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

PCV Valve replacement: why not removing the inverter coolant reservoir?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Omar Haddad, Sep 5, 2022.

  1. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,571
    39,171
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Professional mechanics tend to remove only as much as needed. What's "needed" can be a judgement call, but I'd say unless it's nigh impossible, say for example there's not enough room to put a torque wrench on it after, I would leave the coolant reservoir alone. Or, can it be unbolted and just shifted over slightly?
     
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    24,860
    16,184
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    In the video shared in post #19, at 2 minutes 25 seconds you clearly see where its coolant connection fits into the inverter, with its O ring.

    Pull that out and the coolant comes with it.
     
  3. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2016
    6,404
    6,061
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Trust me. If you pop that off without draining the inverter cooling loop, you're going to make a mess.....
     
  4. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2013
    16,520
    8,426
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I never removed the reservoir when I replaced them, just used a socket.
     
  5. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2020
    3,654
    1,693
    0
    Location:
    NJ-USA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    I'm lazy. Draining & refilling the inverter tank is more work than I want to do. Plus there's always the possibilty of something leaking "ever sinz U touched it".

    There would have to be a significant gain in access or time saved before I would think about doing something like that.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  6. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2007
    10,096
    4,817
    0
    Location:
    Clearwater, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Do not remove the reservoir. Do not use an open end wrench on the pcv valve you may bust the valve cover. You just basically push all the hoses out of the way and tie them up. See my pic.

    best way to replace the plugs is take the water dam under the windshield out. Its pretty easy. Lots of posts about it use the search forum. You can clean out all the leaf debris too.

    That will give you access to the valve cover. And I agree the pcv valve is not why your burning oil your burning oil because usually it has seen a life of dino oil. And poor oci. Toyota's burning oil is very very common. Bad design loose oil ring exacerbated by poor oil management.

    When you replace the plugs before removing them take a picture of the spark plug well see if any oil is sitting in the well from a leaky valve cover gasket really common. See my pic.

    The fact that you getting rolling missfires is not good on this engine. Its sensing sub sonic vibration which confuses the engine ecu so its just starts throwing multiple missfires codes. sometimes means a blown piston wrist pin bearing in the engine usually from lack of oil. Engine replacement is Really common on this site most people don't even know there engine is eating oil till they get a check engine light. Nobody check's there oil regularly...

    If you run this little engine so dry you get a check engine light that's not good. The light means the oil pump was sucking air not oil...zero oil pressure.
     

    Attached Files:

    JC91006 likes this.
  7. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 2, 2019
    1,693
    510
    0
    Location:
    Southern California
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Caveat - with the correct weight oil. Even a new Prius engine would likely burn that much if filled with 0W20, for instance. This is a common problem on some recent cars, which specify the use of these very low viscosity oils for better MPG and then end up burning through it very quickly when it gets past the rings.
     
  8. Omar Haddad

    Omar Haddad Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2021
    14
    2
    0
    Location:
    Sag Harbor, NY
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Thanks everyone! Very helpful advise here. Unfortunately I was away from the thread and threw away the old spark plugs without taking pictures. They did look oily.
     
  9. Omar Haddad

    Omar Haddad Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2021
    14
    2
    0
    Location:
    Sag Harbor, NY
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    And yes, I did make a mess with the coolant just pouring out of the inverter and the reservoir. :)
     
  10. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    24,860
    16,184
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Was there some way we could have told you about that so it would have been convincing, and saved you that mess?
     
  11. Omar Haddad

    Omar Haddad Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2021
    14
    2
    0
    Location:
    Sag Harbor, NY
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Yes, you all did. I just went to work on my car and didn't read any of it, lol
     
  12. Omar Haddad

    Omar Haddad Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2021
    14
    2
    0
    Location:
    Sag Harbor, NY
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    One recommendation if anyone would like, it would be nice if the forum offerred to receive email notifications. I have to be logged in and active to see if anyone replied. But thank you all very much.
     
  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,571
    39,171
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Try "unwatch this thread", then "watch this thread" (option at top of page), and you'll see this:

    upload_2022-11-8_8-46-25.png
     
  14. JoesPriusLife

    JoesPriusLife Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2022
    8
    3
    0
    Location:
    Bethpage, New York
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    There's à tool for every problem. Pick up one of those cheap plastic fluid pumps and drain the inverter reservoir before removing it.
     
  15. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2008
    8,431
    5,014
    7
    Location:
    Texas Hill Country
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    There are settings in your profile for these things but they are not on by default. 3BFD564C-F818-4E95-A1E7-A15EC056514D.png
     
  16. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2007
    10,096
    4,817
    0
    Location:
    Clearwater, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Don't need to drain just the reservoir just open the Inverter coolant dump bolt under the car it will drain the entire inverter coolant loop.
     
  17. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    24,860
    16,184
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Is anybody else going through so much excitement just to change a PCV valve on a 1NZ?
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.