geared than the regular Prius transmission. For some fun driving.

So, have a Prius add Turbo. Have fun until the trans gives up. Upgrade to the Prius V trans. Go have fun!

Have fun sliding around on 185 65 R15 tires. I guess you'd upgrade them if you had any sporting pretensions, but yikes!

In reply to b13990:

The intent is to use it for SWMBO (who, while she won't drive it trying to be as efficient as I try to so that I can point out to buyers the MPG display in the 40's...) to drive while I do some checking over of her main car and then turn around and sell it- I have no intention of doing anything sporting with it.

I've had it for a few weeks now and hopefully will have everything fixed on it by the weekend- with luck I'll have it sold before Thanksgiving and make a decent profit on it.

In reply to Ashyukun:

Oh, I'm sure you're asking your question for good reasons. My comment was for GVX19, who has you adding a turbo and upgrading your transmission. I do think that a Prius would make a somewhat unsatisfactory canvas for the masterpiece he has in mind.