2013 Temp Warning Driving over 50 MPH

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by TeleSkiUT, Sep 5, 2019.

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  1. TeleSkiUT

    TeleSkiUT New Member

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    I have a 2013 III with 230k miles.
    Over the weekend, the engine temp warning, then check ingine light would come on. I noticed that if I kept the speed under about 45mph, and drove mostly on battery, the temp light remained of. It only came on at freeway speeds or climbing gentle hills.
    I had to add about 1 gallon of coolant in driving about 400 miles.
    There does not appear to be a leak, only coolant sprayed in the engine compartment from the reservoir. I have not replaced the original spark plugs , and just changed the oil and transaxle oil today... the mechanic I spoke with today, said coolant was probably getting into the engine. I don’t think he gave it a thorough inspection, though. Any ideas on possible reasons? My thoughts of possible causes are;
    -bad plugs
    -water pump
    I’m taking it to the dealer tomorrow for plugs, so am interested in any help/suggestions.
     
    #1 TeleSkiUT, Sep 5, 2019
  2. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    You have a failed head gasket and potentially a failed water pump;).

    Any dash lights present:whistle:?

    Drinking coolant is a sign of the failed head gasket:cool:.

    Good luck and keep us posted (y).
     
    #2 Raytheeagle, Sep 5, 2019
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  3. Pluggo

    Pluggo Senior Member

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    Are you getting white smoke from coolant entering the cylinders? That could cause collateral damage to connecting rods, even the crankshaft. Or else, if coolant is entering the oil system, it would show up on the dipstick like chocolate milk. That would also be pretty bad because you would not be getting proper lubrication. In a best case scenario, if you are leaking coolant externally from the head gasket, the spray could become messy, but you could actually decide to keep driving while closely monitoring the coolant level.
     
    #3 Pluggo, Sep 5, 2019
  4. TeleSkiUT

    TeleSkiUT New Member

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    I get the red thermometer, then the yellow check engine. The temp light then goes out shortly after the check engine comes in.

    Also, shortly before the temp came on the first time, there was a knocking or tapping or clicking sound that came from the right side of the engine area. That happened a couple times, with about 6-10 clicking/tapping sounds each time. I haven’t heard it since. This led me to believe it might be a failed impeller or water pump.

    Would a bad head gasket cause coolant to come out of the pressure release in the coolant reservoir? because that is where at least some of the coolant is going. It’s been sprayed around that corner of the engine compartment (around the reservoir tank).
     
    #4 TeleSkiUT, Sep 5, 2019
  5. TeleSkiUT

    TeleSkiUT New Member

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    No white smoke, and coolant does not seem to be coming from anywhere except the reservoir pressure release. No real odd sounds, although the engine did seem to be a little louder than normal while accelerating to freeway speeds.

    The oil appears normal.
     
    #5 TeleSkiUT, Sep 5, 2019
  6. RMB

    RMB Senior Member

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    You have a cooling system problem or blown head gasket, so don’t waste your money on spark plugs until you confirmed the problem is worth fixing.:unsure:
     
    #6 RMB, Sep 6, 2019
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  7. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    If you confirm that it is a head gasket failure, then look up the threads here about clogged EGR too. That seems to be precipitating numerous head gasket failures in Gen3s only.
     
    #7 fuzzy1, Sep 6, 2019
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  8. Rrrolfff

    Rrrolfff Junior Member

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    Just to add to the above - I just had the same thing at 170K. It's for sure your head gasket. It means an engine rebuild n a lot of $. It's a known defect on all gen3...
     
    #8 Rrrolfff, Sep 6, 2019
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  9. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    That does not sound good. A failed HG will release combustion gasses into the cooling system; if severe, you can see air bubbles.

    A knocking sound could be anything - it could be rod knock.

    Sorry, but I suspect your engine is junk. You should plan on shopping for a replacement engine. At 230K, if you are on the original battery as well, you will need a battery soon too....so you may want to consider getting rid of the car altogether.
     
    #9 The Critic, Sep 6, 2019
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  10. TeleSkiUT

    TeleSkiUT New Member

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    Fuuuggh...
     
    #10 TeleSkiUT, Sep 6, 2019
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