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Is coolant control valve part of Engine Cooling System, or Inverter Cooling System?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Bill Forest, Jun 5, 2019.

  1. Bill Forest

    Bill Forest Junior Member

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    New to PriusChat. 2009 Prius touring. On vacation in another state, (82,000 miles) had check engine light come on. Dealer read code P1121. Dealer said that coolant control valve needed to be replaced, along with the water pump, as it was leaking. Dealer replaced water pump and coolant control valve at 82,000 miles.
    Now, my questions:
    1) Is the coolant control valve part of the engine cooling system, or the inverter cooling system?
    2) If it is part of the inverter cooling system, would they have flushed/replaced the inverter coolant at that time?
    3) If it is part of the engine cooling system, would they have flushed/replaced the engine coolant at that time?

    I ask because I am now at 100K, and coolant for both of the above systems are due to be replaced. However, I don't want to replace if it would have been done at 82K. Thanks for your help.
    Bill
     
  2. exstudent

    exstudent Senior Member

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    1) Engine loop.
    2) If they did not charge you for it, then they did not perform an Inverter loop drain/fill.
    3) They should have simply drained the engine loop when replacing the engine water pump and 3-way coolant control valve. However, it would NOT surprise me if they removed the water pump and pinched off the hoses on the 3-way valve.

    Just bite,the bullet and do a drain/fill for both loops. The amortized cost over the next 5years will be minimal.

    If you DIY, the cost of drain/fill both loops will be low.

    It should be a drain/fill. No flushing!
     
    Skibob likes this.
  3. Bill Forest

    Bill Forest Junior Member

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    Thanks so much, ex student. I appreciate your help!
     
  4. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Exactly! What did the dealer charge you for? They don’t forget to charge for everything they can. Even paper towels and hand cleaner are charged as “shop supplies”.
     
  5. Bill Forest

    Bill Forest Junior Member

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    Thanks so much, ex student. I appreciate your help!
    The bill says that they charged me $32 for coolant. It also says "R/R water pump filled with new coolant and bled cooling system.:" That makes it sound like all of the coolant was replaced, but since I can't be sure, I will probably go with ex student's advice and do both systems.
    Interestingly, although ex student says "no flushing", on the dealer repair estimate it says:
    Cooling System Flush $179.95
    Flush Hybrid Inverter $159.95
    I don't know if they are just using the term "flush" to mean drain, but I will ask.
    Thanks!
     
  6. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Ouch. Do you have any mechanical skills? The inverter isn’t that hard to do yourself. The engine cooling system is a little harder but to save 250 bucks I would do some homework.
     
  7. exstudent

    exstudent Senior Member

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    100% GUARANTEE YOU, $32 charge for coolant = top off lost coolant when the water pump and 3-way coolant control valve was replaced. Here's why:
    The two times I drained/filled the engine loop, just under two gallons of Toyota SLLC was required to completely replenish the engine loop. The inverter loop is about .75gal BTW, for a drain&fill.
    The last time I purchased Toyota SLLC, it was $16.95/gallon; the cheapest price I found at a nearby dealership. $16.95x2=$33.90
    I see your $32 coolant charge = 1gallon of coolant they charged you, kept the rest for use on the next customer.
    Since you PAID for dealer rates for labor and parts, GUARANTEE you they did NOT do you any favors to save you money!
    I do NOT see them giving you the sale price for two gallons of Toyota SLLC ($33.90 I paid).
    I do see them doubling the retail price of one gallon of Toyota SLLC ($32 you paid).​

    "Drain and Fill" is listed in the factory service manual and the owners manual.

    MARKETING:
    "Drain and Fill" vs "Flushing"
    Flushing will sound more thorough, even to someone who knows nothing about cars.
    Flushing can easily be pitched as a higher level of service: better for your car.
    Because it is better and "more complicated," they will charge you for "flushing," even though they don't do "flushing."​

    used car vs factory CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) vehicle
    You pay a premium for that "CPO" feeling.
    A used car is a used car period.
    A used car may have remaining factory warranty.
    A CPO might give you a slight longer warranty than a used car, but you are paying for it with a higher vehicle purchase price; NO FREE LUNCH.
    Try contacting @3prongpaul. He is a member here who works at a Hybrid shop in Boulder, CO. Maybe they have normal rates for normal people. I can't comment on the quality of their work, as I DIY. But, Paul appears to be very knowledgeable.
     
    #7 exstudent, Jun 7, 2019
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2019
  8. Bill Forest

    Bill Forest Junior Member

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    Thanks, Skibob. I will definitely try to do the Inverter coolant myself. Thanks,
     
  9. Bill Forest

    Bill Forest Junior Member

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    Thanks again, exstudent. I will give Paul a call if I can't figure out how to do it myself.
    Thanks,