Smoked once

It's not as easy as you make it seem.
A small amount of burning oil often looks white too.
And so does condensation when the engine starts up cold.

A compression test without also doing a leak down test will sometimes lead you off in the wrong direction.

 

Random thought: If there's no antifreeze in the radiator because it goes through so much water, you wouldn't smell

Old Skool Level-II diagnostics: Holding a piece of white paper (or your hand) behind the tailpipe used to tell us if it's oil or water.

 

I’d second the second bit, and append the first with:

“There have been a lot of third gens, 2010~2014 in particular, reporting serious oil consumption. I’d recommend to stick with a 5k miles (or 6 months, whichever comes first) oil change interval, and check the dipstick regularly. “

 

Look up Block Tester or Combustion Leak Tester on Amazon/Youtube. The have some chemical that reacts with exhaust gas and can detect it in the coolant (changes color) to let you know its leaking even if its not using coolant. I don't have personal experience but have watched it on some Youtube videos before.

Also make sure you test your engine coolant and not inverter coolant.

 

That’ll only determine if there’s exhaust gas in coolant, which is one of several outcomes of failing head gasket. I believe the more prevalent situation is coolant leaking into combustion chamber; not sure if block tester will detect that. What WILL check for all cases, is a leak-down test.

 

If coolant is leaking into the combustion chamber, the exhaust gases can be going the same path in the other direction into the coolant, no?

If you do a leak down test, buy a cheap USB or Wifi scope camera and take a look into the cylinder via the spark plug hole. Check if one of the cylinder tops looks more clean or "washed" by the coolant.

 

Doing both is not really or should not be that big a deal? But to KISS, yep do a compression test first. The tool needed is inexpensive and if the compression is off in a cylinder (which I think it is) a compression tester will show it.

And from that point sure do a leak down test to narrow it down. No big deal if you have a Air Compressor and a Leak Down Tester. Not everyone does?

But a compression test would show the OP that something is off? If it's blowing smoke regardless off color? Something is off?

It's a Gen 3 with 117000 miles, and my guess is that without cleaning the whole EGR system installing an OCC and 5000 mile Oil Changes, it's still messed up? That's right about when the issues show up? The OP cleaned most of the system but not all of it and most likely this is the result? It's a Prius and for the most part ... they don't blow smoke, unless something is wrong?

The OP did clean part of the EGR system and that bought him some time. And now the car is telling him, something is wrong? The car is a ticking time bomb. He should either fix it or dump it onto someone less knowledgeable.

It's not gonna fix itself. I have been trying the heal thy self car approach with my 89 Porsche 944 Turbo S. The parts needed are right in front of it. And thus far it's not working?

 

Hmm, well if the compression tested good? That is annoying .., what did the spark plugs look like? And that aside, per Sam Spade do a "Leak Down Test." because,"something," is off? I just have no idea what is?

But since I have started paying attention to them, out here I have never seen a Prius that smoked and there are lots of them out here. And some of those drivers are nut's! And I have my moment's to on occasion.

I dusted a tail gating A-Hole in a "Tahoe," downhill when the speed limit went from 50 to 65 mph. I hit 101 mph and that Tahoe was gone! But I try not to do that daily, 2005 with 215'000 miles on it and no smoke.

 

You will never see a Prius smoke because of oil consumption. Even with your quart or more every thousand miles. The cat burns it and the egr and pcv systems recycle it into the combustion chambers. Where carbon builds up and makes things worse. If the car is worth it, an engine would be a good move.

 

I think replacing the motor for this, is overkill? If your a "DIY," guy and have the time, skill place and patience you can do a Head Gasket yourself, if it's not your only car?

Otherwise it's about $1500 to pay someone to replace the Head Gasket or $ 2500 for another motor Remove and Replace? I don't know if those numbers are accurate but most likely fairly close? And that would be for a used motor and you would still need to do the whole EGR install an OCC or it will happen again.

Your in a "Grey Zone," and without further troubleshooting you still don't know what's going on? And for the record doing a Head Gasket on a Prius ... looks to be a real PIA.
But most 4 cylinder FWD car's are these day's.

 

I like it but I have a "slightly," different take.

 

You seem to be disregarding the massive oil consumption.

 

so the gauge said “good” ? Haven’t seen that type of metric before on compression test

 

Yep, the white smoke your correct. The white smoke got my attention, my bad.