Subject vehicle has around 126,000 miles. Regarding the inverter coolant: 1- Is there a specific amount of miles when the coolant should be changed? 2- Is this maintenance task a difficult procedure for someone that's very mechanically inclined? 3- I'd think there's a specific type coolant that needs to be utilized? Appreciate your replies and if available any tech documentation with specific steps to be taken would be greatly appreciated.
Lots of utube videos to show you how to do it. Every 50,000 is recommended by Toyota, but it is easier than oil or cvt trans changes, so doing the change more often will likely be good for even your hybrid battery. Find the posts on the 4 stages of the inverter warming. Older batteries, dirty egr system, cold weather, and lots of mileage on the engine and exhaust make the first 5 minutes of driving likely to post codes unless you warm everything or drive very slowly. I have to use the brake regeneration system to pump up my battery when everything is cold. You can use Peak 50/50 for Asian. It's for Toyota and it's pink. Walmart sells it for about what everything else sells for. Toyota sells theirs for a premium. It's supposed to be the same fluid for the engine. Toyota charges $199. A bottle of Peak is about $25. You just have to raise the car, remove the plastic cover(about 14 connections). Most are metal and plastic push pins, about 5 or 6 are bolts. Put down a plastic pan, use a 10mm hex socket(i think), let the fluid drain to a drip, loosen the tank cap, blow in the tank to flush a bit more, not all of the fluid drains(only about half a gallon maybe) Toyota flushes the system from the in and out hoses at the radiator (it still is a closed system separate from the rest of the radiator) And they only use the coolant and not special flushing chemicals, so mechanics have posted that draining and refilling is adequate and none have suggested any flushing chemicals even though Toyota may state that you can use them. Some posts have cautioned that air needs to be bled from the system. Gen 2 has a bleed nipple. Gen 3 may be designed to clear the air naturally through the pump. I have seen that pushing the on button twice turns on the pump enough to push the fluid....then you may have to top it off then turn it on(no engine) and top it off again So again: raise the car level, remove the tank cap, remove the plastic cover, position the pan, find the single drain...10mm hex?, drain until just dripping, blow in the tank to push more out, put the plug back(a new aluminum washer is $3), fill tank to level, push on button twice(without using brake pedal), push off, fill tank to level, push on twice, push off, check level, put the undercover back on, let down the car, start the car, let it warm, check that the coolant level is fine and moving inside the tank(use a light...the movement ripples at least) Ok...so you have saved yourself about $175 and alot of mechanics do exactly the same thing(except maybe Toyota)
Michael, Thanks for your reply. It sounds easy. I've changed the engine oil every 5,000 miles, OMG can't remember how many times since I acquired the car from father-in-law (he bought new) with like 45,000 miles, it now has almost 150,000. I also changed the drive oil and spark plugs around 100,000. You make it sound like changing inverter coolant is as easy or easier than engine or drive oil changes. I'd still like to see if someone can share a link or pages from a shop manual explaining exact steps. I asked the owner of the local shop I use for State Inspections if he could change the inverter coolant (he was a Prius Technician Instructor for Toyota and decided he didn't like traveling all the time so he opened his own shop close by) and he told me don't screw around with that cause if it isn't done correctly you could end up hurting the drive battery. He said "take it to the dealer". Appreciate additional replies.
