Is my coolant pump for MG1 and MG2 working?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Priipriii, Jun 21, 2023.

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  1. Priipriii

    Priipriii Member

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    I noticed on my obd2 that both MG1 and MG2 exceed 200 degrees. I think the highest it got was 260. I am worried the pump isnt working for the coolant tank on the driver side. My engine temp on the other hand hits 195 and never exceeds 200.

    Is there a way to check if the coolant is circulating?
     
    #1 Priipriii, Jun 21, 2023
  2. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    This could be an interesting new discussion.

    I had assumed that the MGs were air cooled and don't remember seeing
    any mention of liquid coolant going there.
     
    #2 sam spade 2, Jun 21, 2023
  3. Priipriii

    Priipriii Member

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    There is a secondary coolant tank on the right side of the vehicle. Mines still pink, but the main coolant tank i had to put in different color coolant and they dont mix
     
    #3 Priipriii, Jun 21, 2023
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  4. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    If it is, the reservoir and hoses will be warm, you can feel vibration in hoses connected to the pump, and you might see turbulence in coolant circulating through the reservoir.
     
    #4 CR94, Jun 21, 2023
  5. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    There is NOT a secondary coolant tank. The tank of the passenger side is
    for the engine coolant. The one on the drivers side for the inverter.
    They BOTH use the SAME coolant. If you put a different coolant in the engine, you might
    have made a huge mistake! It could turn to jelly, and not circulate.
    You should drain the coolant and hope it does flow, and then put a 50/50 mix of water and
    vinegar and run in maintanence mode until the thermostadt open, then a few minutes longer.

    Then drain it, fill with water and do it again. Both should be just enough to open the thermostadt
    because the engine will over heat.
    Then drain and use the Toyota coolant....

     
    #5 ASRDogman, Jun 21, 2023
  6. Priipriii

    Priipriii Member

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    They both use the same coolant, but they dont connect with each other. Otherwise why is mine pink while the other is yellow/blue mixture (i ended up mixing yellow and some left over blue i had). Its not a big deal, the only purpose is to prevent the water from freezing in winter time. The different colors have different electrolyte properties but overall you arnt going to do too much damage to the engine if you use different colors. Im just cheap.

    Anyways, im wondering where the pump is located for the inverter coolant. Is it behind?
     
    #6 Priipriii, Jun 21, 2023
  7. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    The inverter (& transmission) coolant pump is under the inverter. You can barely see it from above. You can also find it by following hoses from the reservoir or inverter. Toyota says you must use their pink SLLC coolant (or other-brand equivalent) in both systems. Some other types might be compatible, but others are not, and will cause trouble.
     
    #7 CR94, Jun 21, 2023
  8. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Why is that two different mixes I'm using Asian red in the inverter and in the main radiator and its tank I just replaced and refilled this thing I don't know 3 months ago doesn't use a drop nothing's going on but I thought they were coolant line goes to the transmission?? I could be wrong I haven't really looked that closely but if so I would think something in there gets cooled by either coolant running through a passage in a way in the transmission or by the CVT oil that's in it something.
     
    #8 Tombukt2, Jun 21, 2023
  9. Priipriii

    Priipriii Member

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    Ive tried doing some research how much of a difference different coolants actually make, but i could never get an exact answer. I take what vehicle manufacturers say with a grain a salt. All brands pretty much list things as "you must only use our brands X" etc. Etc. To avoid liability and increase profit probably. Is there actual evidence to suggest its bad? Because ive been running whatever coolant i can get my hands on for all my cars. Nothing bad has happened that was noticable, nor does it make any sense why some cars use X coolant and others X. All engines are made of steel or aluminum, so there shouldnt be any concern if you use a different color coolant.

    Most car products are just scam anyways advertised to sell, so im really critical when people say use X only on X without telling me why or without doing any tests, so ill let my car be the test subject.
     
    #9 Priipriii, Jun 21, 2023
  10. Priipriii

    Priipriii Member

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    Because yellow coolant pure concentrated at walmart is $7 while red 50/50 mix is like $40 last time i checked. Id pour straight water but as you know, frozen water expands and might cause cracks in the engine. I think coolant decreases freezing temp from 0 degrees to -40 if you mix it right.
     
    #10 Priipriii, Jun 21, 2023
  11. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Are you no longer concerned about what cools the motor generators ??

    Note: Some of the recommendations for "brand name" fluids is just hype but most of it is NOT.
    You can cause some serious trouble by mixing different types of coolant, brake fluid and
    some transmission fluids too.
     
    #11 sam spade 2, Jun 21, 2023
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  12. Priipriii

    Priipriii Member

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    Transmission fluid cools the motors for the most part, since it also travels through the radiator in seperate passages in pretty much every other car. But i figured if there is a coolant tank on transmission side, it might of been used for the motors. Why else would they put it there?
    I dont agree about brake fluid, that is just for hydraulic pressure. You can put oil and itll work, but different viscosities hold better while others are more likely to leak, but you also want them to be fluid so they flow easy. Its all about a balance for the right application. Transmission fluids ill agree with. Especially on a cvt car with belt. But the prius has no belts or gears, so i basically just put the cheapest fluid i can find. Anything works, with the right viscosity i mean. Its just for lubrication and heat absorption.
     
    #12 Priipriii, Jun 21, 2023
  13. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    You don't have to agree with anything but you would be wrong.

    Brake fluid contains some pretty exotic additives and is NOT simple
    hydraulic fluid.

    IF......you mix DOT 3 with DOT 5, you end up with something resembling
    Vaseline or axle grease and it gums up the whole system.

    THEN......some "normal" automatic transmissions are picky about what
    kind of fluid goes into them. Keep doing what you are doing and the odds are
    that on some future car, that will bite you in the butt too.
     
    #13 sam spade 2, Jun 21, 2023
  14. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    You might not care, but the components do.
    Manufactures are just stupid. They just want to rip you off. They spend millions of dollars
    on research just to rip people off. Nothing of what they say is true.
    But it's your car.
     
    #14 ASRDogman, Jun 21, 2023
  15. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    oh, the inverter pump in under the inverter. Which you have to remove to get to it.
    So says toyota. But, they are just trying to rip you off by telling you that.
     
    #15 ASRDogman, Jun 21, 2023
  16. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    The transaxle does have gears, rather elaborate planetary gears which are connected to the differential (also gears), the electric motors (with insulation that can be compromised by the wrong fluid) and the engine. The transaxle fluid is critical to motor generator cooling and winding insulation integrity.
     
    #16 rjparker, Jun 21, 2023
  17. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    The pink coolant in the reservoir that is more amidships gets pumped through a radiator, and the inverter, and the coolant passage in the transaxle, where it picks up heat from the transmission oil that cooled the motors.

    The routing is the same in a Prius v except that transaxle also has another coolant passage on the other side, and the pink coolant passes through both, for higher cooling capacity.
     
    #17 ChapmanF, Jun 21, 2023
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