01 prius has a P3191 code and when i start it after being in the sun for a while the engine shuts off and warning lights illuminate. i cleaned my mass airflow sensor, but i was wondering what can i use to clean the throttle plate, that is safe for the intake manifold / engine.
Some owners use a can of throttle body cleaner; just spray it in according to directions. I remove the air cleaner assembly for easy access. I've used Q-tips with rubbing alcohol to clean off the throttle body and throttle plate. I have also used just a paper towel moistened in water to wipe off the deposits. They come off very easily. Are your spark plugs in good shape, your oil viscosity 5W-30, and oil level not overfilled?
I have had it happen twice over 8 years in the '01. So far it seems to be the convergence of a hot day, and really transitioning fast from starting to putting the car in reverse. Ensure that the air filter is really clean.
i just recently purchased a new air filter from toyota, the only thing im worried about is the throttle body cleaner fouling up the o2 sensors. oil level is perfect, and its 5w30. BUT looking at throttle plate its considerably darker than my other priuses.
OK, then you might like using either of my two cleaning methods described above (Q-tips or a damp paper towel), since no fluid will enter the intake manifold. However this requires you to remove the air cleaner housing from the engine. Two bolts attach the housing to the valve cover. Two hose clamps and the wire harness for the mass air flow meter have to be removed.
You can rotate the spring-loaded throttle shaft by hand 90 degrees, when the car is IG-OFF. Clean the throttle body interior and both sides of the throttle plate. When you see only shiny metal and no black gunk, you are done.
You should use Mass Airflow Sensor Cleaner for your MAF and Air Intake and Throttle Body cleaner for the rest. CRC makes both. Their MAF Cleaner is safe on sensors with plastic housings. Don't use cleaner or carb spray.
Try to remove the MAF compartment and the throttle, clean them up with mass air flow cleaner (from AutoZone) and clean the throttle with throttle cleaner graded for vehicles with O2 sensors and Catalytic convertors (which is typica throttle cleaner). I just did this today after receiving an error code P3191 and my 01 prius is back on the go. Let us know if it works. If it doesn't, then you might have a problem with your fuel pump.
heres what the issue is now, i cleaned throttle body, and still have the same problem. Yesterday it happened about 4 times, after a restart it goes away. I also get a cylinder misfire code. This is my sisters car up in New Jersey, i traveled up there to fix it now im back, and well i have a feeling its the plugs or the fuel pump. The car performs good, its just this P3191 problem, which goes away after a turn of the key Anyone have any ideas?
I suggest taking care of the cylinder misfire problem before you continue to work on P3191. Is the cylinder misfire limited to one cylinder or is it a general P0300? How long has it been since the iridium spark plugs were replaced? If they are not relatively new, why not replace them now and rule out that particular issue. Also inspect the spark igniters while they are out to make sure they are in good condition (the plastic body is in good condition, no water in the spark plug wells, corrosion, etc.) Can you measure fuel line pressure? That would demonstrate whether the fuel pump is OK or not. Have you seen TSB EG011-03? If not I have attached it for your info. This provides info on acceptable fuel line pressure. After you've ruled out or corrected all other possible issues - if the car still has a P3191 problem, then you might want to see if you can buy a salvage engine ECU of the correct part number: 89661-47054.
I have had the same problem, but not as many times. I do notice that the misfire codes seem to come with the P3191 codes just due to the engine stalling. One thing to pay attention to - how long is the time between engine start and putting it into gear? The couple of times it has happened to me, I almost immediately went from start to reverse, followed very quicklly by the engine lugging, and then stalling with a good shake. Yet immediately after turning off and restarting, no sign of the problem (other than all the warning now locked in).
i believe the injectors are clogged, or the fuel pressure is low on startup due to some gunk, since im not up in NJ to fix the problem i told my sister to buy techron gasoline additive, i heard some good stuff about it, that it cleans fuel systems. toyota dealer in edison, NJ says there are "too many problems" with the car. The funny thing is all these issues started after the battery sealing job was done, soon after they did the battery sealing thing my sister had turtle lights and major warning, she then went back to dealer where for some odd reason they did a free diagnostic check, im very suspicious of the dealer, and im wondering if i should call toyota. This prius we bought new in 2000 and received it in Jan 2001, we had no problems with this car until my sister took it into the dealer. Also another important thing, theres that HCAC bypass valve at the bottom and it seems really loud when you shut the vehicle off, im not sure if all these are factors in the P3191, or the cylinder misfire.
