120K Service - Need advice!

Repair Manual instruction is pretty typical in this regard. Before starting to fill, loosen "Air Release Valve", start pouring in coolant at the reservoir. You will likely be able to hear/feel air coming out as you fill. When coolant starts coming out of the valve, shut it, and continue pouring.

There's a spigot on the valve you could push on tubing, catch the overflow. If you're careful it'll just be a tablespoon or two spillage, hardly worth the hassle of tubing.


(At right side of engine, pretty far back, near EGR valve. The white cap on top is what you unscrew, has a slot. Spiggot on the right.)

FWIW, @NutzAboutBolts got through this with no mention of the air release valve, but maybe it'd go a little quicker, less air trapped?

 

Toyota removed the bleeder valve at some point. It's on Mendel's 2010 but not on my 2012. Just squeeze the hoses to get the bubbles out. You can tell when you squeeze them because you can feel the bubbles gurgling at first, then the gurgling stops.

I changed these fluids at 80,000 mi and strained the fluid thru a coffee filter just for fun. There was very nearly no sediment at all, and it easily could have fallen off the bottom of the car while draining. The fluid looked very clear. So I don't think it's critical to expel every last ounce and I think you'll have little difficulty getting all the air out. Don't over-think it.

 

Yeah that's what I was thinking. For anyone that's got it though, I would use it.

Does yours still have the black plastic connector, with electrical connector, but not the white screw cap on the top?

 

This document, last modified "9-14-2016" is still talking about "air release valve". That might just be an oversight though:

https://techinfo.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/rm/RM1290U/xhtml/RM000002KK8028X.html?sisuffix=ff&locale=en&siid=1474920224965

(I'd hate to kill the goose that laid the golden egg: google searches prefaced with "Toyota Tech Info..." seem to sometimes bypass the pay wall.)

 

Good advice.

That would never happen.

 

I guess It does.

 

My 2012 Prius don't have the air bleeder valve. They removed it for the 2012 and up, and everyone should have a Lisle 24680 Spill-Free Funnel, it saves you so much headache on this simple maintenance.