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P3130/Inverter pump

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by ZTE, May 20, 2022.

  1. ZTE

    ZTE Junior Member

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    I recently had a red triangle pop up after a long trip, luckily i was less than a mile from home when it happened & i was able to get back.

    I looked at the codes and the only one that popped up was P3130 indicting inverter cooling malfunction. The inverter coolant tank was very low so i topped it up and noticed that there is no fluid movement at all when the car is in on mode or even when the car is fully started. Reading up on this it looks like i need to replace the pump. Does it make an obvious noise when in operation? Would a failed pump cause leakage as well?

    Also, if the inverter is damaged would the car still function/drive?
     
    #1 ZTE, May 20, 2022
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    The pump is very quiet. You can hear it running if you're in a quiet place and really listen, but not easily. It is easier to look for the turbulence in the coolant jug.

    The inverter is critical to the motion of the car.
     
    #2 ChapmanF, May 20, 2022
  3. ZTE

    ZTE Junior Member

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    So i was able to replace the coolant pump, which resulted in the reservoir showing movement again. I didn't see the need to drain/replace the coolant as it didn't look discolored at all. In fact it looked the same as the extra jug of TLLC i bought. I also attached a clear hose to the output bleeder valve on the inverter and elevated the front of the car. I shook the car/hoses and also squeezed them quite a bit, but only a very small amount of bubbles came out in the line.

    Is it necessary to open the intake side and bleed it as well? The reservoir flows freely and i dont see any bubbles, so im assuming any small amounts of air still left will likely work itself our through the reservoir.

    Also, is the red triangle supposed to go away on its own or do i have to manually clear it?
     
    #3 ZTE, May 24, 2022
  4. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I'm not sure about the triangle going away. Have you read the trouble codes since the repair, to make sure you still only have the ones you think?

    If it were my car, I think I would bleed air at both places for good measure, but it might not be critical if your trouble codes go away and there are no temperature problems.

    My approach to the bleeder on the suction side is different from what's in the repair manual; I put a jug of coolant under the car and ran a tube from that bleeder down into the jug, and made sure the tube was filled with coolant to start. I had measured around ten inches of water suction at the bleeder when the pump runs, and because it's more than ten inches down to the jug on the ground, that was enough to keep fluid coming out of that bleeder rather than going in.

    The other thing I noticed about that bleeder was that it would suck air in around the threads, kind of defeating the purpose. I took the bleeder out and put a never-hardening sealer (like the Hylomar blue stuff) on the threads, which solved that problem.

    Maybe it's all more fuss than you need, if it seems ok and the codes go away.
     
    #4 ChapmanF, May 24, 2022
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