Have read threads on car wash issues but have only had the dreaded red triangle flash with no problems as a result. Tuesday, however, got ALL the lights on and now car will not go past warm up phase and only goes in neutral or park. Lights come on, clock reads correct time, and radio works. Tried a jump to aux battery, a reset of the main hybrid battery and finally had my baby towed to the local dealer. 2 days later they are telling me the transmission needs to be replaced. They say I have an irreparable short in the transmission and the replacement is $5000. With no issues with transmission and only two bars magenta in color on the battery level showing is this a transmission issue or a battery issue. Can't say I have had great luck with the local dealer on previous maintenance so my confidence is not high. Love my girl but unsure whether the car is worth this repair at 8 years old and 183,000 on the odometer. Any thoughts?
welcome! they might be right, and maybe the car wash was just a coincidence. ask the dealer for the codes and post them here. if they do point to the tranny, it's worth getting a second opinion, and looking into a salvage unit. or maybe it's time to move on, i think you got your moneys worth.
Thanks I will do that. There was no mention of any codes showing, they just kept asking for more diagnostic time so not sure that it was an obvious code or that should not have taken two days.
Not entirely clear as to why a better title for this thread would of been "Transmission Woes" as opposed to "Car Wash Woes" as at 8 years old with 183,000 miles it's far more likely this problem is a result of normal age and use, as opposed to having anything to do with going through a car wash. I don't know, a $5000 dollar investment into repairing a vehicle at that age, with as high a miles seems prohibitive. But before making any decision I think I'd want another diagnosis and opinion. Irreparable "Short" in the transmission so you need a whole new transmission seems like quite possible THE most expensive answer to the problem. How difficult would it be to try a different dealership? Can you afford to get a second opinion? Or are you really just ready to move on?
Just to be clear Nancy. Are you saying that your Prius was running perfectly prior to going through a car wash (no warning lights at all), and then experienced this problem while going through (or immediately afterwards). Is that correct? If that is the case it definitely seems like a bit of a coincidence. If you have any good independent hybrid workshops in the area then I'd definitely get it towed there for a second opinion before even considering a new transmission. Preferably somewhere that can/will actually clean and inspect the wiring and cable entry points of the transmission.
Wonder if OP (Original Poster's) problems could be like the Gen1 Strator windings? Luscious Garage | Blog | Gen 1 Prius Transmission Repair, P3009, P3120, P3125 But some DTC should have been logged, and retrieved by the Toyota dealer techs when they performed the diagnosis. A new transaxle installation is $5K, from the dealer. Slightly under $3k part (2007 Toyota Prius Parts - Camelback Toyota Parts - Genuine OEM Parts - Free Shipping), so $2K+ in labor. Since you still seem happy w/ the car, installation of a used transaxle (low mileage, non impact: front, front Right/Left) might be a good option. This sites shows plenty of stock from various auto dismantlers ($525-$925); 2007 Toyota Prius Used Transmission - Auto Parts Fair® I'm sure there are other auto dismantles on the Internet too. Just a matter of finding a qualified independent shop to do the install or just pay the dealer the approximate $2k labor for install; obviously NO warranty what so ever. Installation of a used transaxle will probably be $2.5K+. There are plenty of dealer coupons on dealer websites for a decent percentage off retail part and discounted labor. All dealers I've encountered will honor other dealer coupons (part, service, both). This is another option that may drive the labor cost down a few hundred. Costco membership has retail parts coupon and possibly labor discount coupon too. AAA definitely has these discounts available for members; 10% seems to be the standard discount dealers give AAA members. Was the transaxle fluid (ATF-WS) ever changed on this car? If never, could be another compelling reason for naysayers to perform a drain/fill of the transaxle. Was the HV Battery ever replaced w/ a new or rebuilt HV Battery? That will be a part that will definitely fail, if it hasn't already. Factor this HV Battery failure into your overall consideration to proceed w/ a transaxle repair, or purchasing a new/used car. Individual module replacement is cheap, but an inconvenient, non-reliable long term solution. Let us know the codes and your decision (repair or different car). Good luck.
Thanks for all the input. Yes, the car ran with no issues until the car wash. I called the dealer and asked for the codes. The mechanic didn't write them in my record. When the agent went to get them and they decided a more thorough inspection was in order to avoid a mis-diagnosis. They say sometimes you get false reads that allows for an incorrect diagnosis. All I can say is WOW! A week in the shop and $260 in diagnostic fees and now they are unsure since I've requested codes. I will look for an independent or another dealer if no satisfaction.
1) Demand a refund. Incompetence clearly on display. Essentially you paid $260 for a crappy exterior car wash, after the car sat for a week. 2) Raise a stink w/ the Service Manager. 3) Raise a stink w/ Toyota Customer Care; as much as corporations suck, they do want to know when they have bad actors destroying their brand name/reputation. A relatively quick phone call. 4) Contact your State's regulating agency that oversees auto repairs. Complaints filed online now. That's just me: come down hard on wrong doers.
I have washed my engine many times at the car wash. Did it a few hours ago. Never had a problem. Probably not the car wash.
Yeah that seems suspect Nancy. Get that car towed somewhere else as soon as possible. I wouldn't let those guys touch it. Keep us updated. Thanks.
