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Head Gasket Replaced - now external coolant leak

Discussion in 'Prius v Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by RC colvin, Sep 20, 2020.

  1. RC colvin

    RC colvin New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2020
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    Location:
    Arkansas
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    V
    Hello -Prius community am at wits end here- bought a 2014 Prius V wagon w/163000 miles - ran great for a couple days then had telltale signs of head gasket failure: rough grinding startup, low Engine coolant in reservoir with pressure, and squishy sounds In dash (however it wasn’t overheating)

    Checked it out and sure enough two cylinders were leaky- had extended warranty so got it fixed at local shop - took almost a month! Got it back and it worked for a day then during a long trip I found low Engine coolant, and on way back it started to overheat (limped it home) found external coolant leak on drivers side- couldn’t tell where from- could it be from hoses (maybe dislodged during the repair)? The coolant residue/liquid was near a connection but could tell if it was leaking. The Oil Was not murky, engine Is not grinding at startup and There is no pressure in coolant reservoir - so I’m hoping it didn’t blow the head gasket again- I’m taking it to the dealership to diagnose but I haven’t seen anyone with a leak in that spot...thoughts?
     
  2. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Could be the egr cooler. It has four coolant hoses along with perhaps others in the area.
    315A9C7F-9578-4489-B748-3B7298240ABB.jpeg

    2DB29B43-C6C6-4D54-B642-C9B5AFBBFDF3.jpeg
     
    #2 rjparker, Sep 20, 2020
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2020
  3. RC colvin

    RC colvin New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2020
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    Location:
    Arkansas
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    V
    You nailed it. My mechanic or whomever did the head gasket repair didn’t reattach the hose clamp to the egr cooler- it was dripping streaming out after I revved the engIne - needle nose pliers and some contorting of my wrist and elbow was able to move the clamp back over the attachment and voila no more drips - I topped off the coolant and will test drive it tomorrow- I hope the overheat didn’t cause any damage - engine sounds fine -but there was no steam and the overheat flashed a only a couple times when I limped it home - thanks!
     
  4. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Texas Hill Country
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    You may want to take off the radiator cap and warm the engine well to ensure the air escapes. Often it will burp out enough air to require several inches of coolant to be added. Watch the top inlet for flow with a good led flashlight pressed on the plastic near the inlet. Flow takes a while and is required to get all of the air out. Also set the ac to full heat to allow flow there as well.