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Blown motor!

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Mr.Electric, Jul 1, 2021.

  1. Mr.Electric

    Mr.Electric Member

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    The lurid details of my first look at a gen4 that needs a motor ( ICE )
    long story short :
    - Someone filled the tank with diesel
    - There is a big hole somewhere that lets coolant into the cylinders.

    My two theories are
    1 somehow there was a perfect storm that made a decent diesel charge fully ignite causing massive pressure, blowing a hole in the engine somewhere
    2 it hydro locked on diesel that accumulated.


     
    #1 Mr.Electric, Jul 1, 2021
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  2. Mr.Electric

    Mr.Electric Member

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    I think admin accidentally moved this to the gen 3 forum. Issue occurred on a 2016 gen 4 Prius
     
    #2 Mr.Electric, Jul 1, 2021
  3. David9962000

    David9962000 Member

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    You can find a used JDM motor online, just discuss labor at a local hybrid mechanic . Maybe update your Prius in your profile.
     
    #3 David9962000, Jul 1, 2021
  4. Mr.Electric

    Mr.Electric Member

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    This is not my Prius,
    I just worked on repair process
     
    #4 Mr.Electric, Jul 1, 2021
  5. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Nice video
     
    #5 rjparker, Jul 1, 2021
  6. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    From the very beginning, I didn't believe it was yours. From your other YouTube videos, I knew that you wouldn't let this happen to your own car.
     
    #6 Georgina Rudkus, Jul 1, 2021
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  7. Mr.Electric

    Mr.Electric Member

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    I’m pretty interested to see what Gasket Masters youtube channel finds when the pull the motor.
    Georgina, thank you for the vote of confidence!
    I do take good care of my car comparatively. For example I never fill up the tank with diesel then drive until the car stops.
     
    #7 Mr.Electric, Jul 2, 2021
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  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Maybe they just assumed? :D
     
    #8 Mendel Leisk, Jul 2, 2021
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  9. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    OH NO! You know what happens when you assUME!
     
    #9 ASRDogman, Jul 2, 2021
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  10. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Thought they were touring the states, are they back in the area again?
     
    #10 SFO, Jul 2, 2021
  11. Samuel Williams Jr

    Samuel Williams Jr Member

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    Well this was a slow motion train wreck. Normal Diesel Fuel in an ICE, would run like crap for a bit, if at all? And it would foul the fuel pump, the fuel lines, the fuel injectors and the MAF and of course the spark plugs if it would run at all and then just stop.

    But the Prius with it's variable Compression Ratio, tried to burn the Diesel anyway? And it could not do it "successfully." So it blew the head gasket to relive the pressure. Which is Usually followed by a "White Cloud, of smoke. Diesels use High Compression (18 to 1) or so to compress the fuel and a Glow Plug, to ignite it. They are built for that kind of compression but a (Normal ICE) motor not so much? But a "Prius," and it's "funny," variable Compression Ratio, up to 13 to 1. kind of sorta, can "apparently" ignite diesel fuel? But it can't handle what happens afterward?

    The Head Gasket is also a Safety Fuse. If the combustion pressure is too much, the head gasket blows to relive the pressure. Usually followed by a "White Cloud of Smoke. Which means you have been warned!

    The head gasket and the Fuel System were already "F'd," up when it went to that guy. So when it got to him, it was "just" a fuel system that needed to be cleaned and a Head Gasket. But he finished the motor off! It cranked over when he got it. We all heard it and then it did not.

    Blown Head Gasket 101, pull the freaking Spark Plugs before trying to crank it over! The water would have shot out anyway, if the plugs were not there? But the Spark Plug's would not have trapped it. Cranking it over again, is what blew the motor.

    Had he pulled the Spark Plug's first "before," he Hydro Locked it, by cranking it over, with cylinders full of water? The motor would not have been destroyed!

    But hey it's a Toyota and not a Porsche so you know motors are cheap, Just saying. :)
     
    #11 Samuel Williams Jr, Jul 2, 2021
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  12. privilege

    privilege Active Member

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    1 leaking head gasket went unnoticed
    (not destroyed yet)
    2 filled with diesel , stopped running
    (not destroyed yet)
    3 mechanic filled coolant overflow/radiator
    (not destroyed yet)
    4 mechanic cycled starter , bent rods
    (destroyed)
    5 discovered diesel (not a contributing factor)
    6 replace engine and mechanic
     
    #12 privilege, Jul 2, 2021
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  13. Mr.Electric

    Mr.Electric Member

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    A bit more info:
    The engine was replaced by gasket masters. They completed the replacement in just one day ( 6hrs )
    Gasket masters really is an incredible shop.
    They reported that the original overheat was due to a stuck thermostat.
    They also found that the fuel was not diesel ( I guess I miss identified it )
    No other info on engine internals condition given. Perhaps they will pull the head off the removed engine sometime in the future and show us what was going on inside.
     
    #13 Mr.Electric, Jul 5, 2021
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  14. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    So the moral of the story, when head gasket failure is on the list of suspects: treated it like a possible spinal. (y)
     
    #14 Mendel Leisk, Jul 5, 2021
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  15. Mr.Electric

    Mr.Electric Member

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    I guess so. At the same time being too careful usually results in lack of confidence to work on the car - just sending it to a shop.
    I’m really interested to see where the coolant was leaking through in the gen 4 Prius in the video. It was such a big leak I guess there is a hole somewhere not a blown head gasket. Hopefully an inside the motor pic will be available later.
     
    #15 Mr.Electric, Jul 5, 2021
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  16. amos

    amos Active Member

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    did you see the bad thermostat? where is it located and how hard is it to reach or replace?
     
    #16 amos, Jul 6, 2021
  17. privilege

    privilege Active Member

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    I bet if you stop the car up on end, all that coolant would have run out the exhaust !
     
    #17 privilege, Jul 6, 2021
  18. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    What was the approximate fee, with or without the engine.
     
    #18 SFO, Jul 6, 2021
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