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New EGR Cooler Coolant Tip - milk jugs and plastic bottles

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by gboss, Aug 17, 2024 at 9:42 PM.

  1. gboss

    gboss Member

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2021
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    Location:
    Bay Area
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    The good news: I found a simple Prius-dogma way to drain the coolant without going down to the radiator spigot or spilling everything into the engine.

    The bad news: I dropped a 12mm socket and the metal gasket w/ clip between the EGR cooler / engine. I can't see them and have no idea how to retrieve them from the bottom of the engine bay. I'm pretty sure they dropped to the bottom...this is disaster.

    EGR coolant tip:
    1. Get yourself an empty milk jug (or 2L soda bottle) and a few plastic water bottles.
    2. Cut the tops off of each bottle
    3. Find the small coolant tube coming out of the throttle bottle to the EGR cooler
    4. Hold the large bottle with cutoff top next to it
    5. Disconnect the tube and swing it ontop of the large bottle...let it drain
    6. Use the small plastic water bottles in the same fashion for the other lines (these bottles are smaller and fit in the tighter spaces). Most of the coolant has been drained already so there won't be much left in the other lines.
    7. Empty the large jug and any small bottles into a stock water bottle for storage so you can pour it back later.

    This worked out really well for me and didn't leave any spills. You can also see how much coolant was stored in the EGR coolant area - about 15oz. I've got my cooler sitting in Mendel's suggested oxyclean solution in a bucket and hope to blast it out tomorrow with a pressure washer.
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    #1 gboss, Aug 17, 2024 at 9:42 PM
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
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    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Just put another 12 mm nut stud bolt whatever it is you dropped and be done with it it's probably going to fall out onto the ground I'm assuming all your plastic is sitting under there and you have your little oil door and insulation and everything is real pretty so you can pull all that down and you can get under the car and smack on it and maybe the bolt nut or stud is sitting down there and you'll hear it rattling around you'll never get it to fall out but you'll know it's there and or you can remove all that plastic and pull down on it and just form it to find this little bolt. Every time I get one of these cars over here there's a few little bolts and nuts hanging out in those plastic pieces A lot of times those plastic pieces are hanging and all fubar I remove them take pictures of them for the customer showing the crap that's come out of them and then tell him he can go buy new ones or whatever and we can put all that stuff back up pretty or given the condition of the car he can forget it and let it rip his choice totally they usually go in the trash.
     
    #2 Tombukt2, Aug 18, 2024 at 7:37 AM
  3. gboss

    gboss Member

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2021
    98
    34
    2
    Location:
    Bay Area
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    Yeah, next step is to remove the entire panel. It was the actual socket from the stench that fell down along with metal gasket from the EGR cooler to exhaust. Might as well change coolant, invert coolant, and transaxle while I’m down there.
     
    #3 gboss, Aug 18, 2024 at 11:41 AM
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