Prius update

Just heard from the repair shop: the wire for the crankshaft position sensor was indeed chewed up.  Bonus: apparently the specific HV transaxle fault code refers to an engine/transaxle speed mismatch, which would be caused by the crankshaft position sensor being disconnected.

They also noted a couple of light bulbs being out, the tires being about due for replacement, and oil seepage around the timing cover (a known problem the past couple of years).  I guess if the wiring repair gets it running properly with no further faults, I'll have them deal with everything else as long as it's there, including routine maintenance and replacing the 12V battery.

Should add up to considerably less than 10% the price of a new car, which would be my threshold for contemplating replacing the whole thing.  (The "don't laugh; it's paid for" principle applies here.)

Update:  The wiring fix apparently eliminated all the fault codes, so I'm having them fix all the fiddly stuff, replace the tires, do scheduled maintenance, and replace the 12V battery.  The timing cover gasket can wait for another time; I'll monitor the oil level, and if it needs oil added, I'll put in Geritoil™ to hold it together for maybe another couple of years.  Maybe next year will bring an opportunity for some restoration work, replacing worn-out bits of plastic and whatnot.

Comments

[Rob]

That "10%" threshold is a good rule of thumb! I'll have to give that some thought...

[Skipper]

Back here at your old haunt, in the hills. We use Rat-a-tat which you can get online. Not cheap but works. We’ve had on two cars for the last five years and no more chewing.

[Skipper]

Correction it is called rid-a-rat. It uses a pulsed light

[Eric Wilner]

Ah! I've ordered some bait stations (not Rat-A-Tat brand, another one), and we're clearing out the rodent habitat near the parking area, but maybe I should also get a Rid-A-Rat per vehicle. Having a bright blinky light under the hood seems safer for predators and scavengers than poisoned rodents would be.