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Difficulty level for DIY work...

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by ttabbal, Mar 5, 2010.

  1. ttabbal

    ttabbal New Member

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    I'm considering doing the following as preventative maintenance on my 2006 Prius that's currently at about 105k miles.

    Inverter Coolant Pump [Change Coolant at same time]
    Engine Water Pump [Change Coolant at same time]
    Thermostat
    Serpentine Belt
    Radiator Hoses
    PCV Valve
    Spark Plugs

    I'll also be doing the normal maintenance stuff like oil and transaxle fluid changes, filters, etc.. I've done all that before. I'll probably replace the 12V battery with the Optima while I'm at it, it's overdue.

    I do a lot of work on my Motorcycle and larger vehicles, so I'm familiar with the basics and have the proper tools. I'm mostly interested in any special "gotchas" with the Prius.

    This car has been so trouble free that I haven't had to really look in the repair manual much. :D Just want to keep it going nicely for at least another 100k.
     
    #1 ttabbal, Mar 5, 2010
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    All of the items listed are reasonable to do at your car's odometer reading, and I'm sure you won't have any difficulty.

    The single biggest issue is getting air out of the engine coolant system. I've previously posted about my procedure for doing this, which involves running the coolant heat recovery system pump to fill up the CHRS canister and help purge air out. See my posts #22 and #42, as well as jreed's post #56 here: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...shooting/30813-changing-engine-coolant-3.html

    Regarding the inverter coolant pump, I've posted some how-to suggestions here, which were subsequently augmented by other contributors offering an easier approach:
    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-.../65173-how-replace-inverter-coolant-pump.html

    Here's galaxee's post on PCV valve replacement. That part is hidden under the engine wire harness running over the engine valve cover.
    http://priuschat.com/forums/knowledge-base-articles-discussion/56852-pcv-replacement-how-photos.html

    I've done all of the items on your list except for the engine water pump and the coolant hoses. The water pumps on my cars have not shown any sign of coolant weeping from the shaft seal. The Prius engine does not seem to generate tremendous excess heat, and the coolant hoses appear to last longer than those in a conventional vehicle. If you squeeze the hoses and find that they still flex nicely without signs of cracking and age, you may decide to defer their replacement.

    Should you have any questions, pls post.
     
    #2 Patrick Wong, Mar 5, 2010
  3. ttabbal

    ttabbal New Member

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    Thanks for the info Patrick! Those are great links. I'm going to get a little more research done and look into sourcing parts.

    For bleeding, I was planning to use a vacuum device connected to my air compressor. It seems like the simplest way and I can re-use the device on my other vehicles, and the inevitable family member's car.
     
    #3 ttabbal, Mar 6, 2010
  4. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    That's fine with regards to the engine coolant system. Pls post your results after you've devised a suitable procedure.

    I recommend against applying vacuum to the inverter coolant system however, because I do not think the system is designed to withstand much pressure (or vacuum). It's pretty easy to purge the air out of the 2G inverter coolant loop, by just letting the pump run when the car is IG-ON and opening up the bleed valve.
     
    #4 Patrick Wong, Mar 6, 2010
  5. spinkao

    spinkao New Member

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    Location:
    Czech Republic, EU
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    You may be interested in reading Hobbit's summary of 100k maintenance here:

    100K maint - 1

    It's well written with a lot of pictures.
     
    #5 spinkao, Mar 6, 2010
  6. ttabbal

    ttabbal New Member

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    Thanks for all the tips. I have been putting this off, but the inverter pump failed on me at 107k, so I was required to get moving on some of it anyway. I did the inverter pump using Hobbit's directions for removing the headlight. I think I'm going to do that next time I have a HID bulb fail on me, that was SO much easier than fishing around blind back there. The pump itself was simple to replace. I found that the air didn't really bleed well until I put the car on the ground. I had the whole front end up off the ground for access to the drain plugs for the inverter and engine coolant. Both bled much better on the ground.

    Overall, easy job. New pump works and is nice and quiet, the old one was making a racket, but it always has, so I never worried about it. Old coolant looked good, no debris. A little dark, but going from pics others have posted here, that's normal. Filling and bleeding the inverter coolant was easier, IMO. The radiator takes forever to fill through that little spout. The bubbles take longer to work out as well. The CHS pump trick and letting the car idle in inspection mode helped move things along though.

    I bought spark plugs, but didn't get time to install them. Oil, both coolants and the pump took long enough. :) I think I'll get a PCV before I install the plugs and do those together. I should probably get more ATF-WS and do the trans fluid again as well.
     
    #6 ttabbal, May 24, 2010
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