2007 Prius. Hybrid battery (original) failing...

Hope dealer will replace the inverter coolant also. Not top off after the repair. I think with coolant flush, it is a good price in CA.

 

They are suppose to replace it, but if you talk to any of the technicians, they don't do it. Time is money to them.

During the recall for this pump, I told my service adviser to not clamp the hoses and to drain and refill the coolant as per the recall paperwork. He noted this on my paperwork, to not clamp hoses. But sure enough when I got my car back, they didn't do it (I marked the drain plug). Had to bring it back for them to do it.

So the thanks I get when I brought it back and obviously the same technician had to do the work he didn't do, he ended up not tightening the drain bolt, so I was dripping coolant on my way driveway. I retorqued the drain bolt myself so that I wouldn't get anything more harmful as retaliation.

 

Before the next time the car breaks, and let's face it, sooner or later it will, you should consider getting a capable code reader. Then you will be much less at the mercy of the mechanics, Dealer or otherwise. There is a thread here:

Gen2 OBD2 app review | PriusChat

which discusses these devices. The current consensus seems to be that the Autel Maxi AP200 is the best low cost product. If anybody disagrees feel free to chime in with an alternative. It is currently on sale from the manufacturer (and maybe elsewhere?)

(Summer Sale)(US Ship)Autel MaxiAP AP200 Bluetooth OBD2 Scanner Auto Car Check Engine Light Code Reader for Family DIYers – AutelShop.us

The way this works is you set up an account with Autel, download their app onto a phone choosing "Toyota" for the one free brand which is supported. Then when there is a problem you plug the dongle into the OBD2 port, start the car, start the app, and read the codes. Then you look them up on line or come back to this forum and ask for help with those codes in hand. It can also read helpful information like battery module voltages, fuel trim values, or the TPMS sensor information.

Now the two main caveats...

The software is from China and there have been reports of it causing problems, like forcing phones to reboot. Others have reported that it demands a lot of access to the phone. So it might be prudent for it to live on an old phone which is never used for anything critical. That is never access email, banking, or investment accounts from it, or any site which has credit card information stored. I don't think that phone would even need a working phone number or data plan, it would from time to time need network access, but Wifi, or in a pinch, another phone's hotspot, should suffice for a network connection.

It won't do you any good if the dongle and phone with the app aren't with you when the car goes south. Given the temperatures your car sees, you most likely should not leave a phone and the dongle in the parked car to bake. So I would suggest keeping them with you rather than with the car. No other driver's, yes? So it works out the same in terms of having them when you need them.



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