Oil Change Screwed Up My 2002 Prius!

February 25, 2009

How much more simple can auto maintenance be than an oil change and tire rotation, right? That's what I thought until today. Having only purchased my 2002 Prius last fall it was the first time and last time I let a non Toyota dealer touch my car! We took our Prius to the local Goodyear tire shop for a seemingly simple oil change and tire rotation. However, after waiting nearly an hour the mechanic came to my poor wife and told her that the motor would not start(!!????) (WELL DUH, DUDE, IT'S HALF ELECTRIC AND THE COMPUTER IS SMARTER THAN YOU!) These ignorants had apparently finished work and could not get the motor to start and assuming the (12v) Battery had gone dead they put a charger on it. Finally the motor started (because it had cooled and not due to any other reason) but it was not running right and had no power on the test drive. Further the brake light was on. -the first thing ANY auto mechanic should know about is brakes, right?- So I leave work and run down there and I find the brake pedal spongy so I pump the brakes a couple times and MAGIC (DUH) they were fine. The guys told my wife to leave the motor running to charge the Battery. (which was never dead in the first place because a hybrid gas motor will not necesarily start just because you want it to you ignorant idiot_.)

H O W E V E R ..... the computer system was completely NUTS and the hybrid Battery was NOT CHARGING! Y I K E S! So I shut down the system and restart, and take it for a drive and things are ALMOST running normally except the hybrid system was still acting a little wierd compared to what I'm used to seeing driving it every day and still not charging the hybrid battery fully and when it did charge the hybrid battery it quickly discharged. So my question is what the heck these ignorants could have posslby done to screw up the computer that way??? After starting and stopping and driving the car around town it is finally back to normal thank goodness.

So NEVER NEVER take your hybrid to a service facility who has never serviced a hybrid before!

February 25, 2009

Hi'

Good advice, if you spend all that money on a nice car thats got top state of the art drive system why would you let a tyre fitting company service it?, even in the toyota dealers only certain techs work on hybrid cars after passing toyotas strict testing, at least you have it back to normal or almost, lesson learnt, prius servicing I think is not badly priced. I heard of a non toyota garage doing a oil change on a prius and they left the key in ready mode and dropped the oil, went off for a chat while it drained and unknown to them the engine started, ya thats right with no oil in,I can only assume that sounds of the big ends knocking alerted the problem..not sure how true this is but its a possability , not worth thinging about is it.

February 26, 2009

What a lesson to learn. I would never let a non Toyota dealer service my car. Only if it was a breakdown on a motorway that was an emergency; other than that only take a PRIUS to Mr T.

February 26, 2009

Having had my company car just under 2 months, and knowing what the local service agents are like for said company. I am dreading the 1st service.....I think I shall just insist that it be taken to Toyata dealer, the usual muppets are exactly like previous posters!! :angry:

March 28, 2009

I'm 69 asnd know the value of not chinsing on my car's service by a toyota dealer. Otyhers lack the knowledge and experiment on your car--they lack special tools too-- so make sure you know your non guy is with it before you go to him. I only found one lousy dealer service and it was VW years ago. I learned !! I bought Toyotas ever since--Ive owned many and they are the cream!

April 8, 2009

How much more simple can auto maintenance be than an oil change and tire rotation, right? That's what I thought until today. Having only purchased my 2002 Prius last fall it was the first time and last time I let a non Toyota dealer touch my car! We took our Prius to the local Goodyear tire shop for a seemingly simple oil change and tire rotation. However, after waiting nearly an hour the mechanic came to my poor wife and told her that the motor would not start(!!????) (WELL DUH, DUDE, IT'S HALF ELECTRIC AND THE COMPUTER IS SMARTER THAN YOU!) These ignorants had apparently finished work and could not get the motor to start and assuming the (12v) battery had gone dead they put a charger on it. Finally the motor started (because it had cooled and not due to any other reason) but it was not running right and had no power on the test drive. Further the brake light was on. -the first thing ANY auto mechanic should know about is brakes, right?- So I leave work and run down there and I find the brake pedal spongy so I pump the brakes a couple times and MAGIC (DUH) they were fine. The guys told my wife to leave the motor running to charge the battery. (which was never dead in the first place because a hybrid gas motor will not necesarily start just because you want it to you ignorant idiot_.)
H O W E V E R ..... the computer system was completely NUTS and the hybrid battery was NOT CHARGING! Y I K E S! So I shut down the system and restart, and take it for a drive and things are ALMOST running normally except the hybrid system was still acting a little wierd compared to what I'm used to seeing driving it every day and still not charging the hybrid battery fully and when it did charge the hybrid battery it quickly discharged. So my question is what the heck these ignorants could have posslby done to screw up the computer that way??? After starting and stopping and driving the car around town it is finally back to normal thank goodness.
So NEVER NEVER take your hybrid to a service facility who has never serviced a hybrid before!