Noise coming from under the hood intermittently

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Jotowers, Mar 4, 2026.

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  1. Jotowers

    Jotowers New Member

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    https://photos.app.goo.gl/P7HVWZVdPFse9o3B7


     
    #21 Jotowers, Mar 5, 2026
  2. Jotowers

    Jotowers New Member

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    #22 Jotowers, Mar 5, 2026
  3. Jotowers

    Jotowers New Member

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    The heater works, I see coolant moving as well. This is what it does occasionally https://photos.app.goo.gl/KY2saUddZ4Age5qx9
     
    #23 Jotowers, Mar 5, 2026
  4. Jotowers

    Jotowers New Member

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    #24 Jotowers, Mar 5, 2026
  5. Jotowers

    Jotowers New Member

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    2009 w/222k. Coming from the inverter pump or near that area. There is turbulence in the inverter tank and I can feel it vibrate so does this rule out the pump? It only happens once a month or so and will last about 30 seconds to a minute. Please advise tia

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/7CfdKd1HyEFBGif58
     
    #25 Jotowers, Mar 20, 2026 at 7:56 PM
  6. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    First see if you can get any air to come out of the air bleeder valve... There's lots of info on here and on Youtube if you need to learn how to do that.
     
    #26 PriusCamper, Mar 20, 2026 at 9:01 PM
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  7. Jotowers

    Jotowers New Member

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    I topped off both coolants since they were both on the low side. I then burped it. Unfortunately the noise is still happening and I feel it's more frequent now that it's summer. Not sure if it's a coincidence. Yesterday when it happened it went on for about 5 mins, off and on. I was able to capture it on video
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/hL4UfRaHNyeTka9T8
     
    #27 Jotowers, Mar 25, 2026 at 6:30 PM
  8. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    (Note to others - after clicking on the link in post 27 click on the video to cause the video to play in such a manner that you can hear it. When it autoplays there is no sound.)

    That sounds like a 3 way valve to me. A home mechanic can change one but it is a bit of a PITA because things are very tight in that vicinity. Here is the first of a 2 part series showing how to do this replacement:



    If you don't want to tack this yourself find a mechanic who works on the Prius to do it. Rather than a dealer, who will charge more than the mechanic. Wherever and however it is done, use the OEM part.
     
    #28 pasadena_commut, Mar 25, 2026 at 8:04 PM
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  9. Jotowers

    Jotowers New Member

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    I've researched it and I think you're right. The inverter pump was replaced by the previous owner at Toyota dealership (i have the records) in 2021 , 35k miles ago but didn't do the 3 way valve. I'm gonna watch the video and hopefully it's something I can tackle.

    Also since I don't have any check engine lights, is this something I can wait a bit on? Or should I look into immediately doing it?
     
    #29 Jotowers, Mar 25, 2026 at 10:04 PM
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2026 at 10:14 PM
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