Coolant Low- Topped Off 3x in a Week

Check your oil to see if coolant got in there. If not, you can try changing out the water pump first. See if that will solve your loss of coolant.

 

You should have a good look under the car first. The coolant lines run under the car and it might be where your leak is located. I can't imagine losing that much coolant that fast.

I would still change the water pump if it's original and hasn't been changed.

If you're in Orange County, you can go to hybrid pit. They are not the cheapest but they seem to know what they are doing. There are good mechanics and then there are the mechanics that know you're traveling and will charge crazy prices and not fix your problem.

 

Change the engine water pump ASAP! Do not drive at highway speeds or long uphill climbs until the pump is replaced. I recommend only using an OEM pump.

 

Do you have the trouble codes? The trouble codes will point you in the right direction. Since no coolant is hitting the ground, it's either getting burnt or boiling out; again the trouble codes should point you in the right direction.

If it's being burnt, the two highest probability areas are the exhaust gas heat exchanger (if so equipped) or head gasket. Obviously the head gasket is the more expensive repair. Since your car is Nevada registered, you can probably, legally bypass the heat exchanger. Check you state smog laws regarding that. A California car would need to be repaired, in order to pass smog testing.

If it's being boiled out, water pump, stuck thermostat, and/or radiator cooling fans. There's a chance that your cooling system is clogged; if somebody dumped a stop-leak product into your cooling system - but you should've noticed the over heat condition over the summer months.

While the symptoms overlap, a good mechanic should be able to tell the deference and repair it properly the first time around.

Hope this helps and keep us informed......

FYI; you don't always find coolant in the engine oil when a head gasket fails. When you do - it's a very bad leak that's accompany by rough running engine and misfires. You didn't mention either. On a V8 engine; it may be barely noticeable, but on a 4-cyclinder engine, you'll know!

 

A cracked reservoir is usually the result of constant overheating issue, NOT the cause - unless the crack preceded the overheating issue. If that was the case, you should've found coolant on your garage floor or puddles under your car. IMHO Is there a sensor attached to that reservoir jug?

You need to get the car scanned for more definitive answers. The warning lamps are just to alert you that there's a problem that needs attention. Your assuming that temperature lamp means low coolant, not engine overheat. You should probably start actively monitoring your ECT. That lamp trips around 240F, hot enough to start breaking things, including your plastic coolant reservoir. A normal running engine is <200F, even under very heavy loads - climbing steep hills.

 

The black rubber cap is on the overflow tube of your reservoir. If too much pressure is built up in the cooling system, the cap on the top of the reservoir will release the pressure (and coolant) because the engine is overheating due to low flow from the pump.. You need to replace the engine water pump ASAP. See my post #5.

 

That hole is way above the hot coolant full line - I'm guessing coolant is boiling out.

 

Your engine is over heating. Because the water pump is not working correctly.
You should replace the empellor or the whole water pump before you blow the motor up.

There was definitely pink coolant under the hood near the overflow tank as if it got sprayed from the tank. But not nearly enough to match what is missing. There’s also been a squeaky sound coming from the engine which is likely related to my coolant problem. The oil is very clean and shows no signs of coolant mixed in. I don’t think it’s a gasket problem but will have a pressure test done tomorrow.

My 2014 Prius has no hard starts, doesn’t need any oil added between my 5k oil changes, had the EGR professionally cleaned at around 90k miles, is up to date on all maintenance, has a new OEM traction battery and has been a reliable vehicle.

Unfortunately, I’m around a 5 hour drive away, so this is stressful. But fortunately, I’m in Prius country (Orange County) where there are mechanics with a ton of experience working on Prii. I’m bracing for the worst (gasket) but hoping for the best. Anyone have any advice?[/QUOTE]

 

The most common diagnosis for symptoms like this is a blown head gasket in the narrowest area between cylinder number 1 and 2....

 

I disagree with you. The most probable fix to this problem is to replace the engine water pump.

Let's see what happens after the OP replaces the pump.

 

Ask for the old water pump to be returning to you. Try to rotate the impeller. How easily or hard is it to spin? Try to pull the impeller off the shaft and take a few pictures that you can upload in a post. Thank you.

 

There is an "O" ring, very small, holding the empeller onto the shaft.
You'll have to remove that before it will come off.