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Water in the intake manifold ?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Tim_Auckland, Sep 9, 2018.

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  1. Tim_Auckland

    Tim_Auckland New Member

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    I think that I have damaged my EGR cooler when cleaning it. I'm troubleshooting intermittent (persistent) engine stuttering and I have a very quick water (not oil) buildup in my intake manifold. Pretty sure its from the cooler but otherwise I guess it could be from the head gasket. Just wondered if this had happened to anyone else.
     
    #1 Tim_Auckland, Sep 9, 2018
  2. Lightning Racer

    Lightning Racer Active Member

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    Is the coolant level dropping?

    You could pull the EGR cooler off and test for leaks. Water from a faucet or hose going into any of the coolant pipes sticking out of the cooler should exit only the other pipes and not the air passageways. You could also plug all the coolant pipe outlets except for one and see if it hold water.
     
    #2 Lightning Racer, Sep 9, 2018
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  3. Tim_Auckland

    Tim_Auckland New Member

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    Thanks for your suggestion, I'll give it a go. Unless it is obvious its probably going to need the equivalent of a pressure test which might prove a challenge.
    Haven't notice the water dropping but that's because regardless of whether it's a head gasket or cooler leak this is a recent development.
     
    #3 Tim_Auckland, Sep 9, 2018
  4. mjoo

    mjoo Senior Member

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    Any updates?

    Pixel XL ?
     
    #4 mjoo, Sep 16, 2018
  5. Tim_Auckland

    Tim_Auckland New Member

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    It is not the cooler. I replaced it with another second hand one that I cleaned out in a more educated manner and I'm still having issues. I filled my old cooler up with water and good rubber bungs on all the inlets/outlets and it's not leaking any water. Have not pressure tested it but no loss of water over a couple of days so looks fine.

    For the record the best way to clean these things is by soaking it in very hot water with an oxy action laundry whitening for an hour or so followed by a high pressure hose or water blaster (might even be able to use a normal hose but will take more cycles). Repeat this cycle 3 or 4 times and you should be able to get it like new. I would use some caution the first couple of times you use the high pressure hose if the thing is totally blocked but the cooler seems to be pretty robust. (wear old cloths and safety glasses)

    Give the whole thing a good rinse/dry before you put it back on the car. You don't want to leave soap in the water flow tubes.

    Not sure how much aluminium is in the cooler and if the oxy cleaner can act a bit like oven cleaner if you leave it for long enough. Regardless when soaking any part in any cleaner I would keep an eye on it and not just leave it over night. (perhaps someone else can weight in here with a more educated opinion)

    The first time I cleaned the cooler I started off pushing a wire down the holes and its not the best strategy. It requires undue force, you can't really get to all the holes. You end up needing to do the above to get the thing really clean anyway.
     
    #5 Tim_Auckland, Sep 16, 2018
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  6. danlatu

    danlatu Senior Member

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    Do you do drive a lot short trips? High humidity (rain) and cold weather accumulates more moisture in the crankcase. Short trips do not allow the motor to burn enough of the fuel and water condensation out. This is bad for your motor, diluted motor oil increases wear on seals, bearings, rings etc. The pcv valve/hose then pushes oil mist, water and fuel it into the intake manifold. Get an oil catch can and change your oil more frequently will help this. 10k oci is not advised for extreme conditions such as hot/cold/humidity/short trips. Check your oil every time you get gas so there are no surprises.

    Get that water out of your intake manifold or it will result in a blown head gasket.
     
    #6 danlatu, Sep 17, 2018
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  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I would stick to the Oxy Clean, but avoid the pressure washer. Just rinsing with hot tap water, 5 or 6 cycles, it will be like-new clean. The cooler appears to be 100% stainless steel.
     
    #7 Mendel Leisk, Sep 18, 2018
  8. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Anti pressure washer, eh:whistle:?

    I’ve done 4 this way so far (and another one this weekend) and each one completes in 10 minutes with no damage:).

    Less mess and hassle, but I’m not retired either ;).

    Time is a luxury and a finite resource (y).
     
    #8 Raytheeagle, Sep 18, 2018
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  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I don't have a pressure washer too, so there's that. One thing: there are a gamut of pressure washers; maybe the heavy duty one might bend/break something?

    Ultra-sonic cleaning sounds good, but no idea how to get ahold of that without breaking the bank.
     
    #9 Mendel Leisk, Sep 19, 2018
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  10. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I picked out pressure washer up at harbor freight about 12 years ago when we lived in Virginia. Had to pressure washer the house on occasion.

    Not expensive and has come in handy over the years. Most of the time it sits in the garage and takes up very little space.
     
    #10 Raytheeagle, Sep 19, 2018
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  11. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    "Gunk" and oven cleaner work very well for the egr cooler. That's what I used. I used oven cleaner on my RD350 for the pistons and cylinders.... I uses my pressure washer and it did clean it out a little quicker. But it was messy!
     
    #11 ASRDogman, Sep 19, 2018
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I think oven cleaner and oxi-clean work similarly, both are strongly basic soaps? The oven clean a little stronger.
     
    #12 Mendel Leisk, Sep 19, 2018
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