2012 Prius C inverter+engine coolant drain-fill only one gallon?

Discussion in 'Prius c Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Herbie Queisser, May 10, 2026 at 7:44 PM.

Tags:
  1. Herbie Queisser

    Herbie Queisser Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2022
    2
    0
    0
    Location:
    Willamette Valley
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Three
    I drained and refilled the inverter and it took roughly what the spec says but then I was able to also drain-fill the engine coolant with the rest of the gallon. In other words: engine coolant drain-fill only took about 3/4 of a gallon.

    I drained the radiator and then the engine block and only got a few dribbles out of that, basically the tube I attached filled up but not much more.

    I ran in maintenance mode until fan came on and it's still full so now I'm confused, why did it only take 3/4 of a gallon? I even lowered the car to horizontal to make sure everything gets a chance to drain.

    Are the Toyota specs vastly exaggerated? Or do I not get that much when only draining by gravity?

    Thanks,
    Andrew
    2012 Prius C 4
    Oregon
     
  2. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    8,173
    7,679
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    That seems to be normal for the c. About what I got when I did ours.