Prius (Gen 2) Fuel :: 2008 - Can't Get More Than 35 Mpg / Engine Struggles A Lot
Aug 15, 2016
I have a 2008 prius and can't get get more than 35 mpg. The battery is refurbished, I have done air flow sensor, throttle body, spark plugs and have good tires. I drive 120 miles a day and make 50 stops. I get better mpg on the highway. also, the engine doesn't seem to shut off all the time at a light and the battery is hardly ever in green. Also it seems like the engine struggles a lot, almost like there is an engine brake. I am losing faith. what is the point of this prius.
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My car wont start properly. I have push button start & now the majority off the time the engine struggles to turn over. The starter motor is fine as it revs the engine to around 500 rpm when it toys to turn over but it seems like The engine isn't getting enough fuel or air & stutterers & hesitates. The weird thing is that once its started the car doesn't miss a beat. What it maybe? I have just replaced the sparkplugs, fuel filter & air fitter as part of my 60,000 service I have the car booked into my local dealership but they cant get me in for 2 weeks. I'm a little worried but its probably something small.
I have been lucky enough to catch the car doing it on video & here are 3 links to my youtube videos. On 2 of the videos the fuel is low, however, there is still 10 litres in the tank & this has also been happening at various fuel heels & out door temps.
VID 20130626 140221 - YouTube
VID 20130626 144651 - YouTube
VID 20130626 154933 - YouTube
I have checked a few things out but I cannot diagnose the problem. I believe the first 2 videos you will notice the car shaking a fair bit. Pay close attention to the car revs when starting.
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I have an 02 F450 with a dump bed an just under 45,000 miles (was barley used by the first owner). This maybe unrelated to my problem but is worth mentioning. This past week I noticed a small puddle where I had previously parked at a customers house so I checked the oil. I was about 2 quarts low. I followed the oil trail up and found a pool in the valley. One of the high pressure lines were loose and the seal was chewed up so I replaced it and tightened it. No more oil leak.
Now my new problem. Two days later, after about 45 minutes on the interstate driving about 75 mph the truck started to rapidly lose power as if it was running out of fuel. I heard a loud ticking sound coming from the engine and the more I tried to accelerate the worse it got. I pulled over and the truck stalled. I thought that maybe my fuel gauge had crapped the bed on me because it still read a little over 1/4 tank. I called a buddy and got more deisal in it and it started right up. We'll after about 5 minutes of 60 mph it started to happen again. So to fast forward... I opened up the tank and found the the strainer had crumbled in the bottom of the tank.
So I cleaned out the screens in the sending unit and replaced the strainer, replaced the fuel filter, and reverse blew out the lines. I read about checking the hpop reservoir for oil and it is present. So to sum up, as long as I stay under 60mph or so I can get about 5 minutes of run time before the truck starts to stutter and stumble. If I shut it off for about 5minutes I can go back up to 60 again but it the cycle continues. 5 on and 5 off. If I start the truck after say 30 seconds after shutting it off it sounds like it's going to die and has no power at all. I have worked on a lot of vehicles but none with anything like this and this is my first deisal. What do I do to get this beast back to normal?
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I have a 2008 accent with about 95k miles on it. I recently took it in to have the oil changed and the mechanic suggested I get a tune up and said my spark plugs needed to be changed. I didn't opt in for the tune up that day and I'm now noticing more problems with the vehicle. At first the car struggled accelerating at about 35-45 mph, but once it reached above that speed it ran fine. More recently the car has really struggled accelerating after it had come to a stop. Today I came out to start the car and it took a couple tries to get it to kick over. Once the car was on I could rev it up but when I put it in gear it struggled to get to 10mph and that's with the gas pedal pressed all the way to the ground. I let it set and came back to it about an hour ago and added transmission fluid, because it was low. The car started a little better, it wasn't shaking as hard, but it still struggles accelerating and won't push pass 30mph. When parked I can rev it all the way up, when I take my foot off the gas the car does threaten to cut off, but it only has once. I'm not sure where to start.
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2003 f550 with 7.3, suddenly loses power and struggles while driving. White/blue smoke comes from tailpipe, can smell the diesel exhaust bad when happens, comes and goes intermittently but has been happening more and more often. I uploaded a video onto YouTube to show sound, rough running motor and smoke from exhaust although smoke not that bad in video. Search "shadetreelandscaping" on YouTube in case link below doesn't work.
ShadeTreeLandscaping - YouTube
Took to ford dealer a few diff times for problem and they can't get any codes, can't duplicate problem. After it being in for third time they say had to call ford tech hotline and they suggest replacing injector however can not and will not gaurntee that will solve problem, and obviously dealer isn't cheap for repair. I find it hard to believe that a bad injector(s) would be an intermittent problem as it is or that it would cause fuel pump to make gurgling sound.
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5.4 L, Engine runs if primed at the intake. Fuel pump can be heard running but no fuel gets to the engine. Truck is mint and being sold real cheap due to this issue.
Fuel Pump? Filter? Both? I haven't seen the truck, a friend is considering buying it and rolling the dice it is a quick fix. Fuel is in the tank .....
