Wasn’t I just writing about setting side money for the unexpected incidents in life? Well, this past Saturday, my Toyota Prius gave me this error code…
Needless to say, I wasn’t driving that anywhere until I got the codes read. I finally got them read today from Autozone.
Error Codes
P3125 Inverter MalfunctionP3130 Inverter Cooling System Malfunction
After additional research it looks like my problem is the inverter pump.
Earlier today, I popped the hood and did not see any turbulent motion within the reservoir. Hmm, that’s not good, but it’s easily fixable and while I watched a video on how to install the part (that should cost a little under $150) I’m just going to take it to my auto mechanic shop to get it repaired. I’m looking to spend a little over $300 to get it fixed. From my readings, the inverter pump should be replaced at 100,000 miles and since this is a little over 143,000 miles it’s gone over just a tad.
I must stay this is wonderful news. Initially, I thought the error code would be the main battery, which is quite costly. An estimate, I received was $1950, but that’s what’s planning for the unexpected is for, right? Each month, I set money aside for “car maintenance”. I have additional categories set aside for other things such as what happens if I lose my income (it could happen, not too much is guaranteed). Adding bits at a time, and having the wisdom not to touch what’s already been budgeted has been my key to being free of worry. Some of those categories has been set in place for years and has just meant minor sacrifices to set aside those saved funds for unforeseen events. Examples? Eating at home, forgoing some outside entertainment and using the money I would have spent on those activities to fund for unforeseen expenses. Because of doing these simple things, I have saved myself a lot of unexpected financial surprises.
While this expense is unexpected, it’s no big deal since I’ll simply use the money allotted for car maintenance.