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Has anyone done DIY on radiator/heater hoses?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Rph74, Aug 7, 2014.

  1. Rph74

    Rph74 Active Member

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    Hello all, I am planning to replace my Upper and lower radiator hoses, as well as the heater hoses. I am curious if anyone here has done this. My local Independent Toyota specialist shop quoted me $550 in labor- even they were surprised by this high of a labor cost. This shop is a VERY reputable shop btw. Surprisingly, the bulk of the labor was from the upper and lower radiator hoses. I would have thought the harder to reach heater hoses would be tougher to get to.
    I didn't find anything from searching, so I'm hoping someone here can shed some light.

    Cheers,

    Chris
     
    #1 Rph74, Aug 7, 2014
  2. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

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    The issues have nothing to do with replacing the hoes.

    Refilling and purging the cooling system is the difficult part.

    Prius 30k Service

    An inexpensive alternative to the UView "Air Lift" system would be the Lisle radiator funnel.


    Just make sure that you use the OEM "constant tension" spring hose clamps. Screw type worm drive clamps will eventually crack any plastic radiator necks or hose ends.
     
    #2 Mike500, Aug 7, 2014
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2014
  3. Okinawa

    Okinawa Senior Member

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    I have heard that with the materials that are used to make radiator hoses that you don't have to change them like in the past. I don't know how true that is but it would not hurt to check it out with the parts people at your Toyota dealer. I don't like to do things that are not necessary. The advice of Rude person's concerning hose clamps is a very good one.
     
    #3 Okinawa, Aug 7, 2014
  4. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I suggest you squeeze the upper hose which has the greatest stress since it gets the hot fluid coming from the thermostat. I believe you will find it to be flexible and pliable. If your observation meets my expectation then there is no need to replace the hoses.
     
    #4 Patrick Wong, Aug 7, 2014
  5. Rph74

    Rph74 Active Member

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    Thank you for the replies. Perhaps I am being over zealous or overly paranoid in my maintenance. I will give it a couple of years on the hoses.
     
    #5 Rph74, Aug 9, 2014
  6. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Regarding your maintenance activity, I suggest you follow the Toyota maintenance schedule, especially noting the extra maintenance required at 100K and 120K miles.

    In addition to the published schedule, why not put your effort into the following areas:

    1. Change the serpentine belt if it has logged more than 75K miles.
    2. Change the transaxle ATF at 30K-60K mile intervals.
    3. Change the engine thermostat if it has logged more than 150K miles.
    4. Examine the engine coolant pump bearing and replace the pump if you see more than a trace amount of pinkish or whitish deposits leaking onto the pump pulley or air conditioner compressor housing.
    5. Evaluate the front struts and rear shocks for replacement if they have logged more than 80K miles.
    6. Consider replacing the 12V battery if it is more than 4 years old. A new AGM battery measures 12.9V out of the box. How does your battery compare in the morning after it has rested overnight, and prior to making the Prius READY?

    (The above should keep you busy and productive for a while.)
     
    #6 Patrick Wong, Aug 9, 2014
  7. Rph74

    Rph74 Active Member

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    Actually all of the above have been done with the exception of the thermostat (to my knowledge). My car has 107k.

    Previous owner had water pump and serpentine belt done just before selling it to me. Talk about an honest seller-he took it to the dealership to check if any recalls needed to be done, and when they said the water pump was leaking he had them fix it. He said he couldn't sell it to me in good conscience knowing it had a leaky water pump. There still are some good people in the world! And the inverter coolant pump was done at 75k with documentation.

    I have since changed tranny fluid, 12v battery, and sparkplugs. I am very big on preventative maintenance. Normally I replace belts and hoses on each car I buy just for peace of mind. I might let the hoses go a bit longer on this one.
     
    #7 Rph74, Aug 10, 2014
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