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

Pulled my coils and plugs, what to do?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Higgins909, Jun 29, 2024 at 11:34 AM.

  1. Higgins909

    Higgins909 Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2018
    257
    58
    2
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    So I'm in the process of doing a B12 piston soak. This requires you to take both the coils and spark plugs out. Pictures are ordered 1234, 1 being the crank pully side. 3-4 coil and coil holes are rusty. Not in the picture, but I tried to wire brush some of it off. Didn't seem to do much. I can't really do anything about the holes. It's pretty deep and small. #3 was actually kinda difficult to get out. Even though #4 looked worse in the hole.

    Then every single spark plug came out basically hand tight. I'm working on a cold engine. This terrifies me more than the coils! I was very particular about torquing this when I installed them 19,909 miles ago. I looked up the torque spec. I thought I stripped out #1, then backed it off 5lbs iirc, and the rest were fine.

    Should my spark plugs even look like that? 3-4, particularly 4 were a bit oily as I sprayed some lube down it and blew it back out before taking them out.

    My car has burned oil since I got it at 163k but changed them at 182k, now 202k. It's been getting worse. Hopefully the pictures rotate properly. IDK why they uploaded like that after I rotated them.

    Thanks,
    Higgins909

    449315976_498697665835675_2965115880133727062_n.jpg
    448767677_1714850619324036_8586976226143413588_n.jpg
    448867957_989931672912209_9185740985525186702_n.jpg
     
  2. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2012
    11,055
    4,498
    0
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest, USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Piston soak is a last resort because it can damage plastic and some gasket material so I'd limit how long you do the soak for on this first run... Also how come your plugs have so much oil on them? If they came out that way, then the source of your oil loss is your valve cover gasket, not the piston rings.
     
    Higgins909 likes this.
  3. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2018
    6,044
    3,245
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    You're valve cover gasket is likely leaking. That's why you have oil on the plugs
    and coils.
    You're wasting your time with the piston soak, unless, you are going to do it for weeks at a time.
    This allows the chemical to seep through the minor gaps in the rings.... But that's doesn't
    really clean them. Only removing the pistons THEN cleaning them and the piston will work.

    Time for a new short block, or remanufactured block/engine.
    It all depends on how much time you have to waste and money to spend. And pain and heartache
    after riging stuff hoping it holds together.

     
    Higgins909 likes this.
  4. Higgins909

    Higgins909 Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2018
    257
    58
    2
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    That's how they came out. Like I said 3 & 4 were a little extra oily because I sprayed some lube. Wiped 4 down because it was really wet. Maybe it can be both the piston rings and valve cover? I'll look better in a couple hours, but I didn't see any kind of leak on the outside of the gasket. I say both, because I've probably lost 4~ quarts in 2,500 miles. Most of that is because of my towing... I know it's not good for it..
     
  5. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2018
    6,044
    3,245
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Toyota says NOT to tow anything. But people like putting other people at risk.
    The oil rings on the piston and sticking, thus oil leaks through and gets burned.
    The valve cover gasket is leaking around the spark plugs/coils. That is why you have
    oil on them on the part of the spark plug that is not screwed into the head.