I just bought a 2016 Prius Two and THE DAY I drove it off the lot it went into limp mode while going down the highway. Dealership said if it happens again call them, two days later it happened again and the OBD reader said it was a water pump issue. Dealership “special ordered” an OEM water pump that I paid $375 for. After I got home and was about to install it I noticed the coolant reservoir was nearly empty and there was coolant around the overflow valve. I think some jackass mechanic at this dealership put too much coolant in it and when it got hot and blew out the excess it must have sent me into limp mode? It hasn’t happened all week, so I’ve got a brand new water pump that I’m pretty sure I don’t need. Sorry for the rant, does anyone need a water pump or know where I should post it for sale? Tristan
Sorry; I don't follow. If someone overfilled the coolant bottle, why was the coolant bottle nearly empty? That's what the overflow valve is for, isn't it? Why would the car spit out more coolant and empty out the reservoir? Shouldn't it just spit out what it didn't need and leave you at the high mark of the reservoir bottle? Those electric water pumps are notorious for intermittent operations when you get beyond 150K miles. People just keep driving these cars, thinking everything is OK when they're actually running their motors hot. Later on; they're surprised that they blew a head gasket. What are the symptoms telling you? You know these cars only has a 'dummy lamp' that lights up around 240F. The normal operating temperature is suppose to be around 190F-210F, so if the engine temperature stays below 240F the lamp will never come ON. Even if it does overheat, that isn't logged in the CEL unless you have a full short or open at the sensor. Hope this helps......
How may miles on the car? I would hold on to that new water pump for a few months to make sure there is not a problem with the one that is the car. I recommend that you buy an OBD2 display to monitor the engine coolant temperature while you drive the car. Then you will know if the engine is overheating. Take a look at this thread for recommendations for a display, https://priuschat.com/index.php?posts/3530199
