First time poster Here! Forgive me if I'm clueless. My 2007 Prius with 102,500 miles has been making a strange noise (see YouTube link below) and now the check engine light has come on. I checked the code at AutoZone and it's P1121. How urgent is this to repair? The check engine light disappeared yesterday and is back on today. Should I have the coolant level checked? I'm definitely not a DIYer. I see that I should only use the Toyota Super Long Life coolant. I'm not sure if that's what I have in there now, so if it's low, should I have it flushed before I add the Toyota coolant or just top it off? Thanks so much for any advice!
I found this but if your car is showing any sign of overheating shut it down until you make sure you have coolant in your car. Prius P1121: Coolant Flow Control Valve Position Sensor Stuck - Luscious Garage | Hybrid Specialists It probably wouldn't hurt to change the coolant, I am assuming you have a lot of miles on your car but first make sure you have enough coolant in it to run the engine first.
Short video telling you how to check your coolant. His advice is pretty good except his coolant should be pink and not green.
Coolant valve is a common issue on these cars. It's not a difficult DIY fix if you have some experience on cars. You can find the part on Amazon.
Is that low train choo choo sound he has in the video related to the coolant control valve going out?
looks like I would recommend buying this part at a local parts place since apparently, it isn't uncommon for it to need replacing again.... and again...I replaced mine in April 2019. It is Nov 2019 and the P1121 came back. I refilled the overflow tank and it went away for about 30 days. Now it is back and everything is still full, so I guess I need to warranty replace this part AGAIN. Is there a good reason these parts keep jamming up?????
Not really, they should last a good long time. Maybe look at your methods, or the parts you are using. I wouldn't recommend using old parts unless you like doing the job over and over. What Parts and coolant (Brand/Type) are you using?
