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inverter coolant pump

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by ChrisPDXPrius2001, May 4, 2024.

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  1. ChrisPDXPrius2001

    ChrisPDXPrius2001 Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    portland
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    My 2001 Prius is sitting at almost 267k miles and my inverter coolant pump stopped working. While driving the check engine light turned on as well as the big triangle. drove to AutoZone and pulled code p3130. I think i am going to attempt to replace the inverter coolant pump myself. I have a few questions for the seasoned gen 1 vets here.

    1. What would a reasonable quote be to have a shop replace it?

    2. Is there a fuse that powers the inverter pump that I could check?

    3. Could I realistically drive the car for short trips? 5-10 miles?

    I did confirm the pump is not circulating the coolant. I turned the key to the READY-ON position and checked to see if there was flow, but there was none. and I also put my hand on the pump itself to see if there was any vibration, there was none. Also tested again with the car fully on and running.

    p.s. since owning the car I have had to replace the inverter coolant pump twice. last time being in 2016

    again thanks for reading. this forum is awesome.
     
    #1 ChrisPDXPrius2001, May 4, 2024
  2. ronlewis

    ronlewis Active Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Model:
    One
    I'm guessing the dealer would bill a couple of hours for this. I've replaced several of these and the only issue, for me, is the hose on the left side. Trying to get that hose clamp off is a PITA. I clamp vice grips on that hose to not lose fluid.

    I expect you can drive short trips, until the inverter heats up. Here's the wiring diagram. Looks like AM2 fuse. power2.png
     
    #2 ronlewis, May 10, 2024
  3. ChrisPDXPrius2001

    ChrisPDXPrius2001 Junior Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Okay, I successfully replaced the inverter coolant pump. the coolant is now flowing. however, my triangle light and check engine light remain on. will these turn off while normal driving? how do i clear the codes?

    Thanks!
     
    #3 ChrisPDXPrius2001, May 24, 2024
  4. ronlewis

    ronlewis Active Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Model:
    One
    They should clear themselves after several engine restarts, although I'm not sure of the exact process. You can immediately clear them by simply pulling the big black connector on the 12v battery's positive terminal block - or disconnecting the battery any other way. Wait a minute and plug it back in.

    Really, you should read those codes (the one(s) making those lights/triangle light up) before your clear them, if you haven't already. There could be additional problems. There's also a process for bleeding air out of the coolant system after swapping the pump. I've never done it because I use a pair of vice grips to clamp off the hoses before disconnecting - seems to work fine. Still, I'd watch the coolant temp for the first few times driving. Both of those can be done with several brands of OBDII scanners/monitors. I use a blue tooth connector and an Android phone app called TorquePro.
     
    #4 ronlewis, May 24, 2024
    Last edited: May 24, 2024
  5. ChrisPDXPrius2001

    ChrisPDXPrius2001 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 9, 2015
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    Location:
    portland
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    I drove up to AutoZone and they let me clear the codes. When I removed the hoses connected to the inverter pump I just corked the end. very little fluid loss. I drove a total of 12 miles. the inverter didn't seem hot, just normal warm. I will keep checking the coolant for any loss of fluid and keep an eye out for temps. overall, the process wasn't too complicated. took me maybe an hour to get it all done and saved me a ton of money on labor. the pump is OEM.

    the check engine light code was p3130, which popped up while driving last month which led me to diagnose that the inverter pump was bad and not circulating coolant.
     
    #5 ChrisPDXPrius2001, May 24, 2024
    mroberds and ronlewis like this.
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