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I have a 1995 Ford Thunderbird with the 4.6 V8. I have owned it since it was a year old, it now has 70,000 miles on it. A couple years ago it developed a problem while driving. Hard to explain, but seems like it is misfiring or there a fuel restriction somewhere. This shows up when i floor it, the transmission kicks down and the engine struggles to accelerate, you can feel when it clears up, the car shoots forward. It seems like if i smoothly step on the pedal it is better, but not always.
This problem is also noticeable when the revs are low, like just before the transmission shifts down, like when climbing a hill, you can feel a shudder, if i accelerate and the transmission shifts so the revs are higher the problem goes away. Also, shutting off the overdrive so the revs increase works too. It really feels like the engine to me, although it does not go as far as to backfire.
2 years ago i replaced the auto transmission and torque converter with a factory one direct from Ford.To diagnose what i think is an engine problem i have: replaced the fuel filter (wasn't dirty) removed the injectors and had them cleaned and tested (they were fine) checked the fuel pressure (fine) checked the vacuum (fine) removed the exhaust to look for cat blockages (nice and clean) replaced the plugs, wires, and coils checked that the timing was in spec, although i don't think there is a way to adjust it
The car has the early version of OBDII - it does not have any active errors.
The car starts and idles fine, cold or hot, and when it is not acting up, still has excellent power. It does sit inside all winter though.
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I have a 2008 prius. Usually it gets me around 52-55mpg, I've had it since January. Since a couple of days ago its not giving me anything above 49. I know thats a normal number, but considering the fact that its usually quite a bit higher I'm wondering what the cause of the drop is. Also around the same time, when I pull out of my driveway I notice what appears to be a bit of water leakage. Its under the vehicle in the front center, and it only happens when I start the car for the day and pull out of my driveway (its on an incline).
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I have a 1996 GMC Sonoma extended cab, 2.2l engine (not vortec) purchased in the United States. I’m having trouble setting the timing correctly.
I recently replaced the camshaft and crankshaft sprockets and chain, and after several attempts to set the timing, the engine still shakes badly and struggles to run smoothly, especially at idle. (It did not do this before the repair.) My code reader picks up the following codes: P0106, P0108. It seems to me that the timing is off despite my best efforts.
I’m going to try and attach a picture of the timing chain and sprockets as they’re currently set because the camshaft timing mark is strange on this vehicle and I’m not sure if it’s lined up correctly. Does it looks right? (Red mark on cam sprocket made by me; timing mark is supposedly the circular hole above that tooth.)
I did several other repairs at the same time that I did the timing. I have gone back over as much of these as possible and I don’t think I did anything wrong. As cars go I’m strictly an amateur but I work as a small engine mechanic so I have some experience with the way things feel when they’re done wrong. Nevertheless, if the timing is right, maybe I botched one of these?
The simultaneous repairs:
Removed head
Replaced hydraulic lifters
Cleaned carbon off valves
Checked pushrod straightness
Changed gaskets (several)
Replaced oil pressure sensor, coolant temp sensor, & thermostat
Replaced coolant hoses
I did all this because I hit the 150,000-mile mark and I want to keep it running for another 150,000.
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I own a manual accent from the 2000 that I have since last December. Fuel pump and battery are new, I changed them after getting the car.
The issues I have and I think they are due to the same reason, are the following.
1. Sometimes, when I turn the key to on position and before cranking, the engine light blinks and the car wouldn't start. Then I remove the key and try again until the light doesn't blink and then the car would start. This could be the second time, the third time or after several times. When the light blinks and I try to start the car, I can hear the fuel pump and the battery working, so the problem must be somewhere else. Also, this issue happens very randomly, it may doesn't happen during two weeks and then it happens one day and next day is OK again.
2. Few times it happened that even if the engine light wasn't blinking, the car started but like without enough power and then it stalled, I tried again, and it has always started OK the second time.
3. A couple of times, I was on the road and stopped the car in a red light and it stalled when I switched to neutral.
4. The car sometimes struggles with the first gear, when I'm switching from neutral to first gear to start the car (after being stopped in a red light for example). The car would start very slowly, even if I'm pushing the accelerator and don't have my foot on the clutch anymore. But after few seconds, the car runs well and I switch to second gear, third gear, etc. and runs perfect. Above 10-20 km/h the car runs perfect, I only have issues (sometimes, not always) at very low speed in first gear.
I think that's it. So far, my mechanic has checked the code problem and he coded a new key, thinking that it was a communication problem between the key and the engine, but it didn't solve the problem. I don't know where to bring the car, because every time someone checks it, they can't find the problem or a solution and I don't want to spend more money for no reason. But I'm also worried that the car breaks down one day in the middle of the road or when I'm in the field with volunteers (I need the car to do field work, but luckily it's not a remote area.
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I have a 1987 Ford E-150 with 160K - used to haul the race car. It's had a lot of issues and the latest is that when the engine has warmed up, then shut down, the starter struggles to turn the engine over until the engine cools. Once it does, it turns over and starts right up.
