New owner 2005 Prius (Maintenance)

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by MileHighHybridOwner, Jun 27, 2019.

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  1. MileHighHybridOwner

    MileHighHybridOwner Junior Member

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    Hey guys

    I’m a new proud owner of a 2005 Prius. It cost me a little over $3000 and it was bought with 35,000 miles on the odometer and has a new hybrid battery! So far I am loving this little ride - Prius all the way!

    I am a little concerned about basic maintenance as I am new to the car - like how to make sure it doesn’t overheat & where the fluids go...

    If someone with a little more experience than me can chip in - it would be greatly appreciated.

    Looking forward to being a part of this community :)
     
    #1 MileHighHybridOwner, Jun 27, 2019
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  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Very low miles; the car was maybe stored for some time? Makes me think to check things that might dry out, rubber gaskets, tires, wipers. See how the air conditioning is performing too.
     
    #2 Mendel Leisk, Jun 27, 2019
  3. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Do you have the owners manual? I would read that first. If you don’t have one you can get it online. By “new battery” do you mean brand new or rebuilt?
     
    #3 Skibob, Jun 27, 2019
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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    congrats and welcome!

    plug the vin into toyota's owners website. it will give you any dealer maintenance records.

    although you have low miles, many items have a time maximum as well.

    boulder hybrids is a great shoppe, if you need any professional help or advice.

    all the best!(y)
     
    #4 bisco, Jun 27, 2019
  5. MileHighHybridOwner

    MileHighHybridOwner Junior Member

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    Haha, sorry I meant to say 135,000 miles!
    Still pretty decent for a car of that age I think?
    I’m just looking to learn more about keeping these great cars in tip top condition.

    Thanks Guys
     
    #5 MileHighHybridOwner, Jun 27, 2019
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  6. MileHighHybridOwner

    MileHighHybridOwner Junior Member

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    It’s a reconditioned hybrid battery from the guys at Mile Hybrid... I’m hoping this sweet little ride will last me for some time

    On another note I saw a video on YouTube last night from a guy who successfully lived in his Prius and toured the US.



    I don’t think I’m ready for that quite yet - think I’ll stick with my apartment and my car for a while.

    I love what he did with the back windows though - it looks nice and custom. Anyone know a body shop that would do that kind of look?
     
    #6 MileHighHybridOwner, Jun 27, 2019
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 27, 2019
  7. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Congratulations, and welcome! That's a terrific price, especially if the battery is really new and not a rebuilt one.

    As @bisco said, see what you can learn about maintenance history at Welcome to Toyota Owners by entering your VIN there. If there's no info there, that doesn't mean it wasn't done, just that Toyota didn't do it. The warranty and maintenance guide will tell you what should have been done so far, which isn't much by miles, but is quite a bit by years.

    I'd say that the most critical thing to check on would be the serpentine belt that drives the water pump. If there are any cracks in the ribs, I'd change that right away. It costs about $15. If it breaks, the engine will overheat and the head will warp before you know what hit you.

    Fluids are pretty much right out in the open. Levels should not drop unless something is wrong. Keep a close eye on the engine oil level till you know that it's not burning or leaking oil. It should be fine with only 35k on it, but you never know. Be aware that the engine and the inverter use the exact same pink Toyota SLLC coolant, but are totally separate systems.

    Here's a link to @john1701a's well written guide to enjoying the 2nd generation Prius. John's Stuff - Toyota Prius User-Guide (Iconic).
     
    #7 jerrymildred, Jun 27, 2019
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  8. MileHighHybridOwner

    MileHighHybridOwner Junior Member

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    Thanks so much Jerry - I’ll have a look at this on my laptop as it’s not great on my phone - lots of good advice. The main thing in the summer is I don’t want it to overheat and last time I checked the oil it looked pretty ok to me.
    It looks like the previous owner took good care of it & im looking to do the same. I’ve heard these cars can reach 300,000 if properly maintained.
     
    #8 MileHighHybridOwner, Jun 27, 2019
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  9. MileHighHybridOwner

    MileHighHybridOwner Junior Member

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    some great info on there! who else is using a 42/40 psi combination on their tyres - i can see how they can wear down otherwise - i also see that its good not to turn the wheels unless the car is moving - all good info!
     
    #9 MileHighHybridOwner, Jun 28, 2019
  10. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Overheating is not normally a problem. If it's overheating, something is broken. Just keep the cabin at a temperature that's comfortable for you and the battery will be fine. If you mean the engine, like I said, check that serpentine belt and see that the radiator is full of the right stuff. The Prius is not one bit fragile.
     
    #10 jerrymildred, Jun 28, 2019
  11. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Several people do that. I did on my PiP. They wore very evenly. On the Prime, I'm running about 40/38. On turning the wheel, yes, that'll scrub off some rubber, but sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
     
    #11 jerrymildred, Jun 29, 2019
  12. MileHighHybridOwner

    MileHighHybridOwner Junior Member

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    I’ve tried a 44/42 to start with & see if it helps mpg - also meant that I don’t need to inflate quite as often... the air machines near me are pretty woeful to say the least - not impressed

    I was thinking of taking it to jiffy lube for the oil change etc. I’ve seen a few bad report programs on YouTube regarding these “cheap” oil change garages - what do people think of jiffy lube?

    Thanks
     
    #12 MileHighHybridOwner, Jul 1, 2019
  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i do
     
    #13 bisco, Jul 1, 2019
  14. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Just be careful they don’t put too much oil in the car. Some of those places think a Prius takes 5 quarts, it does not.
     
    #14 Skibob, Jul 1, 2019
  15. MileHighHybridOwner

    MileHighHybridOwner Junior Member

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    How much do they take?...
    Has anyone changed the oil themselves and is it difficult?
     
    #15 MileHighHybridOwner, Jul 1, 2019
  16. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    #16 JimboPalmer, Jul 1, 2019
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  17. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Lots of people change their own oil. Personally my car ramps are too high for me to use so I drive up on 2x10’s of varying lengths so I can get under the car. Hardest part is getting the oil filter off. I would recommend a sized oil filter wrench for that job.
     
    #17 Skibob, Jul 1, 2019
  18. MileHighHybridOwner

    MileHighHybridOwner Junior Member

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    Ok, so i have one main issue that has been really annoying me as of late:
    The dashboard "dies" and all of the speedometer lights go out - the "fix" for this is to pop the trunk & go to the battery in the right hand corner - take out the white connecting pug - wait 10 seconds - plug it all back in and watch the dash lights go back on (after re-setting the clock etc) but its becoming a bit of a drag as its happening randomly.
    I've had the battery in the trunk of the car (small battery - not the hybrid) tested and they told me that the battery seems "ok" ie the cells etc but that its just not holding a charge too well - they advised driving it around for a while to see if it helped with the regenerative braking.
    Problem is, its becoming an intermittent fault & im not one to replace something if its not broken - anyone else had a similar issue and how did you solve it.

    Thank you prius peeps
     
    #18 MileHighHybridOwner, Jul 7, 2019
  19. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Could be a short to ground, or more likely the combo meter;).

    It’ll need to be replaced soon(y).
     
    #19 Raytheeagle, Jul 7, 2019
  20. MileHighHybridOwner

    MileHighHybridOwner Junior Member

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    I see a lot on eBay re: this - i wonder if that is the fault? im not sure
     
    #20 MileHighHybridOwner, Jul 7, 2019
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