Discovered my 2009 Prius engine coolant reservoir is very low on coolant, where did it go?

Just fill the reservoir... Can't really tell much until we get past this ridiculous freeze. But in general, Gen2 almost never have headgasket problems, that's usually only on Gen3.

 

Yeah you say there's some in there The Gen 2 has a lot of room for coolant to be floating around in it so if there's any in that plastic tank behind the radiator you're okay so fill it up to the crosshatch or whatever it is you do and let it rip keep an eye for a couple of days when you back up look on the ground where you just left you see any water spots If so get out and take a look if you need to use a tape measure to measure from where your front end was to where the drip is give you an idea so when you get home just pull out your tape measure measure from the edge of the front bumper to the measurement look up see what you got could just be around a slide clamp or something. And then the next question is when was the last time you looked at the coolant a few years ago? These engines are rarely have blown head gaskets and are consuming coolant and if so you usually will have misfire codes accompanied by stuttering engine kicking in and out and what have you.

 

typical thing on a Gen2 is water pump leak, and sometimes the leak is seen as solid clumps of pink salts near the leak. Many Gen2's replaced the water pump after the leak. I just added more of the Toyota coolant, and watched, and the leak went away. I probably had one of the few 2006 Gen2's with orig water pump.

 

When the engine is cold, you should remove the radiator cap and check that the level inside the radiator is full.

Head gasket problems are rare on most any (non Gen3) car. Could be ICE water pump, or the radiator (or cap), or a hose-clamp, or most anything.

What I do is to safely raise the car (lift is nice, or jack and jackstands) and look at the underside of the engine area for coolant or coolant residue (pink crusties).

Next thing likely require a visit to a repair shop. They would use a special tool called a pressure tester. It's a handheld pump that attaches to the radiator in place of the cap. Then it's used to pressurize the cooling system to the 13-15 psi the radiator cap is rated for. Any external leaks show up as coolant escapes.



Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I bet when you're coolant was changed it wasn't completely bled happens all the time and then all of a sudden whenever it was a month ago last week in between times you looked the level in the air worked its way out and you're down a few pints feel that bad boy up and let it rip and you're part of the world you're probably in good shape I mean is your car been overheated any of that kind of stuff I doubt it everything is probably working just fine I would fill it up keep driving the car check it in 5 days then check it when summer starts or when it gets warm again I doubt anything is going on in a generation too except driving when you get in the car.

 

Historically, back in Gen2 heyday, PriusChat was popular in part because Danny was able to offer a lost cost extended warranty. Probably the most popular use of that was to replace the water pump, which all Gen2 seemed to start leaking at around 80,000-miles. I never bought the extended warranty so I was not as anxious to fix the leak, and as it turned out, never had to. Gen3 went with electronic water pump, thus ending the need to replace so many water pumps.

 

Yeah and the funny thing is that water pump that's on the generation two is like a K series engine water pump the K series engine lasted a long time in the Toyota History and the water pump was one of its least failures of the whole business It's a basic mechanical water pump with a weep hole at the bottom of it that should not be weeping well for $150,000 mi or so so I'm guessing the NZ water pump is probably some cheaper made derivative of Toyota parts and long time ago I guess which a lot of things seem to be that situation now similar castings and all that I mean it's just a a bearing pressed into an aluminum casting with a shaft running through it for god sakes but hey here we are and none of the Gen 2 paperwork that I have receipts that came with the cars Do I see any water pumps being replaced coolant heat recovery tanks for non-accident codes other words no dents in them Yes inverter water pumps Yes various and sundry complaints like no dash display heat not working correctly air conditioner acting up plenty these are all in the four cars that I have bought usually when I buy these things I'm getting them from tow lots where they have been begrudgingly sent by their owners because they just don't want to put the last $1,000 of the six that they've already put in or similar so all their paperwork is in the glove box It's nice and neat arranged by date inside the original manual covers the manual or owner's manual and it's cover is all in the glove box with all the original sales literature many times the window sticker etc and usually the person sending the car to the tow yard is the second owner this is played out three or four times back to back buying these cars That's just how Prius owners do it seems.