I figure it's the starter getting hot, but I want to know why this would be the case. Does the heat expand the starter shaft so it binds a bit with the bearing? Is it the increased resistance of the wire?
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As of recently, my 2008 Prius fuel gauge shows only 1 flashing bar unless the fuel level is more than half-full.
I just got a quote from the dealer; they said it will cost me $ 900 + to replace the whole fuel tank, as fuel gauge is not a replaceable part. Yap, the whole gas tank needs to be replaced for fuel sender!
Well, I find this hard to believe, but i guess it is possible that they have built everything together as one big replaceable unit.
BTW, if this is true then Toyota is not making environmentally friendly vehicles, when we have to throw away perfectly good gas tank and other parts within in order to replace a moving part that is most likely to fail.
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I bought a Prius 2nd Generation (2008) Japanese domestic). When I go to Consumption view it shows blank Graph for the past 5min - 30 min graph. How to fix this.
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I have a 2008 Prius and my car consistently tops out just under 40 MPG - I've never had a tank last over 325 miles. Seems like it's somewhat below the average.
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I kept a record of every drop of fuel used in my 2008 Gen II Prius. It was easy with only two simple screens: Energy and Consumption. After writing down the numbers I reset the Consumption screen at every fill up. I entered these into a spreadsheet that did a bunch of calculations telling me all kinds of interesting things.
Now to my new 2014 Prius v Two. I'm confused regarding all the new information available. (A good thing) Which screen and number am I looking for that is equivalent to the Miles and cumulative MPG on the old Gen II?
Would like to sort this out before my first fill on the new car.
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I changed the oil on my 2008 Prius Touring in the weekend. I consulted the manual after the oil was changed. One mistake I made was to use 10W-30 instead 5W-30 recommended. The manual mentioned that it affects MPG with 10W-30. For the 270 miles trip I took right after, my average MPG dropped from ~46 to 45 highway. My short commute driving dropped from ~37 to 34. Comparison are made on the same roads with similar temperature and driving speed. Is that normal? Will it go back up after a while?
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So i traded in my POS 2008 Jeep Liberty and decided to go the Toyota way based on family and friends saying its THE BEST maker and Consumer Reports seconding that. I've had it for just over a week and the rattling/buzzing noise from something being loose under the steering wheel is driving me nuts. In addition to the Pin from the fuel filler door wont extract and come back out so the fuel filler door is stuck slightly open. Besides these 2 small issues i love the car, just not the quality control i guess.
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I'd heard that the new Prius V would give you stats on your latest trip. I see where it will tell you how long you've driven, but I was under the impression that it also did your MPG for the latest trip too?
Also, my 2008 would automatically reset the trip odo upon fill up. Not the tripA or tripB odo's, but the one on the consumption screen. Does the new one do something similar? I new at every fill up that I would reset the MPG's for that tank whenever the miles reset. I can't find an analog to that in the new screens.
How are people calculating MPG's per tank, computer wise?
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My 2008 chevy aveo has electrical problems, I think, sense I purchased it. First off the clock goes on and off randomly and doesn't keep time. Then the engine light is on one day then off the next. Sometimes on hot days sometimes on cold days. took it to Autozone and they have said two different times said there is a something wrong in the fuel sensor ??? took it to the Chevy dealer 3 time, Once they keep it for 3 days and said they couldn't get the engine light to come on.. ei. nothings wrong. the second time they said it was the sparkplugs and they charged me to replace them. 10 minutes after I got the car back the light came back on. The third time, again they said they can't find anything wrong.So the light as been going on one day and off others..I just ignored it...Yesterday, I was in 5th gear and I lost all power. engine still running but now power when I press on the gas. I managed to pull over, turn off the car and it acted fine. It happened again on the way home from work. Now the light is off and it seems fine.
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My Focus has 102,000 miles. It has thrown a p0171 code and I have been attempting to fix it. So far this is what I have done:Changed MAF, air filter, PCV Valve, plugs, Valve cover gaskets, Bank 1 O2 sensor and fuel filter. All new. I have cleaned the throttle body, fuel rail intake manifold. Cannot hear vacuum leaks and tested for leaks with carb cleaner.
Symptoms: engine cranks but has a hard time starting, usually on second try. When tank is about half full I get Rough acceleration, higher RPMs (doesn't change gear) and engine stalls on hard left turns. Idle gets rough at times but usually stabilizes at around 700 rpms.
At the beginning, #1 spark plug chamber had a lot of oil in it. It's been a few months and no oil after Valve cover gasket and PCV change. Tested coils and the plugs get a spark. Before I start messing with the fuel pump, am I missing something else that I can do?
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I have a 2004 F150 XLT 5.4 L 79,000 miles. Yesterday i was driving home turned a corner and the low fuel light came on and the fuel gauge is well below empty. I had approx 1/2 tank of fuel when it happened. I have since filled tank all the way but the gauge will not move and low fuel light stays on. Everything else is working fine! I have never run the truck low enough on fuel to make the dummy light come on.....
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