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

Preventive action against Head Gasket blown with sealer?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by priusplus_fr, Jul 18, 2018.

  1. priusplus_fr

    priusplus_fr Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2018
    29
    22
    0
    Location:
    France
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius+ MPV
    Model:
    N/A
    My car is 240 000 km. Any feedback on using a Head Gasket sealer is useful for preventive action against Blown Head Gasket?

    Reading all these posts from users having issues on their Prius cars.... seems a good idea to me to make my car last longer!

    Thanks for your feedback.

    PS: I don't have the skills to replace myself the head gasket manifold.... or someone has to give a step-by-step tutorial, as I am really a beginner in mechanics.
     
    amos likes this.
  2. m.wynn

    m.wynn Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2013
    684
    1,226
    0
    Location:
    Queensbury, NY
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    No!!! You don't ever want to add that gook to a healthy cooling system. It's only a band-aid if the damage is already done. If you are saying your head gasket is already blown, then yes, adding sealer may buy you some extra miles...

    The number 1 preventative of head gasket failure in these engines is EGR circuit cleaning, stem to stern. Oil catch cans are also likely worth the effort but only in addition to EGR cleaning.
     
    amos, Raytheeagle and Pluggo like this.
  3. Pluggo

    Pluggo Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 23, 2016
    608
    532
    0
    Location:
    Folsom, Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    Any sealer you add to the radiator can only reach areas where the coolant goes. That covers only 3 of the 6 possible failure points in a head gasket.If a gasket fails in between 2 cylinders, the sealant won't touch it. Likewise, if the failure is between a cylinder and the crankcase, or between an oil passage and the outside of the engine, the sealer won't touch it. (See photo) I think the best prevention is to drive gently and avoid overheating the engine.
    Untitled.png
     
  4. priusplus_fr

    priusplus_fr Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2018
    29
    22
    0
    Location:
    France
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius+ MPV
    Model:
    N/A
    I have no issues right now. It's just an idea for preventive maintenance. It's all because i have seen that video from Scotty Kilmer:

    What do you think of this video?
     
  5. Luckykat32

    Luckykat32 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2018
    22
    18
    0
    Location:
    So Cal
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Interested to see what others think as well although I wouldn't agree with the video
     
  6. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,474
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Get the egr circuit cleaned front to back.If you are really worried about the head gasket, you could also swap out the engine water pump and thermostat ;).

    I’m at 183 k miles (or over 300 k km’s) and have done the egr circuit twice and swapped out the water pump and thermostat :).

    Take care of these things and you should be good for awhile(y).
     
    amos and m.wynn like this.
  7. xerox6135

    xerox6135 Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2012
    170
    93
    0
    Location:
    michigan
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Persona
    Been a A.S.E mechanic for over 30 years. If you have a leaking head gasket and you want your car to be reliable . Only 1 thing will truly fix it replace the head gasket and resurface the cyclinder head .

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  8. priusplus_fr

    priusplus_fr Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2018
    29
    22
    0
    Location:
    France
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius+ MPV
    Model:
    N/A
    Thanks for all your feedbacks.

    @Pluggo : Interesting.... I found out that there is 2 kind of sealers, one for the coolant, one for the oil. By using the two of them, would it then fix more failure cases then covering 5/6 cases ?

    i have read other replies. Definitely the best would be to change and fix the head gasket... but for non-skilled persons like me, that is really a risk to take as I have no experience at all in mechanics.
    I read stories that to fix head gasket is very expensive since it requires a lot of labor.
    Nobody yet replied to me if preventive maintenance was possible?

    @Luckykat32: on what point do you disagree with video? can you tell me more?

    @m.wynn @Raytheeagle: thanks for the advice. I will look into it.

    @xerox6135: what would be the average price for replacing head gasket+resurface cylinder head?
     
    m.wynn and Raytheeagle like this.
  9. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2018
    5,834
    3,136
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Any sealant you add to coolant, will also clog the radiator, and heater core.
    To the engine, it will clog the oil cooler, plug up the pressure switch.
    As everyone else has said, do the preventative maintenance to reduce the risk of failure.
    And if you are going to worry about something that "might" happen, perhaps a bicycle would be less expensive. :)
     
    amos and Raytheeagle like this.
  10. priusplus_fr

    priusplus_fr Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2018
    29
    22
    0
    Location:
    France
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius+ MPV
    Model:
    N/A
    Thanks for the feedback and pointing out the risks of using these sealers.
     
  11. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,474
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    If Scotty Kilmer said it (and it’s on the internet) it has to be true:rolleyes:.
     
    xerox6135 and m.wynn like this.
  12. priusplus_fr

    priusplus_fr Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2018
    29
    22
    0
    Location:
    France
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius+ MPV
    Model:
    N/A
    Any good source for beginners is welcome. Thanks.
     
  13. amos

    amos Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2017
    340
    281
    0
    Location:
    los angeles
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Hey ray what was the milage first and second time you cleaned that egr cooler?
     
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  14. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,474
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    120 k miles first go round then 173 k miles for round #2;).

    I’ll probably keep a 50 k miles interval going forward to ensure it stays clear.

    I also changed the engine water pump at 173 k miles along with the engine coolant. That might be another good thing to do is keep the coolant fresh :).

    Hope that helps (y).
     
    amos and m.wynn like this.
  15. amos

    amos Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2017
    340
    281
    0
    Location:
    los angeles
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Did you have the OCC installed beetween 1st and 2nd?.
    I also wonder how dirty was it after 53k miles.
    I already did over30k mi since last complete cleaning and HG replacement a year ago but didnt install OCC. Just clraned the bottom of TB twice. It had about 2 oz (50cc) of oil there each time.
    Engine burns less than 1qt of oil each oil change interval of 10k mi. Not bad.
     
    #15 amos, Aug 11, 2018
    Last edited: Aug 11, 2018
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  16. rosencrantz

    rosencrantz Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2018
    97
    77
    0
    Location:
    Central Valley, CA
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Hello Ray- can you tell me.... did you evaluate how clogged the cooler was at each of these cleanings? Also, have you had the EGR valve replaced and, if so, at what mileage? As I do, I think I’ve read somewhere you use only top tier fuel. Thanks!
     
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  17. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2016
    2,567
    1,595
    0
    Location:
    Somewhere in Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2013 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    N/A
    Scotty is to cars what Rush Limbaugh is to truth
     
  18. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,474
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    There was carbon buildup but not completely clogged:).

    I try to stay ahead of the issue;).

    I replace the cooler and valve at the same time as a one piece assembly.

    I do use top tier fuel:).

    Good luck and keep us posted (y).
     
    mjoo likes this.
  19. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,474
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    I installed the catch can at the same time as the second egr cooler swap, so about 11 k miles on the setup:).

    Since the OCC install, I haven’t collected much spooge, maybe 6 ounces;).

    My oil consumption rate is about a quart every 5k miles, so a little bit more than what you are doing:(.

    There were carbon deposits each time, so I’m using a swap every 50 k miles as my plan going forward, which I’ll pair with the engine coolant swap;).

    Hope that helps (y).
     
    m.wynn and amos like this.
  20. amos

    amos Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2017
    340
    281
    0
    Location:
    los angeles
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Im keeping your invitation from last year. Next time im in the bay area @Raytheeagle
     
    Raytheeagle likes this.