Not overheating but fluid low!

My car started getting 34 miles per gallon. There's no overheating light going on but I checked under the hood and my any freeze was almost non existent in the overflow chamber. Is this normal? I. Mean I? Don't understand why I didn't have an overheating light. Go on or some kind of check engine for low radiator fluid. I cannot find any anniversary leaks and if it didn't leak it was over a long period of time like 2 weeks? Maybe. I'm driving a twenty seventeen prius for fully loaded with a hundred and eighteen thousand miles on it. Any help would be greatly appreciated or insight.

 

Used to get over 52 mpg, then 47... today with low coolant it was 34-36.

 

I have been monitoring it. It was fine for about 2 weeks, then low. Caught it, but I need to check more

I am using the correct coolant, but not toyota. Using Asian red type. Dealership said it was OK. Oddly the level is not going down and that concerns me as I would have thought running would suck it into the system. At least I did not hear the heater gurgling when I turned it on.

You are right. I was hoping to do the coollant change and the spark plugs myself. I believe I can do it, but the problem is getting under the car. For both I am looking at $1000 from the dealership so I Have been putting it off. I prefer to let toyota do it and I am completelly strapped due to medical bills and changes in pay at FUBER.

There is nothing better than having a master mechanic service your car. (I also need an alignment.)

I may do the spark plugs ($84 at toyota) but I need a torque wrench (How do you know they are accurate if you get it at harbor freight???) And I was going to use antiseize... but many are saying do not use it because it will affect torque-ing... however I am worried what will happen the next change.

I also need to clean the injectors... Again... all in all looking at well over $1600 in service fees that I do not have. I can barely afford the next oil change which I only do at toyota.

The repair manual does not say anything about using anti-seize.

I appreciate all the comments.

 

The supply of drivers is never ending. Thier latest commercial is about working on your time and not about making money. I used to make great money, but put up with some seriously dangerous stuff and people acting badly. It was OK for the money, but the money is not there like it used to be. Normal hours yield less than $20 an hour gross. I have even seen $10 and my acceptance rating has gone down because I refuse the trips. How about $100 to drive 130 miles away out of state. Have seen 5-6 hours of driving... You cannot pick up out of state so no return pay. Not worth it.

I used to make 20-25 for airport runs. Latey it is more like $13-15. Seen pickup and drive times totaling 20 mins for less than $4. But seriously, this is not the place to whine about it. Just know that usually Uber takes %53 of every fare. One poor rating can be devastating and takes months to get rid of. Rate your driver, not Uber. Never do Uber without a dashcam! Drivers are feeling it bad so if you mess with one, and they are feeling beaten down... you may just get the horns. Hopefully it will get better. When I no longer need to be able to leave town for weeks at a time for taking care of family, hopefully i can get back into the workforce.

 

I spoke with the guy who took my car in for service. He said:
My car (2017 Prius 4) does not have a TSB on the heat excahnger. He says the one you mentioned is for an earlier model.

The only thing the mechanic can think of is for something at the exhaust that heats the coolant for colder days on start. This is the reason it rarely drinks/loses coolant. I thought that this was the heat exchanger. (so it only loses when it is activated...)

I suspect that I am being totally BS'd on this... as I was asking if Toyota would help me out because of the TSB and the known issue. It would not be the first time... (and they were doing so well for several years.) I prefer to get all my work there... but...

I have found a supposedly EXCELLENT independent Prius Mechanic... bout 40-50 mins from me. He is offering the replacement of the exchanger for $1265 I have no idea what Toyota wants. I guess me and my GF will not be eating for a month or two when this bill comes to roost. Doubting there will be a recall. Hoping to get a coolant replacement next week @ $182. I simply have no where to do it and no way to get under the car. (except to park it on a curb.)

I will be checking the exhaust for vapor and water and the fluid levels every day... Which sucks.

Update: Found it T-SB-0135-19 at
hXXps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10166037-9999.pdf (replace XX with tt)
or MC-10166037-9999.pdf (nhtsa.gov)

Yep, getting totally BS'd!

 

What am I sacrificing with the work around???

 

Beats trying to get a new Cat Conv.