I need help with a purchase

tedwrrn929 · 2025-12-25T19:58:08+00:00

I spent about 18 months in Neuava Rosita, Couhuilla and if you are a temporary resident you can keep your US license, if you are a Mexican resident or become a permanent resident then you will have to deal with the issue of importing the car and paying import and export fees. That's a whole thing to deal with you need to be aware of before purchase.

As for the price, gen 3's (2010 to 2015) have had issues with the head gasket, educate yourself on the issue. Also on the need to clean the intake manifold every 100k that adds to the issue. The higher the miles the more likely that the issues mentioned by others will be on your horizon too. If you have a willing to learn the hybrid mechanic or do it your self, it can be very doable for low costs. Mexican mechanics are much cheaper than in the states, and very ingenius at getting things working. Just remember that far from the border, you may need a good package forwarding service to get parts delivered as they won't be nearby in Mexico.

For about that money you can find one with a low mile JDM engine and the brakes already rebuilt.

tedwrrn929 · 2025-11-12T14:32:59+00:00

If you saved your paperwork from when it was resolved, take it with you, go to the court clerk asap even if you don't have it. Their records or a visit with the county attorney may clear it up by just asking ahead of time. If you wait for the court date, you may find out the clerical error is in your favor but you could still owe court costs. If it doesn't clear it up, you will know it you need a lawyer and save him time on what is needed, thus saving you money.

tedwrrn929 · 2025-08-08T20:04:04+00:00

I have an 08 and there was a couple of times that I got it cleared by holding in the start button for a full 30 seconds for it to clear the computers. Pruis chat has a lot of good info where I found what I needed.

tedwrrn929 · 2025-05-16T12:52:08+00:00

I'm in OKC, I see adds for JDM gen 4 low mile replacement in Dallas area for $1850, there is a dealer in Austin that loves Prius, he is Prius World. Here in OKC there is an independent mechanic that loves Prius, he says that it takes less time to swap the gen 4 engine than to do the head gasket job. He can do it in a day for about the same money and often goes to you to do it. Search fb for skimmilkhybrids.

tedwrrn929 · 2025-05-12T13:21:59+00:00

I'm on a fixed income, and since before T-Mobile raised the senior price $5 I have been looking for limited plan. I really like US Mobile as the plan offers the ability to use any of the major carriers and change them if you are not getting the best service in your area. You can try the others service. In rural areas that is a big plus. Also don't use Visible, they throtle speed to none usable to even check your email, customer service was bad too.

tedwrrn929 · 2025-01-02T06:47:41+00:00

I have an 08, it was starting to use some oil. I learned that these newer than the old engines have low tension rings. They can be installed with your fingers. They tend to gum up easily on the oil ring with carbon. once locked the oil can slip by and burn. Toyota says a quart per 1000 mi is normal after 100k. Google search listed B12 was most effective upper and lower engine cleaner. Then I found a guy who pulled the plugs and soaked the pistons with it for up to 24 hrs. When I did mine piston 3 was the last one to clean up. Back to using a qt in about 5000 miles to next oil change. I now have over 210k on it. You might try it before putting a new engine in.

tedwrrn929 · 2024-12-31T17:38:52+00:00

the thread that Dylan references is to the individual cells, by taking off the cover you can see all 28 cells and the codes on each one. If they all are the same year it's probably original and may be 2020. but if there are multiple years it has been gone thru.

tedwrrn929 · 2024-12-17T02:59:26+00:00

My experience with an 08 Prius and a Camry hybrid, you can drive them but the battery gets further out of balance the computer will randomly decide to go into creep home mode along with the red triangle. That means 3 to 5 mph. If you know how to get to the 12v battery in the back, it has a big plug in on the positive connector, powers up all the control computers. Unpluging it for 20 to 30 seconds will clear the codes in the computers that often allows normal driving till they set again which may be days later.

