1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

  1. bostonbruins8703

    bostonbruins8703 Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2018
    178
    101
    2
    Location:
    Brewster, Ma
    Vehicle:
    2024 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XSE
    I just reached 120,000 miles today on my 2013 Prius V. I got the car two years ago at 78,000. Carfax report shows all maintenance was done and since I’ve owned it, I’ve had had all the scheduled maintenance by the Toyota Dealer. On a Prius V owners group on Facebook. Someone mentioned early V models are known to have blown head gasket issues around 120,000-150,000 miles. I haven’t had any issues so far. Car runs like dream, don’t see any noticeable leaks. Should I be worried about this possibility? I’m coming up on hard times financially. So now I’m sweating bullets.
     
  2. IMkenNY

    IMkenNY Im just being nosy

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2012
    477
    302
    6
    Location:
    Tropical Buffalo NY
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    I'm in the process of replacing one now that failed at 198,000 miles.
    It has been brought up on the forum that keeping the EGR system unclogged will extend the head gaskets life.
     
    Mendel Leisk, bisco and Raytheeagle like this.
  3. bostonbruins8703

    bostonbruins8703 Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2018
    178
    101
    2
    Location:
    Brewster, Ma
    Vehicle:
    2024 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XSE
    How much is it costing you to replace? And how easy is it to clean? I’m not mechanically talented but a buddy of mine is pretty decent.
     
    bisco likes this.
  4. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,474
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Getting the egr circuit clean isn’t a technical challenge, it’s a bit fiddly and takes about 6-8 hours;).

    The toughest part is getting the egr cooler out, which there are some difficult to access nuts on the cooler, making this somewhat fiddly:cool:.

    But for the mechanically inclined, this can be done:).

    Search around the Gen3 section a bit and you’ll see videos of how tos along with discussion on this very topic. Get after this before it gets after you(y).
     
  5. bostonbruins8703

    bostonbruins8703 Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2018
    178
    101
    2
    Location:
    Brewster, Ma
    Vehicle:
    2024 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XSE
    I drive 550+ miles a week for work. I was reading that carbon build up is not a common issue for cars that are driven like that. Most of my driving is highway. About 90% roughly. My car drives as good as the day I got it. Should I still be concerned? How much would it cost to have the dealership clean it?
     
  6. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    3,902
    1,064
    0
    Location:
    New Yawk
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    "If" the EGR cooler clogging is such a prevalent issue, Toyota (or Mr. Market) should have developed an efficient, in situ, solvent-based "flush" process.
     
  7. bostonbruins8703

    bostonbruins8703 Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2018
    178
    101
    2
    Location:
    Brewster, Ma
    Vehicle:
    2024 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XSE
    Is there such a product?
     
  8. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2010
    7,668
    6,483
    0
    Location:
    Redneck Riviera (Gulf South)
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    At this point, I would be "interested" but not "concerned."

    I would probably lean away from letting a dealer do the EGR cleaning, even if you found one that knew what this entails...although it might be fun to see what they would charge and what they would actually do.
    See if there's a local mechanic in bean town that's familiar with this and watch a few videos on the subject, especially if I remember correctly about the 120,000 mile maintenance involving spark plugs.

    If you drive 500 miles a week the two biggest things that will keep your Prius in the game for extra innings are monitoring your oil levels (every other week in your case) and your fuel efficiency - both of which will reveal early signs of problems if they're monitored regularly.

    If you're "coming up on hard times financially" you will need to be much more proactive with your maintenance instead of just handing your keyfob to the dealer and wondering what the bill is going to be.
    Read the warranty and maintenance guide and see if there are some things that you can do yourself....like engine and cabin air filter changes.
    Also this will help you identify any maintenance items that your dealer might try to sell you that are not needed or even listed in the schedule of maintenance.

    Finally, read up on some oil catch can posts and about 15 threads on transaxle fluid changes.

    It will take a little bit of time, but this will be better in the long run than paying for maintenance that's not needed or (worse!) not paying for maintenance that IS NEEDED.

    Good Luck!
     
    #8 ETC(SS), Jun 13, 2019
    Last edited: Jun 13, 2019
    Merkey likes this.
  9. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    3,902
    1,064
    0
    Location:
    New Yawk
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Not aware of any, no. All seems DIY, which suggests low incidence.
     
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  10. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,474
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    I drive 400 miles a week and 95% of it is highway. Guess what still gets carbon deposits :whistle:.

    It’s just a function of the technology ;).

