Inverter Coolant Pump takes a dive

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The pump on my 2007 Prius with about 23,500 miles died on I-95 last evening about 5:30 pm. All the warning lights came on and I was not a happy camper, but I was able to call my dealer and they were open until 7 pm. I took the side streets there and left the car with a very nice service writer who called me this morning to tell me what the problem was---good news---it's covered by warranty----bad news----part not in stock and it could be weeks----good news---I get a free loaner, a prius with leather , nav, xm radio, etc-(like mine). I got the loaner and now just have to wait-----So far the dealer has been excellent and I am reasonably satisfied. I will be happy to give the dealers name if I am allowed to do so. I just hope I get my car back soon and there are no further problems-----Jerry

 

You are fortunate to get a loaner. My '05 also died on Wednesday at 77K miles - inverter cooling pump failure (had all the classic symptoms: red triangle, warning lights galore, beeps, no A/C, surging power) - and since it is covered only under the extended warranty - that warranty only covers up to 5 days for a rental car. The dealer (antwerpen toyota in clarksville, md.) "doesn't do loaners anymore". So I am screwed if the part does not arrive in 5 days - which they said it won't. Great customer service, huh? BTW - they said it would cost $700 to replace the pump out of warranty.

 

This is absolutely outrageous! You should only need to pay for the part ($116 msrp), some coolant ($22 MSRP) and no more than two hours of labor ($200?). Anything over $400 is too much. Luscious Garage charges just over $300 for example. If the service advisor starts blathering about spending hours bleeding the system, ask them why they don't use an AirLift. They are allowed to bill Toyota 1.2 hours of labor for this repair under warranty, according to TSB EG001-07, so it is impossible to justify charging a consumer 4-5 hours of labor for the same job.

Or, buy your own coolant pump online for $95 (metrotoyotapartsnow), an AirLift on Amazon for $100, a gallon of Super Long Life Coolant from your dealer parts department for $22, and DIY.

 

Been reading all the posts on inverter coolant pump failures. The one on my 2004 failed at 38,666 miles (hmm, 666, bad omen) on 9/2/10. Took to dealer and it is still there due to "nationwide backorder" on pump. They are now telling me it will be Oct 21 until replacement inverters are available. Now the kicker - I finally called a couple nearby dealers and they say they have 7 or 8 of the part (G9020-47031) in stock.

I have owned quite a few toyotas over the years as well as other cars and have NEVER had a vehicle out-of-service this long. I've lost alot of faith in both the dealer (which is where the car was purchased) as well as Toyota in general.

 

Why not buy the part and have your dealer, one of these nearby dealers, or trusted independent mechanic install it? Just be sure to get a quote for installation and question anything over 2 hours of labor. It seriously should not be more than $400.

I do sympathize, as it is completely irresponsible for your dealer service department to let your car sit there for weeks while waiting for a container of parts to be shipped from Japan. Sourcing this particular part is a well-known seasonal problem (most replacements happen between June and September), but there are many dealers that have it in stock.

 

I placed an order at Conicelli Toyota Partznet last Thursday for a new inverter coolant pump. They reported today that they have shipped the part. I have never ordered from them before but they had very low prices and free shipping. I've pasted in the order confirmation below so you can see the prices they're offering.

Part number Part Description Quantity Price Total
8521447010 , Refill 1 $2.64 $2.64
8521446011 , Refill Right 1 $3.04 $3.04
8521444140 , Refill Left 1 $4.52 $4.52
161002915683 Cooling system, Water pump, Water pump, prius 1 $68.33 $68.33
G902047031 , W/pump - Inverter - Inverter 1 $85.91 $85.91
9091602570 Maintenance and lubrication, Engine service, Belts and pulleys, Serpentine belt, Serpentine belt, prius, all 1 $13.11 $13.11
90915YZZF1 Oil filter, rav4, 2.4l 2006 - 2008 1 $4.00 $4.00
9043012031 , Gasket 1 $0.84 $0.84
9043037140 Engine / transaxle, Engine parts, Filler cap, O-ring, GASKET 1 $1.48 $1.48
9046706133C0 CLIP 2 $1.38 $2.76

 

I ended up getting inv pump from another dealership and taking it to mine for the install. A hassle and something I didnt think I should have to do. Labor charge was $275 which I thought was a little high. Toyota got charged $900 for the rental & I am grateful they did this but the whole scenario seems like a waste of resources & could of been avoided.

Did I mention that my serv advisor said they had 6 or 7 other gen II's waiting for the inverter pump?

