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P0117 coolant sensor temporary workaround??

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Rrrolfff, Apr 8, 2022.

  1. Rrrolfff

    Rrrolfff Junior Member

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    I unfortunately have the dreaded head gasket leak - which caused my coolant to go very low - thankfully the engine still runs, I put in coolant, and get a coolant reading on Torque Pro, but the sensor seems to stop working once it warms up.

    Anyone with experience swapping this crazy thing? It seems to be a super hard project, but I'm short on money right now

    As always any help is appreciated!
     
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    If you for sure have a head gasket leak, then by "swapping this crazy thing" you mean swapping the head gasket, I hope?

    Swapping anything else would be rearranging deck chairs ....
     
  3. Rrrolfff

    Rrrolfff Junior Member

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    Not really - an engine rebuild / head gasket costs far more than a $20 sensor. As can be seen in many posts, the known engine failure does not stop the car from running. It causes some engine knocks at start (which I rarely see).

    The sensor seems to be running ok after bathing in coolant for two days (eg it was pretty dry when the coolant was 4 qts low - now after 2 days, it's running).

    Now the heater is not functioning
     
  4. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Of course not. Silly me.

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    CR94 likes this.