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ICE coolant change on a car w/o CHS thermos

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Karolis, Apr 28, 2017.

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  1. Karolis

    Karolis Junior Member

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    Hi all, first time poster here.

    I'm due for my 150k km/10 yrs (100k miles) service on a '08 Prius, so I'm gonna change my coolant. Been doing some extensive reading, and, as far as I understand, the inverter part is quite straightforward - just drain and refill/bleed while running the inverter pump by putting the car in IG-on mode.

    But wanted to clarify the ICE part - as my car is an EU one, it doesn't have the CHS thermos, so I can't run it's electric pump when bleeding the system.

    Am I right in saying that for draining the ICE cooling loop I must use only the radiator/engine block drain plugs and when bleeding air I will need to run the ICE by putting it in inspection mode? (I have a mini VCI)
     
    #1 Karolis, Apr 28, 2017
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  2. andrewclaus

    andrewclaus Active Member

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    You should also use the bleeder valve at the top of the radiator, operated with a 6mm hex key, with a flexible tube run back to the open radiator cap. Do this before running the engine.
     
    #2 andrewclaus, Apr 28, 2017
  3. valde3

    valde3 Senior Member

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    It’s a relatively easy job. If you let it drain for long enough you don’t need to open the engine block drain as everything will drain from radiator.
    When filling first open the radiator bleed screw. And then close it when coolant starts to come out of it. Filling is slow.

    If you don’t have a funnel that attaches to radiator cap it may help to lift the front while idling in inspection mode without radiator cap. But you still want to do one or two coolant top ups into radiator.
     
    #3 valde3, Apr 28, 2017
  4. Karolis

    Karolis Junior Member

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    Thanks for the answers. Yeah, I know the location of the radiator bleeder valve, got a vinyl tube for air bleeding.
    I'll take my time when refilling.
    Today I've changed my oil and realized that I'll need to get a new socket for the transaxle (inverter coolant) plug, because the biggest I have now is 21 mm.
    Just to be sure about size - it's 24 mm, right?
     
    #4 Karolis, Apr 28, 2017
  5. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Yes. I happen to have a 15/16" socket which fits, but the correct size is 24 mm.
     
    #5 Patrick Wong, Apr 29, 2017
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