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Coolant leak

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by dunggah, Jul 1, 2015.

  1. dunggah

    dunggah New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 17, 2015
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    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    So after taking a look under the hood, I see some pink residue around the area where I think the engine water pump is. However taking a look at the reservoir, the fluid levels seems to be filled to the brim. Obviously, something must have leaked for the pink residue to show up, which doesn't look like much at all. Should I just continue to monitor the coolant levels or is there a rush to bring it to a mechanic?
     
    #1 dunggah, Jul 1, 2015
  2. m.wynn

    m.wynn Senior Member

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    Oct 24, 2013
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    Location:
    Queensbury, NY
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    With the engine cool, check your coolant level at the radiator cap (you need to pull the black plastic front engine bay cover to have access) and make sure it's topped off there. The radiator level can drop to a certain extent without affecting the level in the reservoir. If you're not seeing sign of a large leak, it's probably just weeping. No huge emergency, but I'd get it taken care of at your earliest convenience. An overheat could lead to a warped head and head gasket issues. If you monitor both coolant level in the rad and the water pump itself, you'll be fine.

    Pretty easy DIY, too, if you're so inclined.
     
    #2 m.wynn, Jul 1, 2015
  3. 69shovlhed

    69shovlhed Surly tree hugger

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    2017 Prius Prime
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    Prime Premium
    very easy water pump replacement. buy a name brand or better yet a Toyota water pump, not some cheap reman from Indonesia, or you'll be doing the job twice.
     
    #3 69shovlhed, Jul 1, 2015
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