Just purchased new to me 2011 Prius and planning on doing the egr/intake cleaning. Anyone know if a local shop sells already cleaned out coolers to swap out. appreciate it.
How many miles on it? They are cleanable, though the sooner the better I think. A few hours patient cleaning will save you at least $100, and you know it's compatible. Try (powdered laundry additive) "Oxi-Clean Versatile Stain Remover", mix in a saturated solution with hot tap water, cork one end of the cooler, pour it in, let it bubble for about an hour (prop up in corner of sink), rinse, and repeat 4~5 times. If if's severely carbon-clogged, run a thin steel wire through to help the solution penetrate. It'll come out like new.
Welcome. Good idea getting that EGR cleaned out before the head gasket gives out. I know a place here in Tampa, but obviously can't help you in AZ. Have you tried googling something like 'hybrid specialists in phoenix?'
Or, you can pick up a EGR cooler from ebay and clean it out before taking the one on your car out. This allows you to take your time without the stress of removing it, cleaning it, and getting everything back together before you need it to be running. I was able to get a cooler with egr valve attached, no egr pipe, but all gaskets and rear mounting studs included. The only negative was it was so fouled up inside that it was pretty difficult to clean. Needed to run a wire through it, as Mendel mentioned above to get most of the passages open. It was almost completely clogged with carbon and thick oily residue. Took me several days. I used a similar method as Mendel's oxi clean method, but I used extra strength drain cleaner soaks at full strength instead. Sodium hydroxide turns oil into soapy material that you get out with hot water rinses. Would've been much faster if I had access to a pressure washer, but the drain cleaner would've had to be removed with a lot of rinses anyway due to the caustic nature of the lye/hydroxide. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
Home - Tampa Hybrids Inc. I doubt if they will do mail order, though, but I guess you can ask. (Transparency alert: I work there part time since I retired. It's a busy place.) I think a lot of DIY people do this.
Appreciate the replies, was thinking about ebay thing too but they about $100 right now. Probably clean the one thats on the car.
