Coolant Exchange/Replace -- Do I need to?

No, if you want to comply w/ the maintenance guidelines which indicate the change interval is 50K miles after the factory-fill is replaced.

 

Did you specifically request and pay for new coolant during those services? New coolant was not included in the standard service when I had both of those done. I paid extra for ICE coolant when my water pump leaked at 85K miles, but not for the inverter pump recall at 50K miles.

If you're sure the coolant was changed, you should be OK with both to 150K miles. Though some say older engines should be drained at 50K intervals.

 

Yes, when the odometer registers 101K miles the inverter coolant should be replaced, and the engine coolant replaced at 115K miles.

 

Did you see the service technician drain & fill the inverter coolant loop?

No. But the invoice says two gallons of SLLC. They wouldn't lie to me?​

Read my post #17 What do I need at 100k? 2008 Prius | PriusChat
It also contains a high speed video link where you will see for yourself what the reality most likely is. Granted the service person may/may not be a Toyota service technician, but nearly all service technicians are paid the same: small hourly rate and per repair job fee. The more jobs they get to, the more money they make.

Given the reality, what do you think a dealer and technician would do:
1) Clamp the hoses and replace the few ounces of lost coolant = MORE money for tech and dealer
2) Drain/fill with nearly one gallon of coolant = LESS money for tech and dealer

Now the engine coolant pump, they likely did do a drain and fill. Small hoses are easy to clamp off (ie, inverter hoses). Big hoses like the engine water pump hoses, are harder to clamp off and the clamps may get in their way, causing them to take more time than doing the correct drain and fill.

YES. Time to drain and fill again. Read the owners manual and maintenance guide book. If you don't have them, download them from Toyota.com.

Initial replacement at 100,000 miles/120 months. Replace every 50,000 miles/60 months thereafter.​

This is a factory (minimum) schedule maintenance; the bare minimum you have to do. You can always go above and beyond the factory minimum, if you so choose. Factory maintenance makes no mention of brake fluid and transaxle drain/fill, yet many people do these too. Read Art's Automotive perspective on coolant, transaxle drain/fill, and brake fluid; a respected hybrid mechanic in the Bay Area: Prius 30k Service

 

So much talk about the ice coolant which this car is very easy on. The really important coolant is the Inverter coolant. The car is hard on that.

I doubt they changed either coolant on both your repairs. They duckbilled the Inverter pump lines and probably pulled out the ice pump and let the water flow out and then when it stopped threw the pump in and then topped it off. Based on what we see here if they did replace the ice coolant you would know as it probably would have air in it as they don't seem able to get that right. Its a alot of work to bleed properly including outboard cycling the chrs pump.

Easiest way to service the ice coolant is just dump the rad. Its a majority of the coolant. Do it twice over 2 months and it will look real good and not invoke air lock.

I dump the Inverter coolant every time I change the trans fluid which is about every 50k miles. That's really easy and the change in the agitation
and flow in the reservoir is significant when you have replaced the Inverter coolant. Much better circulation with new coolant. Used coolant is very abrasive. Especially if you still have the initial factory coolant as the break in wear is significant just like the trans fluid. Inverter runs cooler and you get an instant bump in mileage.

 

Hi Ed,

You may not be aware that Toyota increased the factory-fill inverter coolant service interval to 150K miles for G3 Prius. The inverter coolant reservoir has a sticker with that info.

 

HI Pat-
Thought we were talking about Steve's G2?

Anyway its still a good idea to get that break in fluid out of there. Steve still has the factory Inverter coolant in his car at 90K

And If I bought a G3 I would change the Inverter coolant after break in also. They say the same thing about the the G3 trans fluid and from what I've seen here the G3 trans fluid looks really bad after break in so there full of it.

IMHO.