My bulletproof '12 obvious overlook

My bulletproof 199,150 mile '12 Prius II CEL came on 2 days ago, the dreaded P0302.

Oil level mark on the dipstick was nonexistent. I was due for an oil change.
Coolant level was 1" below low mark.
A few finely black speckled dots visible in coolant, although still very pink.
The kicker: the harness leading from the ignition coils to the left and downside the rear of the engine was caked on with oil and dirt. The debris starts right about where the head meets the block and it's heavy, completing coating the 3 connectors at the bottom of the block (oil pressure, crank position, and O² sensor). That left corner of the engine is completely caked on with black soot, grime, dirt.

The real kicker: I've taken my car in for the inverter recall around 150k. I specifically remember asking them if they changed the coolant in the process. In my haste, I've failed to realize the engine and inverter coolant are 2 totally separate systems! Bonehead move. Now I've got 3 days to get this puppy back on the road. I've done a head gasket and timing belt on a prior car, a '96 Civic, so I have some wrenching experience.

Will also, while I have the engine apart, clean the egr, intake, pcv, and whatever else I've heard thrown around on here since I initially purchased my '04 Prius.

So for anyone reading this, learn from my obvious blunder. As maintenance free as these cars are, they're not bulletproof.

 

I'm extremely meticulous when it comes to doing my own maintenance.....not so much this time around.

Contacted Gasket Makers and have an appointment next Monday. These are the YouTube guys who posted several how-to's on blown Prius hg's. I should be on the road within 3 hours.

Do they use Toyota oem parts and fluids? No
Do they use new head bolts? No
Are all washers and gaskets replaced when doing the work? No

I'm considering buying all the parts and fluids beforehand, but I'm gonna put my faith in them.

 

Currently in Sacramento.

When I did my '96 Civic, I used Tennyson Machine Shop in Hayward. I think he charged me between 150-250, don't remember the exact figure

 

In its simplest form, a faulty hg is the flattening of the gasket itself. Why, if you can access the gasket, would anyone need to pull the whole engine?

 

April 11th, 2 months and 1 week of sitting in the garage...... She's running beautifully now! Amazing how much work can get done during a quarantine.

Gasket makers never did show up that Monday. I didn't even bother to call. Somewhere deep down I knew it meant I'd have the satisfaction and peace of mind of doing it myself..... oh, and a few new tools to play around with.

The best part came when I put the car into maintenance mode a few hours ago. I decided 5 min into it, I'd rev the engine to 2-3k rpm to get to operating temp quicker. Held it there for about 10 min and decided to take it higher. Next thing you know, I hear the engine stutter and the gas pedal is unresponsive. I get out of the car to see the damage and see visible smoke puffing from the muffler, and it smells sweet.

After 5 min of breaking the bad news to my wife, and contemplating calling gasket makers again, or even securing a used engine, I trudge back into the garage and give it another go. Turns out everything was fine. Drove it 20 miles tonight, about 12 highway and the check engine light never came on.

The worst part of the repair was running into Safeway tonight for distilled water to go with the sllc.
That, and fastening the last nut on the rear right of the egr.

I also snapped the bottom stud that holds the chain tensioner and the "lower bolt" of the camshaft housing assembly. Both just would not register on the harbor freight 3/8" torque wrench. Luckily they weren't clean snaps and I was able to unscrew the remaining threads.

I'll post the few pictures I have tomorrow from some of the progress.

Time to put new front rotors on the wife's Camry tomorrow. Thanks to @NutzAboutBolts and @Mendel Leisk, as well as gasket makers priceless YT vids.

 

Mods, anyway this can be moved to the Gen 3 forum? No V here, just a Prius II

 

Thanks for the reassurance! The exhaust gases have been totally clear since the first night.

 

Just realized this now. D'oh!

I assumed the concentrate red top was the same as the 50/50 mix...... I purchased a bottle of each. Did some reading and it seems red is long life but pink is the newer formula that comes from a factory fill. Has anyone used red in a Prius? I suppose I can just do another drain and fill at 30k miles, this time with the pink.

What do you guys suggest?

 

Not sure what this is, but it was fully coated. To the right of the engine just under the egr cooler.



Didn't see the service manual require rtv in this area of the timing chain cover. I didn't include any when I installed the cover.



.......it connects to the bottom protrusion on this part of the block.



Oil sitting at the bottom of the throttle body



Sludge and coolant in this hole of the intake manifold that connects to hose leading to pcv valve. Used a brass brush and a drill to get the caked off mess out of there



Cylinder 2. Not totally clogged, took a minute of pressure washing to get the water to shoot through unimpeded