1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Inverter water pump failed but I was prepared.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Calimobber, Oct 12, 2022.

  1. Calimobber

    Calimobber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2019
    94
    83
    0
    Location:
    Death Valley
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----
    Just a personal experiance people can benefit from. I knew about the inverter water pump failing and had run into a few stuck prius along the road so I knew it was common. I purchased a new toyota pump and had it in the back ready for when it happened.

    At 281k miles ( it had been replaced at 185ish by privious owner) I got the triange of death and code for inverter pump fail and the ac stopped working as did the cruise control. Luckily I was only 5min from home and was able to turn and around and head home to make the swap. I always carry enough tool to make the swap along the highway. You just need some long needle node for the hose clamps and 10mm sockets for the bolts. you will lose lots of fluid so be maybe carry that or use water for a temp fix to get back to location where you can drain and put in fresh fluid.

    Just be prepared they fail and dont go china pumps.
     
  2. TheLastMojojomo

    TheLastMojojomo Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2016
    232
    177
    0
    Location:
    US
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    You'll only lose a few ounces if you use a couple of locking pliers on the inlet and outlet hoses for the coolant before removing them from the inverter pump.
     
    ANDRAS RIMELY and netsplit like this.
  3. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    10,497
    1,821
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    All that and once you rearrange the bracket properly you'll never need to remove the bracket again I usually take the pump right off the gold bracket and put the new pump on the old bracket sitting in the chassis or if you're tired of changing these pumps out use the 14.4 volt little spa pump that mounts in between the brake actuator and the brake master cylinder on '04 to '06 cars I think it is I'm not sure if it's there on the seven to nine once you swap that pump where your inverter pump goes it looks like it stays there a long time they don't seem to go bad like the crappy inverter pump design but that's just my experience so far may not really matter to anyone else
     
  4. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2016
    6,404
    6,062
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Wonderful...just let that sht pour all over the ground "on the side of the road" and carry on with whatever you were doing? witw....
     
  5. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    24,978
    16,266
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Last time I did one, I didn't have any fancy pliers, but I did have some rubber bands and Saran Wrap.

    After I got the pump and bracket free, I lifted the pump as high as I could with the hoses still attached, not too far from the liquid level in the reservoir, and tugged each hose off and stuck Saran Wrap over the end with a rubber band.

    Lost hardly any coolant.
     
  6. Calimobber

    Calimobber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2019
    94
    83
    0
    Location:
    Death Valley
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----
    Well if you actully read the post i was home and had a catch pan but yeah just complain more please. Just saying you might lose fluid so be prepared.
     
    ANDRAS RIMELY likes this.
  7. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2016
    6,404
    6,062
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Well, I did actually read the post. This is what you said...

    I always carry enough tool to make the swap along the highway. You just need some long needle node for the hose clamps and 10mm sockets for the bolts. you will lose lots of fluid so be maybe carry that or use water for a temp fix to get back to location where you can drain and put in fresh fluid.

    Does it say anything in there about a drain pan or did I just miss that part............
     
    mr_guy_mann likes this.
  8. ForAMorePerfectCommute

    ForAMorePerfectCommute Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2017
    30
    21
    0
    Location:
    Central Florida
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    ----USA----
    It also doesn't say you need a ratchet or socket handle, and yet you probably should use one with your sockets...
     
  9. Calimobber

    Calimobber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2019
    94
    83
    0
    Location:
    Death Valley
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----
    Says I drove home to fix the issue.

    Yup you need those too but if I was broken down along the highway, I prob would just let it pour out all over the side of the road to fix the issue. A little radiator fluid in the dirt is a small thing vs being stranded in the middle of no where. Can always scoop up the dirt if your worried about it.
     
  10. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    24,978
    16,266
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Maybe I'll add some rubberbands and Saran Wrap to things I carry in the car.

    Takes up less space than a jug of SLLC.
     
  11. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2014
    2,642
    1,140
    0
    Location:
    Northwestern S.C.
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    How often do those pumps fail without warning?
     
  12. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    24,978
    16,266
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I'm not sure I've heard of one failing with warning.

    They can go two ways, though. One way, you just get symptoms of inverter overheating and wonder why. The other way, the AM2 fuse blows and you walk from where that happened.
     
  13. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2016
    6,404
    6,062
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Along with the above post, one of the common symptoms of an inverter overheating is intermittent AC operation. Unfortunately, most people don't recognize this until it's "hindsight" time. The AC compressor will stop working when the inverter is experiencing temperature issues, but not bad enough to code. Kind of weird, but it happens. Sometimes the warning is a $500 AC repair bill, even though the repair tech can't find anything wrong with the AC, even after troubleshooting half the morning.........so, if any Gen 2 owner reading this is experiencing intermittent AC, I recommend you look at your inverter cooling water pump first, because a repair shop won't know to do that.