I like certain aspects of my Prius. I got it used, it's a 2008. But it seems that I myself and many others always have questions about their Priuses that are difficult to get a straight answer for-- noises after the car is shut off, ability to determine for instance why the Master Warning Light would come on, the inability of a Toyota service department t be able to properly diagnose a problem because particular codes did not show up-- even though the problem would be indicated on the touch screen. It seems that as far as diagnostics, it's completely up to what the computer thinks/decides, leaving no room for insight on the part of the technician. But the straw for me was being stranded with a carload of food in the parking lot of a grocery store because the battery in my key died. You know what? It's really sweet that all you have to do is press a button to make the doors pop open and lock, but when it gets to where you can't make the car start, that's where I'm ready to bail, sell the car, and get something that comes with a lot less stress. Beyond that, because of the faulty diagnosis I mentioned earlier due to the code system/diagnostics, I really doubt that the car saves enough money in gas to justify dealing with these kinds of things. For instance, someone messed my grill up in a mall parking lot, my insurance took care of it, but there was a problem with the cooling system which was not diagnosed by the dealership at the time of the repair, but a week later it came up and now the claim is that it is unrelated-- even though the touch screen indicated at the time that it was a temperature problem with the little red thermometer symbol. I was told that it was showing that in error because the problem was a low battery. The point being: nobody knows anything because these cars are way too complicated. The noise, loud and grating once the car is shut off, is also troubling. I have read different takes/theories online. Not really a car I am confident taking on a long trip with my family, let's put it that way...
when the battery in the fob dies, you slip it into the slot or hold it up to the power button to start the car. it's all in the manual.
I am sorry your dealer is incompetent. Without knowing where you are, no one can recommend a better dealer. Just in case you did not get an owners manual, you really should read it Toyota Online Owners Manuals and Technical Manuals
loud grating noise when you shut it off? how long has that been happening? is it under the hood? have you read in the manual what all the normal sounds are that the car makes?
It's apparently the system storing warm anti-freeze, it lasts a finite amount of time, both when shutting off and, I think, when staring it. To me it sounds grating. I really noticed it when I parked in my in-laws' garage. I see other people have asked the same question/had the same concerns, in many places online, there seems to be no perfectly correct answer. It's just frustrating. The dealer(s) and many other Prius owners will say that if there's a problem that a light will come on to indicate that there's a problem. It's just not a confidence-inspiring Fail/Safe as far as I'm concerned. I took it to my dealer once so they could hear it and of course that time the noise did not come on, lol. Then I'm upset because, like a moron, I'm driving across town and back for nothing. I just seem to be dealing with dealers and talking about this online and stuff rather than getting on with my life. Never really had a car that was such an emotional time eater before, that's all.
if you are a new owner, i think you just need to give yourself some time to get to know your car, and you've come to the right place! i hear you though, some of us are geeks who enjoy spending time here. of course, i haven't had any problems with three pri in eight years, so maybe it's difficult for me to relate.
Others have experienced a similar situation. It's just very aggravating. Then, you take it to the dealer, they'll find something wrong... Strange sound after shutting engine off | PriusChat priuschat.com › ... › Gen II Prius Main Forum Mar 4, 2011 – Very hard to describe this sound but it is coming from under the hood ... After you shut off the car, this pump fills the thermos-like tank with hot ...Whirring noise after shut-down - Dec 16, 2010 Prius makes humming sound after turning off - Jan 31, 2010 Unusual engine noise after engine is turned off - Jan 17, 2010 question about noises under the hood just after shutdown - Nov 4, 2008
When I was a new owner I was blessed with john1701a's excellent manual with the motto "Just drive it" John's Stuff - Toyota Prius User-Guide (Iconic)
yes, people have questioned the noises over the years. once you know they are normal, why does it bother you? it's all benefitting gas mileage. if you feel it's not worth it because the vehicle has some new technology, okay, it's your choice.
Because I am reading people's descriptions of noises and there is no way that their explanations of these noises are accurate or empirical relative to the noises I'm hearing. My father-in-law heard it and said, "What's that noise? Sounds like a problem." I said, "No, it's just the cooling system." But see, I don't know if the volume of the sound is within a reasonable range of where that sound should be. How could I? What's loud to one person might be normal to another. It seems highly speculative. One man's "humming" is another man's "whirring," for instance, whereas to me, those are two separate types of noises.
You still haven't told us where you and/or haven't updated your location info. Without that, we can't suggest a better dealer/repair place. There was a TSB on the CHS pump getting noisy (Attention: If you have a squeaky CHS water pump! New TSB | PriusChat). I got mine replaced under warranty via the TSB as mine would intermittently making screeching type sounds on shutdown, as if a bearing was going bad.
If you're close enough to San Francisco, take the car to Luscious Garage. They're true engineers and masters at diagnosing root causes of Prius failures of all types. They understand the car and its systems and sub-systems at a fundamental level. They are very good at what they do.
