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Gen 3 prius wont start or Jump Start

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by TheKracken5, Mar 15, 2018.

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  1. TheKracken5

    TheKracken5 New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2018
    16
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    Location:
    Idaho
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I did replace the coolant myself and I purged it by closing the drain, pouring coolant in, starting car for a second and refilling until it was at full and no longer dropping level. I can't quite remember what the turbulence looked like at the end. I do remember it was obvious at the begening when there was a lot of air in the system.

    If it might be air in the system how would I go about purging it this time? I have driven about 10k miles on some really long trips since this.
     
    #21 TheKracken5, Mar 16, 2018
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
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    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    With G3 Prius, it is pretty easy to purge air out of the coolant system, and your post #21 basically explains how to do it. Just make sure the fluid level in the reservoir is at F, and if it is, and you don't see fluid turbulence then it is a safe bet that the pump has failed. Especially since another of your posts indicated the presence of a plastic burning smell.

    It is necessary to remove the inverter for access to the inverter coolant pump. If you don't know how to do that I suggest you obtain the factory repair manual info at techinfo.toyota.com
     
    #22 Patrick Wong, Mar 16, 2018
  3. TheKracken5

    TheKracken5 New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2018
    16
    5
    0
    Location:
    Idaho
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    II
    That sounds pretty difficult.... Hopefully there is a video on it. But I am sure a dealership would charge me 3+k$ to do this too. Shouldnt the car throw a code if the pump failed? I don't even have any pending.
     
    #23 TheKracken5, Mar 16, 2018
  4. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
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    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I don't think a DTC will be logged with a failed pump. A DTC will be logged when the inverter overheats, but waiting for that is like waiting for the horses to escape from the corral before you fix the fence.

    You are in Idaho, and it looks like the ambient air high temps currently are in the high 40 degree to low 50 degree range. So the pump may not be needed right now to keep the inverter within safe operating temps. Once you get into summertime weather, you will be risking inverter damage.
     
    #24 Patrick Wong, Mar 16, 2018
  5. TheKracken5

    TheKracken5 New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2018
    16
    5
    0
    Location:
    Idaho
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I completely agree. I just started the car again and still have no codes and can't see any turbulence...but I felt the hoses that come out of the inverter reservoir and I feel movement as if it is pumping, but I still dont see much of any movement. Is there any other way to confirm? Maybe some food dye? Probably not good to have in there but I don't want to get into something if I don't have to.

    And yeah, it is nice and cold here and my typical commute is a short 6 miles.

    Edit: I feel it much more on the bottom hose then I do the top short hose.
     
    #25 TheKracken5, Mar 16, 2018
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