Shops Still Shy Away from Working on Hybrids
Troubleshooting takes knowledge and a great deal of hands-on experience, yet the payoff is worth it.
It’s been a busy time for hybrids in my shop. The training schedule has been hectic and the buying and selling is starting to get some movement. The Consumer Reports rating on the Prius as the best value in used cars sure hasn’t hurt either.
‘Flood Damaged’ Prius Gets a New Life
Much to my surprise, I was able to get the immobilizer system to work after replacing the original module with a combination module and key from another vehicle. After it was programmed I started the vehicle. This also surprised me. I had checked the fluid levels and inspected the vehicle for evidence of the water to see what the immersion level was. I found no evidence of water anywhere, but the engine ran extremely rough and knocked something awful.
The Toyota Prius P111 Hybrid Transaxle
The Toyota Prius P111 hybrid transaxle shown in Figure 1 is a continuously variable transaxle. If you are already familiar with a Subaru Legacy or a Honda Civic HX, you might think this is another CVT with a belt and pulleys. Not this unit…
