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Inverter pump/coolant flow question

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by CanTG, Mar 18, 2020.

  1. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    That looks good. That's new coolant right? Looks like it.

    Remove the cap while its running and take a video of the coolant and post it. Mine looks like its boiling which is very aggressive flow which is good!

    I bet yours does too.

    If you just changed the coolant you don't have to do it ever again. I tried replacing mine again about 50,000 miles later and it still looked good. Once you get that initial break in out of there its excellent.

    If you haven't changed it yet please do so. Its easy. This coolant also protects the transmission.

    Good job!
     
    #21 edthefox5, Apr 14, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2020
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  2. richard203

    richard203 Member

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    Yes its new coolant i changed all the fluid 2 month ago when i picked the car up. heres the video with the cap off.

     
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  3. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    OH yeah beautiful. Mine looks exactly like that. You gots some real good flow. The car will love it. The Inverter is the heart and soul of this car and likes to be cool.

    Good job!!
     
  4. qmanqman

    qmanqman Active Member

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    I gotta ask. That doesn't look like it's boiling to me. Y'all said it should look like it's boiling. I just ordered a pump because when I remove the reservoir cap the coolant slightly moves like that fella's. I wouldn't call that boiling.
     
  5. 05PreeUs

    05PreeUs Senior Member

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    The pump might not be the problem, the cooling passages in either the inverter or rad might be restricted. Without testing we cannot know, but a pump is not a bad start.

    It has been some time, but our "boils", but gently, definitely not anything close to a "rolling boil" LOL!
     
  6. qmanqman

    qmanqman Active Member

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    If that's boiling then I don't need a new pump. The coolant in my daughter's Prius "wiggles" like that.

    Wiggle is more like it. None of them videos show boiling. Maybe "low simmer."
     
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  7. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    It is all relative, but I wouldn't describe it using either of those terms, those terms are too weak. In some of the videos I have seen posted, the movement is barely discernable (to the point where you wonder if it is just vibrations from the ICE) and by comparison in these two videos, there is definte active movement.

    How about vigorous turbulence, or strong turbulence. Trying to describe it is difficult, which is why posting a video is useful.

    But for sure, both the videos shows what it should be like with a new pump however you want to describe it.
     
    #27 dolj, Apr 22, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2020
  8. qmanqman

    qmanqman Active Member

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    I wouldn't even call it weak turbulence. In those videos it is barely moving. It looks like someone is blowing on it. Bottom line I guess is that if it is obviously moving due to the pump then you don't need a new pump. If you can't tell a pump is pushing the coolant then you need a new pump.
     
  9. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Maybe go have a look at an inverter coolant tank (with it in IG-ON or READY) in the wild. Unless I'm looking at a different video, there is a good level of turbulence to which many aspire.
     
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  10. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Sorry you were unsatisfied with our service. Where can I send a refund?
     
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  11. richard203

    richard203 Member

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    o.0 what kinda service he brought from u?
     
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  12. qmanqman

    qmanqman Active Member

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    Or how about we start describing it as wiggling like jelly because we know "jam don't shake like that." LOL
     
  13. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    What might be the best way to potentially clear such a blockage if it did exist, would successive changes with toyota SLLC do it?
     
  14. 05PreeUs

    05PreeUs Senior Member

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    If the inverter is isolated from the rest of the system, it is possible a simple garden hose in reverse-flush could dislodge the garbage, but if it is some type of stop-leak product, who knows.
     
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  15. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    The point is, however you see it is irrelevant. It is not a wiggle nor a simmer, so it is not helpful to suggest such terms as they will only mislead others. it more vigorous than that. So you just need to accept you cannot see the video clearly enough. Maybe turn your screen up to full brightness and enlarge the video to full screen. But, for sure, this banter is pointless.

    As far as your daughter's car is concerned, if you can see motion that you could describe as turbulent (to some degree or another), you are good to go. You can choose to do nothing if you so wish, and as long as you are not getting any symptoms that indicate the inverter is over-heating, then I wouldn't worry.
     
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  16. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Excactly Dolj.

    If you could be there in person and look inside the reservoir closely with a flashlight its pretty vigorous bubbling looking flow. Richard may want to post another video with the camera really close to the mouth of the reservoir.
    But not sure what else you expect to see with a boiling water adjective . Maybe you want to see steam too I dont know. But the boiling look means the system is clear of airlock the pump is happy and pumping its little heart out and there is no blockage. Richard 203 nailed it and now he's good for the life of the car.

    if you really want to get jiggy with it get an IR thermometer everyone should own one of those. Check the coolant loop.I checked mine before and after coolant change. Big difference. If I remember I think it lives at 85F degrees.

    The inverter loop runs about 90-100 degrees cooler than the engine. Very good system. But after you turn the car off and wait 5-10 minutes the inverter coolant takes a dramatic spike in temp from heat sink in the rad. Both separate coolant tanks share the rad. So there is a heat transfer/sink going on there with car off.

    Post G2 the G3's and on the Toyota engineers the smart bastards that they are realized that heat sink issue and improved it separating the coolant loops so they do not interact with each other. They now have separate inverter & ice coolant tanks. Brilliant improvement.
    I don't own a G3 and on but I bet the Inverter loop is even cooler than the G2. They probably had to do this as the g3 and on have much higher powered mg's so trans heat may have gone up. They needed a more efficient and bigger inverter coolant loop I bet.

    The inverter is the heart and soul of a Prius. The cooler it runs the better mileage you will get the longer life it will have.
     
  17. qmanqman

    qmanqman Active Member

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    Bros I can see the video clearly. My daughter's jiggles the exact same way it does in that video. It's like warm jello being shaken in a bowl.

    The OPs first question in this thread was answered with "it should look like it is boiling." I could say with complete confidence that I would not describe what is happening in that video as boiling . . . or turbulent or any such adjective that describes violent behavior.

    Either way I think my daughter's inverter pump is in good shape.
     
  18. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Isn't that the photo from hobbit's inverter teardown?

    I didn't get the impression it was stop-leak. The aluminum anode rod in my water heater grows what looks like the same stuff. Aluminum oxide ... hard and crusty when dry, but blobby like jello when formed in water.

    If I had to guess, I'd guess the coolant wasn't changed in too long, had its corrosion inhibitors used up, and started munching on some of the aluminum.

    While the stuff is still blobby, I would guess a forceful flushing pump might help.
     
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