New to me 2010 T spirit in grey metallic

Hi all

Thanks to everyone for a great forum and really useful information resource. Used much of what I read here as basis for helping me track down a Prius.

Got the Prius to help with the longer commutes and being in heavy city traffic many times each week.

After searching I found a 2 owner 2010 in metallic grey with lots of history - 18 services in 184k miles and receipts. Just got an MOT with no advisories (had windscreen replaced) after that was the only fail.

Had been regularly driven (never used as taxi) and then little mileage in last 2 years (500 miles). Had the inverter replaced about 1000 miles back.

Had many other Toyotas over the years, last one was an 80 series Landcruiser I prepped for off roading. Loved that and had it for 8 years.

Easy enough car to work on.

Since collecting it last weekend have done a few things to baseline service it bearing in mind was serviced about 2000 miles back and oil is still clean.

• 4 hours cleaning outside, clay bar and polish - got a little lacquer peel and a few spots to touch up.
• Several hours inside cleaning - still more to do. Was not particularly dirty, just tidying things up.
• Got to track down a rattle on passenger side (i think it might be the plastic tray under the glove box, or the plastic seat trim on left side of passenger seat).
• Treated the surface rust underside and on suspension with Hydrate 80
• Rotated tyres
• Replaced spark plugs - Toyota
• Air filter
• Cabin filter
• Removed and cleaned EGR cooler and intake, refitted with new gaskets etc (what a fiddly job that is, time consuming first time round) - am ordering another EGR cooler assembly as spare that I'll clean and have that ready to swop over probably every 2nd oil change.
• Replaced coolant at the same time - Super long life toyota - took a while to bleed the system afterwards
• Checked braked and pads cleaned up the braked and where pads sit etc
• Replaced the transmissions fluid with Toyota ATF ws (old came out almost black)
• Fitting an oil catch can tomorrow.
• Got a Carista ODB dongle and a few apps - really wanted to see water and battery temps and a rev counter more out of interest.

So far well pleased. It is very different to drive compared to the very quick and economical Skoda VRS I have been driving for 3 years.

Screenshot 2021-07-21 At 22.40.40 Copy by adrian-gregory posted Aug 1, 2021 at 12:18 AM

Screenshot 2021-07-21 At 22.41.06 by adrian-gregory posted Aug 1, 2021 at 12:18 AM

T spirit interior by adrian-gregory posted Aug 1, 2021 at 12:18 AM

 

Got acetone and atf in the bores overnight tonight. will clear that tomorrow and then change the engine oil for the correct 0w20 (expensive oil isn't it!) and filter and we should be good to go for a bit. done about 800 miles in the first 10 days has run faultlessly, and been great on fuel as well.

 

Some challenges today:
Sucked out the acetone atf after the piston soak, then blew compressed air through, then ran the start sequence without the plugs in.
changed the oil and filter for 0w20
test drove - all good. did 4 miles then got a low oil pressure warning.

decided to drop the oil and filter and found this sticky gloop ectoplasm evilness - could not drain the oil pan until i cleared the hole. the new oil filter was seriously plugged. and the brand new oil discoloured.



the new filter




after the oil change still the same problem with low engine oil pressure so i pulled the sump off and found this in the oil strainer both sides were almost fully blocked. quite surprised the car was still running. very thick and stick, pulled the oil pressure switch apart and cleaned that out too. then blew compressed air through it all. cleaned out the gloop in the sump then refitted it.

not sure what this very sticky gloop is. its stretchy.

i drove 20 miles just now and pulled the oil filter and it is still very clean. no more sticky jello so far.

planning to change filter in 100 miles now, and then after a few hundred. if all still nice and clean hopefully we have got rid of the clots.

so glad it happened when the engine started and not when I was on the motorway (where i was headed).

all of this makes me question the oils that have been used (previous owner used 5w30) - and it was supposedly only missed one service, hmmm, I wonder.

 

Thanks - i stuck a camera in the oil cap hole and had a look around - looks clean. I may pull the cover. ATF is a good call. Was talking to my mechanic mates earlier about that as well. am picking up a few more filters and oil tomorrow. i'll pull the filter end of day tomorrow after sticking some more miles on the car and see how it and the oil looks. same Friday and same Saturday. If all still clean I've got about 250 miles to do on Sunday - so i can check filter before before leaving. i'll take my ramps that i use to work under the prius with me so i can check the filter when i get where I am going and before heading back home in the evening and change if needed.

 

Thank you. It is no small undertaking and thanks to you for the write up and link - i read that when i was looking for the Prius and used it to do the job. I did clean the intake manifold and egr passages. the whole egr setup is a hateful thing to do to an engine.

I did wonder if the acetone and atf caused the gloop. but it seems so well established and sticky. i and and my mechanic friends i saw and showed the stuff to are leaning towards the problem, howsoever caused has been building up over time, a wee time bomb waiting to go off as it were. Perhaps the acetone and atf that drained out of the pistons over the 13 hours, coupled with the thin 0w20 oil all played a part in getting said ectoplasm (!) sticky gloop moving.

 

Driven about 40 miles through the hills early this morning. Working the engine a little more on the hills.
When I got back I pulled the oil filter which is still very clean. Oil is a little dirty.

I think I'll check filter every day for the next week. If i see no more gloop then will plan another oil and filter change mid next week and then keep an eye on it from there.

 

Cheers.

 

I reckon the acetone and atf, even in the small quantities acted as a flush. i use the same mix as a very effective releasing fluid.

 

Been thinking about that a lot today. it is possible that is did that. freed up a lot of carbon in the engine, the oil got warmed up and moved it all around, and then it cooled and congealed maybe?

 

of course it wont

 

Yes there are.
i have never used it as a "diy" fluid flush. The mix works well as a piston soak and is an excellent releasing fluid. this is the first time i have had this happen, so i am surmising it also worked as a flush.

 

I am thinking it is the mix. Perhaps I should have run it for a few miles and then dropped the oil and filter, rather than drop the oil and filter before running it. I'll pull the filter sunday morning before i leave for the longer drive and then at the halfway point - its easy and quick enough to. I suspect all will be fine.

 

Fitted some wind deflectors today.
Had a look at the oil filter after another 50 miles and leaving car overnight - am happy still looks fine.