    Good luck and keep us posted (y).
     
    mjoo and Merkey like this.
  11. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2008
    7,477
    4,374
    7
    Location:
    Texas Hill Country
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    I priced an egr cleaning at the dealer, which for them is replacing the egr cooler. It was almost $800. The retail price of the stainless steel cooler is over $300 and the access is tough. That price does not include an egr valve. The cooler is an elaborate stainless steel water cooled module which has exhaust gas "radiator" channels inside. The unit flows hot exhaust gas from the exhaust manifold to the intake, under control of the egr valve. Those channels get totally clogged up with gummy carbon. I had a local mechanic do mine which allowed for a convenient intake manifold clean and a new pcv valve. Its a job because a lot of the engine compartment is removed and small hands are a plus. The part is about 1/2 price on ebay. I would think twice about buying a used cooler unless it was pre-cleaned.


    toyota egr 25601-37010.jpg
     
    #11 rjparker, Jun 13, 2019
    Last edited: Jun 13, 2019
  12. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    3,902
    1,064
    0
    Location:
    New Yawk
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Given it's stainless and relatively speaking a PITA to R&R, it begs for an in situ solvent flush sort of fix.
     
  13. 200Volts

    200Volts Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2004
    429
    43
    1
    Location:
    Northern CA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Does anyone know if the cooling channels go through the middle of the unit? I'm wondering if you could just drill a quarter inch hole right through the middle - yes, it might effect emissions on startup in cold weather...
     
  14. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,474
    38,106
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    The smiplest way to see where you're at, is to check the degree of carbon build up in the EGR pipe, a stainless steel connecting pipe between the EGR valve and intake manifold. Watch @NutzAboutBolts video #16 here:

    Nutz About Bolts Prius Maintenance Videos | PriusChat

    Two or three other videos linked there too, for the full cleaning of the intake manifold, full EGR clean, and Oil Catch Can install.

    Good thread:

    EGR & Intake Manifold Clean Results | PriusChat

    Another:

    Oil Catch Can, Eliminate that knock! | PriusChat

    Somewhat tools worth having:

    E8 Torx socket (mandatory)
    E6 Torx socket (optional, but good to have, to remove the throttle body studs from intake manifold)
    3/8" ratchet wrench, regular and long handle, flex head, you can never have enough
    1/4" ratchet wrench, or 3/8" to 1/4" reducer
    Ratchet extensions: you can never have enough
    Long needle nose piers, straight and bent tip
    Ratcheting 12mm box wrench (optional, but makes disconnection of the EGR cooler from exhaust easier)
    Torque wrench (3/8" and 1/4" both good to have)
    Floor jack and safety stands (or ramps): basically some method to raise front, if you need to take underpanel off, which you may need to, both for access and to recover dropped items.
     
    NutzAboutBolts and Raytheeagle like this.
  15. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2008
    7,477
    4,374
    7
    Location:
    Texas Hill Country
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    The exhaust channels terminate at angles so the drill bit has to bend.. However chucking up some solid wire and feeding it through each channel can work after a couple of days of soaking in parts cleaner. Probably the fastest way is to buy a new cooler on ebay for about $150, swap the old one out and then carefully clean the old unit to be ready for the next time, or sell the cleaned unit on ebay.

    There is also a cleaning service where they actually give you a clean unit for a price plus your core. Essentially remanufactured. Toyota Prius EGR Cooler Cleaning Service | eBay
     
    Robert Holt likes this.
  16. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    3,902
    1,064
    0
    Location:
    New Yawk
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    That 'cleaned' photo doesn't look particularly compelling.
     
  17. D’rae

    D’rae New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2019
    11
    3
    0
    Location:
    Claremont, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Wish I had seen this thread earlier to be proactive about the issue: my 2012 Prius V is close to 140k miles and started shaking a lot on startups. My car is at the Toyota service station now diagnosed with head gasket failure and needing a “$3,700 repair” that may work like a charm...or not depending on how much engine damage has been done. Ugh!! Good luck to you!
     
    Inspector858 likes this.
  18. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2008
    7,477
    4,374
    7
    Location:
    Texas Hill Country
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    I would think you can get it done for almost half if you find a good independent shop. Or even a low mileage engine swap for much less. Check the Dr Prius app for some shops.

    This is for San Francisco accessed in the demo mode using top left options.
    82C8C018-DE6A-4FA3-BAFD-6ACD4F91B6A3.jpeg
     
    #18 rjparker, Sep 6, 2019
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2019
    Inspector858, Raytheeagle and D’rae like this.
  19. D’rae

    D’rae New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2019
    11
    3
    0
    Location:
    Claremont, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Thanks dood! I’be been looking around for low mileage Prius engines just in case; is eBay a reliable source—I’m pretty leery about everything but there were some
    Listed that get shipped from
    Japan supposedly and come with warranty
     
  20. Prius4Life!

    Prius4Life! New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2019
    10
    2
    0
    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Four Touring
    I don't know what an EGR system is. Could you tell me, please?

    Also, is it your engine that you're replacing or only the head gasket? Either way, what was your total cost?

    I have a 2012 with 171K miles on it, and I have water in two of the cylinders. I'm also using about a quart of oil every 10K miles. So, I think I'm looking at a total engine rebuild, and not just the top end.