Head gasket EGR or the 2ZR Engine 2010 prius

No egr circuit for the Gen2.

The engines start to consume oil at some point. So watch the engine oil level.

They are tanks.

 

I had 200k miles on our 2010 when I sold it in April of last year.

And it was going strong.

I consumed a bit of oil, but at 200k miles I got good life out of it .

 

You can look in some of the threads that involve swapping Gen 4 engines into Gen 3 cars.

The type of EGR adopted in Gen 4 is called 'catalyzed EGR' for the obvious reason that the gas being recirculated comes from after the cat. That changes its chemistry, giving it a different effect in the combustion chamber, and lowers its pressure, requiring all of the EGR components to be upsized to pass enough of it. All that stuff is changed together on a Gen 4 engine, including the ECM programming that manages it. The threads on the attempted swaps pretty much all end up trying to improvise something to get the engine running semi-decently, but always an approximation and a hack. In a CARB state it is unlikely to be approvable.

 

There is; look up the detection condition for P0401. It is also possible to pull up, whenever curious, the most recent test value from the self-monitor test that is responsible for setting that code.

So far, it seems safe to say that Gen 3 head gaskets are an often-reported issue here, and that a connection between that and the EGR system is suspected by a number of posters here and frequently repeated as fact.

 

JOHNNY, change the engine or go to your room! And no more backtalk young man!

If it makes you feel better, there is no evidence that a clogged egr causes the head gasket. There is evidence that bad piston rings forces blowby into the intake manifold and into the cylinders thanks to the pvc and egr. Its the chicken and the egg dilemma - what came first? In the chicken's case it was a mutation. In a gen3 from 2010-2014 it was the piston rings.

If you want an easy way out, dump some block sealant in it and you may get a few months out of it. If you have already bought an engine, put it in and feel great for the next 100k miles. Sell it three years from now and get something newer. 300k mile cars are ready for pasture.

If you change the engine, do three things like your wallet depended on it:

1. Change the oil every 5k. On time, everytime.
2. Start with a clean egr and clean intake manifold. Catch Can if you will check it regularly.
3. Keep the speed below 70 mph.

You will be happy about it when its running well again. With no rattling ever.

 

You could change the head gasket, and valve guide seals.
Replace the pistons and rings. Then you'll basically have a new engine.
Then you could sell it.
Having a spare engine would be nice. I wished I could get a hold of one to rebuild.

 

With the engine out, it's easy to get to all the bolts and remove the head and oil pan.
And then the connecting rods, etc.
Cost I could not tell you. But you can check prices from Toyota or parts stores.
Same with the mechanic.

I think it would be a pain to get it hooked up to test outside of the Prius.

 

You can do a search for the head gasket job. Here on Prius chat and online.
Watch them a few times, and watch a few! Everyone has "there way" of doing it.
I"m sure Mendel will chime in with info.
If you have a straight edge, you can check if it's warped. It probably is okay, but better safe than sorry.
And do NOT hurry! Take your time and double check everything.
I would recommend changing the valve guide seals. They come in the head gasket kit.
And you can do it yourself. You'll need a valve spring compressor. There are a few types.
I have a spring one that clamps around the spring and on the retainer and it screws down so you can get the
two clips out. DO NOT LOOSE THEM! Use a good magnet to retrieve them off the valve stem.

I do not know what your skill level is, but it's not a real hard job. Just lot's to do, and it will take time.
Torque everything correctly. And after you get the timing chain set and you release the tensioner, rotate the engine
720 degrees(two complete times) and check the timing marks. They SHOULD line up. The highlighted links on the
chain may not, but the timing marks MUST.

 

These engines are amazing machines that will run with slightly bent rods and coolant in their cylinders. High speed highway driving is the worst for heat warping and blowby. Use only Toyota gasket sets and sealants and proceed at your own risk.