Can you recommend a coolant bleeder tool?

Under the driver's dash that doesn't really make sense I wouldn't think the driver side of the dashboard would have much coolant might have inverter coolant over on that side and it's pumping and what have you but there are minimalist amount of hoses that run to the heater core but you should be able to slow fill the system and get it to work out

 

I am using a Robinair 75260 Coolant refiler on my cars including the Prius and no air bleeding is ever needed. Very quick coolant change process.

 

I use the original all metal UView tool, but I've heard good reviews on the less expensive ones sold by Harbor Freight.

Both takes less than 30 minutes to drain and refill coolant without having to put the engine in service mode.

 

Are you sure? It’s a black plastic junction, with white plastic screw cap at top, and a spigot just below that you can push tubing onto, if you want to keep it neat. It’s just above the EGR components; should be on a 2010, unless it was replaced at some time: I believe they kept the part number but deleted the bleed feature??

 

Good Lord that's too funny never would have imagined that is great though but haven't needed it so far so I don't know I haven't even used the maintenance mode or whatever I just fill it up slowly and turn the car on and I don't know whatever everything seems to be fine.

 

Near the top end of the EGR cooler, which is the highest point of the cooling system. Not used after some point in the 2011 model run, so my later 2011 doesn't have it.

 

Our 2011 doesn't have it either. Here's a picture of the hose without the valve, there's a sensor on one side and a blank tube on the other side.

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I have replaced my coolant several times and never had a problem. Just measure what you take out and put the same back in. Run the engine with the cap off long enough to warm it up.

 

Another approach that works is the one in the repair manual: fill the bottle to the B line (this is the only time you ever use the B line), and run the engine up to operating temp and several minutes more with the cap ON the bottle, and squeeze and shake some hoses during those several minutes after warmup.

Then shut the car off, wait for everything to cool, and verify that the now cooled-down coolant has dropped from the B line to the F line. What it did was trade places with the air in the system. Gen 3 uses a degas-bottle system design, with that headspace in the bottle being where the air ends up.

 

The potential problem with that routine is that some important hoses are inaccessible for squeezing and shaking unless one has the lower cover or air intake tubing off, or has very thin arms with extra joints.

 

No extra joints here, though my arms might be thinner than some.

I don't really go squeezing and shaking every possible hose. The big easy ones do the trick. It makes some surges in the flow and the steady flow from the water pump takes care of the rest.

 

If OP is missing bleed valve, disconnecting one of the hoses at that aforementioned gizmo would also work.

 

Didn't disconnect any hoses to bleed air, and didn't have any problems. YMMV

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The repair manual also did not add any remove-some-hose step to go with the removal of that extra valve. It just still gives the procedure described in #13, which still works.

 

OP thinks he has trapped air; can you ease up on the sarcasm?

Addendum: FWIW, the 2010 publication of Repair Manual says to open "air release valve" before filling. I did that, felt air coming out when filling, and then a flow of coolant. Since Toyota subsequently deleted that valve, pulling off a hose in the vicinity you'd think would do similar function. And it's likely intent is to reduce/eliminate air pockets?

 

Looks like you could just add the 2010s valve it's on my 2010 with solar roof that my wife drives I went out and looked yesterday we've never used it I didn't even know what it was just sittting with a white cap on it.