2007 gen II is upside down repairs vs cost

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by NedBinCNY, Jan 6, 2015.

  1. NedBinCNY

    NedBinCNY New Member

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    I just had the 'fun phone call' from the local dealership. Red triangle of death, vsc, etc... all lit up on the dash. Got it to the dealership and was quoted a bill that is just about what I owe on the car for

    water pump (no code, but it is leaking...) $300 that 'hurts' but is manageable.

    cam (not sure which cam they're talking about) $800 I'm guessing any internal engine work is going to be about that price no matter what I do.

    Catalytic converter $3000
    and traction battery $3000

    holy crap! turns out that the 'deal' I got on it back in June wasn't such a 'deal'. I have run the tar out of it, and I have gotten full value for the miles driven... 121,000 when I bought it in June 170,000 now. Thankfully I just got done with the job I was using the car for, but I still need to get to work for the new job.

    I haven't seen the repair quote yet, they're buttoning it back up so I can limp home again before I go to work.

    Obviously I'm looking for lower cost options... No way in heck I can afford $7000 on an 8 year plus old vehicle that I'm still going to have to make payments on.

    I can't believe that the converter is $3000... That's going to have to wait.

    I understand that a bone stock replacement traction battery is $3000... so..

    retrain/refresh the cells I have?
    replace with a used and/or reman? I have a friend who has a bunch of used and/or parts prii. I'll be talking with him this week about sourcing parts.

    In the mean time, it will come home and park, and the wife and I will be sharing her FEH that we just put a nice chunk of change into.
     
    #1 NedBinCNY, Jan 6, 2015
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Doesn't sound too bad. If you can source a used HV battery, a new water pump, a new Ebay cat converter ($85). If your friend is somewhat handy around the Prius, this all could be done at a fairly reasonable price. $7000+ is crazy
     
    #2 JC91006, Jan 6, 2015
  3. Yakoma

    Yakoma Active Member

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    ^^
    What he said.

    And, as been noted countless times on PriusChat, make sure your 12V battery is strong and your readings are accurate before troubleshooting. Otherwise you could be chasing ghosts.
     
    #3 Yakoma, Jan 6, 2015
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    what were the symptoms? 50,000 miles in 6 months? :eek: i hope they pay you well!:p
     
    #4 bisco, Jan 6, 2015
  5. Easy Rider 2

    Easy Rider 2 Senior Member

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    A muffler shop can do that CAT much cheaper; call around.
    Look for other threads about new/used/rebuilt batteries in other threads here.
    Ask them exactly why the cam needs to be replaced. It probably doesn't.

    And investing ~ $200 in a new 12 V battery might be a good gamble.
     
    #5 Easy Rider 2, Jan 7, 2015
  6. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    I would suspect the price of $3000 for a cat means the state controls the sale and who can install. You would need to know people to do this cheap
     
    #6 JC91006, Jan 7, 2015
  7. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    NY is CARB so presumably needs CARB compliant cat converter vs. cheaper option.
    OP is well over 150k CARB warranty but go ahead and appeal to Toyota USA for loyal customer discount on repairs.

    Overall Gen2 Prii make great taxis, but I presume most of those were purchased new. Purchasing older for taxi is OK but presumably best if the owner has access to cost-effective Prii repairs due to the hard service.
     
    #7 wjtracy, Jan 7, 2015
  8. littlehandegan

    littlehandegan Junior Member

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    Insane. Be sure they tell you every code that was pulled, and report them here.

    Look into a Dorman HV battery. Rockauto has them cheapest, and with a 5% coupon. Total for the battery ends up being about $1050 after core, and can be installed with the help of a friend (I did mine in 1 hour)

    Look into a universal CARB certified cat, should be under $200 for the part + labor (Less than $150)

    Waterpump (not sure, I will let someone else address this)

    The cam is interesting, I have never heard of CAM failure on this motor but maybe I am wrong, maybe the positionor sensor is bad, or the cam gear?
     
    #8 littlehandegan, Jan 8, 2015
  9. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    May be cam sensor that tends to leak?
     
    #9 edthefox5, Jan 8, 2015
  10. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    What's the dealer hourly rate there?
    In Tampa its $125 an hour.
     
    #10 edthefox5, Jan 8, 2015
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