Shaking rattling engine codes p0302 p0304 multi cyl.

What advice from here did you take ? a link or a few of um to the posts would help.
I hope none of them were from me

If it were me, I'd sneak back and grab my car from that place, like yesterday. And hope you can get it back for the the amount quoted for the work you authorized.

Than do some more reading of different posts than you've already seen.

 

With that amount of cost just to do a headgasket, might as well buy a new car or do it yourself. There’s a couple videos on YouTube that shows how to replace your hesdgasket, just make sure you put time out to do it. It’s all doable if you have the tools and time for it.

 

The rear wiper at $23 and the oil change at $74 are ok prices. Everything else is either way overpriced or unnecessary.

Having a dealer do major work like a hg on a 2011 Prius makes no sense. I imagine they did the plugs and fuel service (both a waste of money) since they did the borescope.

The dealer was being honest in their quote when they cautioned the engine might be torn down only to find it is not a candidate for a hg replacement. Almost all dealers and most pro shops won't quote a hg job on this engine because of the expected failure rate of that job.

I would get a replacement engine installed IF you really think this car is worth it. A professionally rebuilt is preferred (Hybridpit) or a used in Japan JDM engine. The right shop could install a rebuilt for the dealer's hg price. A JDM engine installed for maybe half that price.

 

+1^ With that kinda mileage on that engine, I'd go with a rebuild rather than a patch job. The rebuild would/should have the new/redesigned low tension rings.
Has that engine coolant pump ever been replaced or are you monitoring your ECT?
The car misfires because you got a small seepage of coolant going into your combustion chamber. It does it primary when it's cold because once the engine heats up; it expands and seals the leak. As the engine cools down, it starts leaking again. We're talking about droplets, NOT a squirt gun; so coolant levels creep down very slowly. If you go to an oil change place that tops off all your fluids; you may think it never leaked - it's being topped-off at every oil change. The more often you change your oil, the less likely your going to notice it - if you even check under the hood, once in a while. Some people remove the sealing ring on the radiator cap to prevent the system from pressurizing. While this does reduce the symptoms of this defect, the underlying problem is still there and will get worse over time.

Hope this helps.

FWIW; there a a few fine Prius specialist shops in FL; don't know how close to them you are....

 

That's a testament to just how bad it has to clog, before it codes: way too late. Your EGR system with 209K miles, will be VERY clogged. The only way to dodge this is to clean the full EGR system, at least every 50k miles. Others will be along shortly, let you know this isn't the case.

If the symptoms are just starting, a head gasket replacement may be all that's needed. If you can DIY, the Toyota gasket kit and new head bolts will be around $300~400 USD, and a machine shop go-over of the head maybe $500, if warranted. There's several relevant links in my signature. Last link is the full engine section from Repair Manual.

Do fully clean the EGR system too, including the intake manifold.

 

A dealer will just send a 2011 Prius to auction regardless of condition. They won't expect more than $1000 from the auction so any higher number they offer as trade is really just a discount on the car you are buying from them. The car will be bought by a car flipper who will fix it or will temporarily mask the problem prior to selling it on facebook.

Toyota has no recommended maintenance of the egr. 50k miles is a Priuschat/Mendel thing.

 

Give Todd at Tampa Hybrids a call. He used to one of the authorized GMs shops.

Todd has transformed his shop into a used Prius Lot in the last couple of years. Sorry for not posting this initially. my thinking when reading your OP was hell get her out of the dealers shop ASAP ! Good God.

I don't know what Todd will say, but I think he might be able to help you a lot more than that dealer shop, fingers crossed !

Home - Tampa Hybrids Inc.

Edit: and I'm not a mechanic, but from your description , your Prius doesn't sound like it's on it last legs or hopefully isn't at the point where you'd be better off installing a new engine instead of getting the head gasket done by a shop that will not empty your wallet without thinking twice about their diagnosis and estimate for the repairs you actually need.

That list you attached in your OP was hard to read, until I zoomed in on it, it was shocking to read.

 

If the rest of the car is in good shape and you can get a 'good' rebuild engine in it for around 3K-4K along with new OEM coolant pumps. Both inverter and engine and boiled-out EGR system - I'd probably go with that. New and used car prices are insane right now; and you don't know if your going to run into similar issues with another used car. In other words, stick with the devil you know. If you've got the money - go for new.
Re: coolant pump, it's electric and tends to get lazy after 150K. Your temp. warning lamp goes off around 240+F, normal operating temperature is below 200F, with some spikes during long up hill climbs. If your engine is running <240F, you'll never see that warning lamp lit, but if it's running hot this could also contribute these head gasket failures over time - because your continuously running the engine hot. This isn't good for all the plastic components in that car. I have a suspicion that is also why those plastic coolant switch valves fail - plastics tends to warp when they get too hot. Again, constantly subjecting components to temperatures beyond it's normal thermal limits will eventually cause those components to fail.

Hope this gives you some insight into what needs to be done on high mileage cars....

 

When an owner starts doing their own services on a car, they begin to understand some of the things that happen while tuning the nuts and bolts, while the boss is timing the jobs.

Sounds like you've got half an idea already where the car is at and what its needs are right now, I wish you the best of luck in this transition for the Prius. Keeping in mind some of the taxii GM works on last what seems like forever when they are serviced well.

 

A big You're Welcome ! and good luck man !

If you want more info about Tampa Hybrids and Todd, from a guy who worked there a few years ago

Move on or Invest? | PriusChat

EGR/Intake Service on 2013 Prius | PriusChat\

When he posted that he was working at Todds shop, I replied that I was jealous. Big Time.
maybe some of his post might be helpful for you too.

so you know why he's not posting here much lately -
2022 Bolt EUV Initial impressions | PriusChat

 

I was watching a video from Pine hollow diagnostics video on YouTube last night and he had a Prius with a blown head gasket with a person who couldn’t afford/didn’t want to pay for head gasket replacement. He said he left the coolant reservoir slightly unscrewed so it wouldn’t build up pressure to push coolant into the combustion chamber. What are the Priuschat members thoughts on this?
It might give someone who’s in the situation like OP some extra time to decide how they want to dump the car or save up for a few months to purchase another car.

 

First the video's focus was a no start. The head gasket was a given. The no start was the result of another shop's parts cannon which left a vacuum hose disconnected.

Loosening the reservoir pressure cap works on early stage hg problems but has at least two downsides. One is it allows the hg erosion to continue and two it allows the engine to run hotter under load and relieve pressure and coolant much faster through the loosened cap.

Normally a pressurized cooling system has a higher boiling point. A 15 psi increase raises the boiling point 45f.

With the engine temp light set for 248f, you may not know the engine is running hotter and losing coolant through the cap.



It does allow time to decide or save for repairs but the repair might escalate to a replacement engine.

 

If you believe that then I have ocean properties in Arizona.

 

This post is a scared straight example of “I have only xx,xxx miles on the engine and no knocks so I don’t think egr cleaning is needed. My Prius a unicorn and is excluded for any egr circuit cleaning.”