 

This dealer seems to charge top dollar for everything. Problem is, I am unable to DIY and only other dealer within reasonable range has worse reputation. I argue the prices down a lot, and depend heavily on the extended warranty. When that runs out, no more Toyota for me - I'm selling it. Corp Customer Service has refused to help me resolve a bad radio /antenna situation that has been going on for 3 years (hash & static rendering AM radio useless). But that's another discussion.

 

Just a quick follow-up on methods to replace the inverter pump (i.e. going in from the top versus headlight removal). I took a look around from the top of the engine and decided it looked easier to remove the headlight to gain more access. I partially followed the description written up in the Bentley manual (removing the splash shield bolts but then just pulling on the bumper instead of completely removing it) and it went smoothly. I took a picture of the left corner of the bumper, which you have to pull down a little bit to get at one of the three screws holding in the headlight. Once the headlight is out, changing the inverter pump is simple with good access to the nuts, bolts and hose clamps. I'd definitely do it this way again.

 

A quick follow up to my previous post of 2 weeks ago----dealer service called today---part not yet there----the say they expect to hear from Toyota next Tuesday, the 12th...I said I can only keep the loaner for 2 more weeks. I'd like to get MY car back with the tinted windows, sunpass, etc. I am grateful for the loaner, but miss my car----But at least the miles i am putting on are on their car, not mine-------Oh well, just have to be patient, but I am not real happy with Toyota right now.

 

To get faster result some people choose to buy from other local dealers or buy online and give the pump to the out-of-stock dealer to install. Good luck!

 

I wonder how they keep the 12v. batteries up. Or do they just let it be.

 

I had the inverter pump replaced in my 04 toyota under warranty about a year ago. Watch out for the cold emissions valve. that will go next. The real stinker is the hinge springs on the upper glove compartment lid. This is an engineering disaster. The plastic that holds these springs in place breaks and cause the upper dash on the left side to warp. Can't get Toyota to do anything about it. They must have replaced thousands of them by now.

 

Issue resolved !!! My dealer called last week and said the pump arrived, was installed, and my car was ready for pick up. I went to the dealer, dropped off the loaner, got into my car and happily drove off. No charge, no problem, and the whole transaction took 5 minutes.I am glad to have my car back, but I liked the nav system in the loaner better than the one in my car. Hopefully there will be no more problems. Jerry

 

Don't forget to get your Reimbursement for Toyota. It's a "Recall".http://priuschat.com/forums/attachments/care-maintenance-troubleshooting/11337d1220565064-inverter-coolant-pump-takes-dive-t-eg001-07.pdf

 

My friend's '07 pump died today. New one costs around $140.

guess what i did ???



i found a Used Mercedes Sprinter 2004 Auxiliary Water Pump costing around $20, installed it myself. Removed the negative terminal of the battery for 2 min to reset the codes. And now its running great. Better than the original. Coolant is being pumped at higher speeds as compared to original prius's pump.

Check out the pump pic. this is not the original pic though, but u can get the idea.

 

I have always thought that, in this world of infinite pumps, there must be one that is better than what Toyota is offering. The safety recall on the inverter pump put off that search. I wonder what the current draw is from the new pump compared to the old.

That said, if that car has not already had the safety recall done, you could have taken it to Toyota and they would have done it for you, free.

 

yeah they could hav. but i live in THAT part of the world where TOYOTA never launched prius. So we have to import one from JAPAN.

 

Like that. Looks alot more robust than the stock pump. Very interested in temp's you see now. Do you have a IR thermometer? Take some test temps on the Inverter case and I coolant reservoir please if you can.
IR therm is cheap at Home Depot and is a very handy tool.

I have hypothesized the pump is under some duress based on the coolant condition. The coolant is circulated through a very large amount of tiny aluminum channels in the heat sink of the Inverter resulting in the fluid easily contaminated by aluminum by just shear wear. Aluminum is a very corrosive metal and microscopically in solution would be very abrasive. Probably very hard on the pump seals. So it behooves a Prius owner to keep fresh inverter coolant in the car. I would not go longer than 30K on that coolant. If anyone is curious suck some of your fluid out with a turkey baster into a clear jar and see how cloudy it is compared to new coolant.
In fact its not a bad idea to suck the reservoir out and just install new SLLC. Do that a few times and that will really help.

The Inverter coolant system protects some very expensive gear. Both the Inverter and the transmission.

My bought new 07 was not on the Inverter pump recall and I am still running the original pump at 60,000 miles. I changed the oem fluid at 30K. Due again.

But when the car was new I removed some of the Inverter Coolant with a turkey baster and added half a bottle of this stuff. I was after it's anti corrosion properties and have had really good luck with this stuff in my radiators over the last 20 years. It really keeps the rad clean. It's been in my Prius for 6 years now. It works.


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