Coolant in Brake fluid reservoir.

OH NOES...please tell me this is an apocryphal story. Coolant is de-ionized water (the anti-freeze part is e. glycol). Water and brake lines are a baaaadddd mix. You need to flush the brake lines today. I'll be over to help w/ tools in hand. And a bottle or two of Toyota DOT 3...

 

Yes. Any water content is very damaging to the brake system components.

You need to immediately visit your local Toyota dealer and ask for the brake hydraulic system to be flushed with new brake fluid, and hope this does not cause long-term damage to the brake actuator pump, which would result in a nice four-digit repair bill.

While there, you should have the 100K and 120K mile services performed unless you have evidence those services were already performed. This will include engine and inverter coolant, iridium spark plugs, and engine air/cabin air filter replacement.

Stop at the parts counter and buy a gallon of Toyota Super Long Life Coolant, and now that you know where the engine and inverter coolant reservoirs are, top them off as needed. Don't use some strange aftermarket coolant.

 

hey, what are friends for?

 

Really bad.........

The damage may already have been done.

Water is very corrosive to the iron and aluminum components in the brake system and very hard to get out.

You may need two brake fluid flushes. One initial one and another further in time to remove any moisture "reabsorbed" that was not caught in the first flush.

You need to buy these test strips to continue testing afterwards;



That's why I'd NEVER let anyone but a dealer or myself add any fluid to my car. I'd be surprised the "friend" even used the correct anti-freeze specified for Prius.

 

Use a coolant test strip as suggested above. However the cost of those strips is quite high, you'd might as well have the brake fluid flushed and changed anyway.

The brake fluid flush must be done at a Toyota dealer or an independent who is trained on Toyota hybrids. An average repair shop cannot do this work because access to the Toyota diagnostic laptop is required.

Both the 100K and 120K mile services need to be performed. The engine and inverter coolant changes are specified at 100K miles. Special Toyota hybrid training is required to perform both coolant changes. You'll probably pay a high three-digit amount for a combined service, depending upon labor rates at your locale.

 

I you don't monitor the amount of moisture in the brake fluid even after the fluid change, how are you going to know that they got it all out.

The test strips might be expensive, but it is good insurance, especially when moisture can cause extensive damage in a brake system.

 

The brake fluid has somewhat of a greenish tint to it, but should be mostly clear, the Toyota coolant is pink. Hopefully your friend used the pink coolant to fill instead of the Green color coolant (which is not used in the Prius).

I'm assuming your friend is smart enough to know the pink stuff is not going to mix with the clear brake fluid. Look at the fluid, does it look like it was combined with any pink fluid?

It would be easy to tell if he added the pink stuff to the brake fluid. If he added green coolant, it would be a little harder to tell cause it would then look like dirty brake fluid.

 

Just suck it out with a turkey baster until the reservoir is dry, refill w/ brake fluid..and PRAY LIKE YOU'VE NEVER PRAYED BEFORE.

 

If it was me, I'd fix it and sell the car. Then, I'd thank your friend.

 

There is almost no possibility he could have added the pink stuff to it. Unless he picked up green coolant and added it to dirty brake fluid. I'd say the odds are low.

 

You want to take a picture of the brake fluid as it looks now? Post it on here.

So odds are he added green coolant to your greenish brake fluid?

 

If you have the test strips, they will tell you, if there is waterin the brake fluid. Ethylene glycol doesn't help, either.

 

I mean just looking at it with the hood open...take a picture. Or you can look at it, is it dark? Brake fluid is normally clear. Dirty brake fluid will be a bit greenish.

Remember Toyota Prius coolant is pink in color.

 

Apparently and unfortunately, you thought wrong. Toyota needs a special coolant. They are NOT all the same.

 

With friends like that, you don't need any enemies.

I don't suppose your "friend" would split the cost of rectifying the situation with you?

Brings back memories of a previous thread where a "buddy" said it was OK to put diesel fuel into a rented Prius.

SCH-I535