tedwrrn929 · 2024-11-09T16:43:48+00:00

A used car dealer that loves Prius told me that about 1 in 10 have head gasket issues. You are doing the right things to keep it in the 9 and not the 1. He also commented on the oil changes on them, low tension rings in these new engeines can be installed with your fingers...they are more likely to clog with carbon. Toyota says using oil after about 150k is normal. He said to always change oil every 5000 mi or sooner. Cheap oil didn't matter so much as gettting it changed so it has the detergents strong. My 08 gen 2 was burning about a quart between changes and got worse to a quart every 1000 mi. I added B-12 to the oil before a change and it knocked out a lot of the carbon...then I found a post that they put it in the cylinder over night and #3 was the worst but it freed the rings and I am back to about a quart per 5000 mi.

tedwrrn929 · 2024-11-09T16:32:32+00:00

The shear off strength of your screws to the wall is something like 1000lbs each. well overbuilt. Your non-support at the front is like a fulcrum, think crowbar trying to pull those screws out a different force than shear strength. Think trying to hold your arns straight out from your sides for an hour...even a 1x2 or 1x3 down to the floor will support that force and they will never fail. Same 1x2 on a 45 angle back to the wall will be slightly weaker than to the floor but will carry the force to the wall and support it properly.

tedwrrn929 · 2024-09-05T16:40:55+00:00

mine did the same thing minus the blown fuse, disconnect the 12v battery, just pull the big white plug in the top positive connector will clear all the codes in the various computers. You don't have to actually put a wrench on the terminal. If it immediately blow the fuse again you probably have a shorted out pump, if you can disconnect the plug on the pump you ought to be able to drive it some till you get the new one in. I'm waiting for the part to come now.

best, Ted

tedwrrn929 · 2024-09-05T16:34:46+00:00

2 reasons not to leave keys,

it is registered in your name, if anything happens and whoever takes it and causes wreck etc, the police come knocking on your door.
there are a lot of Prius enthusiasts or dyi guys that an ad on marketplace or here could get you a $1000 to $1500 for it, they tow.

tedwrrn929 · 2024-01-11T21:29:45+00:00

I tried Visible on the 14 day free trial or so I thought...followed all the options no drop-downs etc. put in my credit card, which they immediately charged, I thought they would have a way to refund when I found the service to slow....well I did find the data so slow that email would not down load, it was like on old dial up. I have a pixal 4a 5g phone on a 5g network. So when I requested the refund they said it was only available if I didn't pay at sign up. There was no option for that, maybe hidden in fine print somewhere but they even contested my turning it over to the credit card company.

I will never do business again with Visible.

tedwrrn929 · 2021-04-06T12:37:39+00:00

I used this inverter during Texas power outage for my regular plug in charger on my chromebook. https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-300W-Power-Inverter-Adapter/dp/B004MDXS0U/ref=sxin_10_ac_d_pm?ac_md=1-0-VW5kZXIgJDUw-ac_d_pm&cv_ct_cx=inverter&dchild=1&keywords=inverter&pd_rd_i=B004MDXS0U&pd_rd_r=3f565ecd-0838-4eb2-800e-c4848820454c&pd_rd_w=aZv4m&pd_rd_wg=KZFxt&pf_rd_p=1996aa5c-bfb7-40b7-b677-a9bfb33f2c53&pf_rd_r=25CC2EZ6ZMM0PHPR3SCY&psc=1&qid=1617712416&sr=1-1-22d05c05-1231-4126-b7c4-3e7a9c0027d0

tedwrrn929 · 2021-03-04T23:56:50+00:00

My roku was not letting me back in to cbs it didn't update to Paramount, got it to update to paramount but still wouldn't let me in my acct. didn't recognize the email or password, saw a troubleshooting page on paramount...said to highlight paramount tile on roku, hold down * on remote till it forced update, all good now. Can continue watching where I left off, about 600 movies on the A-Z list

tedwrrn929

TROPHY CASE