Ownership Verified: The First, The Prius

First day of cleaning behind. Man it was dirty and clogged. Driving it to the garage wasn't as bad as I feared, weather had got much warmer, it was -20c (-4F) when it started to act, now it was -2c (28F). It sounded and acted pretty normal, only when driving slow it kept having hickups.

EGR valve before and after...

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Intake manifold's EGR port, at first you couldn't get water run through. MrMuscle oven cleaner helped alot.
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Left the EGR cooler soak over night into citric acid..

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To be continued...
 
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After the cooler spent night in citric acid it got few rounds with MrMuscle. While waiting MrMuscle to do its job I changed the spark plugs.

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This was the worst one, it was quite loose so that's why it was so dark. All of the plugs were worn and on their last leg. You could measure their gap with calender. Still had some time to kill, so headlights got some attention. First with 2000 grit sanding sponge, then 4000 and last with cutting wax.
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Much better... Next time have to buy a polishing set and clear coat.
So after much waiting and several flushing, cooler slowly started to flow some water. If you zoom in, this is where we started.
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And finally it was time for pressure washer. It work'd well, just adjusted the water spray to pointy and shot dark shit on the wall. After 15 minutes washing cooler was brand spanking new inside.
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It runs really smooth, it has never ran so well in our ownership. In slow speeds it used to have slight judder, did read that clogged EGR does that, but can't really say is it thanks to new spark plugs or clean EGR. Waiting to see if it makes difference to MPG.
 
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Wow that video sounds bad. Is this something you need to mentally prepare for when getting a Prius?

Afaik they’re fine as long as you don’t do what Tyler Hoover did. He put nitrous in his and after the first try he had to walk back and fetch his oil filter from the side of the road. It was still attached to a piece of the engine block.
 
Oh the shock! It didn't pass the MOT. Something wrong with rear brakes, I could not know, I haven't really used brakes, just been regenerating. Also it needs new front anti roll bar bushes, but those will take a month to arrive and they were just notification.
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Well, I guess it was time for change. Brake cylinders where stuck too. So now it's safer, works a slightly better and uses a eeny weeny bit less of 2,3€ Chanel°5.
 
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I guess there's a reason (other than cost) why the Volkswagen MEB platform uses rear drums. Rear discs are not really needed and will just end up looking like this.
 
Regen braking is addictive :D
Very, it becomes a game. How little can you use and how much you can regen.
I guess there's a reason (other than cost) why the Volkswagen MEB platform uses rear drums. Rear discs are not really needed and will just end up looking like this.
Yes, I'm really glad that they don't use drum brake for parking brake, they would need rebuilding every year.
 
Still loving the Prius. Oilchange was done bit late, realized I had passed 15tkm mark and could feel it while driving, well exactly a year after last change, new oils and it purr's like a kitten. We did first long trip for christmas vacation, 7h driving and realized that cheapest H11 are crap, havent really needed or noticed as I drive on ring road where street lights are good. Got new "+150%" brighter and for first time I got someone else to install them for me as local parts store offered free installing. Well it makes difference even on ring roads.
Only thing I've been thinking to update is soundsystem, but I know it would get out of hand so fast that I've managed stay away from it.
I had a full electric car fever last spring but came to conclusion time after time that I would end up paying 20 times more in a month and wouldn't really get anything that groundbraking that it would make any sense. And hobby cars... After having had e36 318ti and 328ci e46 for short while I could not bother to drive anything that uses twice as much as Prius.
Yeah I'm getting old and I'm sticking with the Prius.
 
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MOT time and fail. Rack and pinnion had created a play and front antiroll bar bushings were still shot, been lazy. It was amazingly easy to change the rack, still need to take it to align shop. Steering feels like a new car. 295tkm on odo, getting closer to big 3 and still in way better condition than last Berlingo with 220tkm. Tomorrow its time for summer tires and bin the winters, rims are crusty and tyres are done.
 
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