My wife has a first gen Prius and I'm fairly certain the thermostat is stuck open. I'm not much of a mechanic but I've replaced a few thermostats without any problem. I popped the hood on the Prius and it looks like the thermostat is kind of buried. I'm not sure if I can get to it from underneath. I'm willing to buy some ramps if it's a decent bet that I can get to the thermostat from underneath. Does anyone know if it's worth doing myself (not incredibly mechanically inclined but not an idiot) or should I just shell out the ridiculous amount of money a shop is going to charge?
It's fiddly to get into but doable. Yes ramps or axle stands would be helpful as you'll be underneath getting wet when you open it up! Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
I've never had to change the thermostat on mine, but I have changed the coolant. If you want to get slightly less wet, you can try draining the coolant first. There's a petcock on the back side of the engine, towards the passenger end, which is probably easier to feel than to see (if I remember right, put your fingers on the trailing edge of the oil pan, and then feel upwards from there until you hit it.) There's another one on the bottom of the radiator, driver's side.
