Just bought it and got Inverter cooling efficiency issue.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by saneesh8, Jul 5, 2024.

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  1. saneesh8

    saneesh8 Junior Member

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    Hi All,

    I just bought 2009 Prius Base with ~147k from a used car dealer 60 miles away from my home. Car was sold as is. While driving back on highway, all the lights came on and i immediately pulled over. Turned it off, waited few seconds and started again. Now only the red triangle light and brake light. Also even after it is turned off, it is making a whir whir sound every few seconds. A/C turned off automatically after few minutes. Was driving at highway with mild acceleration. Came back and scanned with the OBD reader. Error code was Inverter efficiency issue (forgot the exact message) and accidentally i cleared it. A/C started working again after few minutes, i guess after cool down. No other driving issues. Drove 2-3 miles again and it didn't came back.

    I did search for this all points to bad inverter coolant pump or low coolant. Coolant level is in the middle and it seems fan(s) are coming on (didn't check if one or both are coming on). I was planning to check the turbulence in the reservoir and since the car is still hot, i didn't open it. The whir whir sound every few seconds seems to be coming from the inverter area. Checked the car fax report and seems they replaced the coolant sensor when it was at 75k and no recall for inverter coolant pump was done.

    1. Does any one tried to activate the coolant pump with the Foxwell scanner software with Toyota software pack or it needs the Techstream software ? I already have the Foxwell NT530. This is the guaranteed way to check the pump. If the Techstream is needed, which dongle / software? I also have a 2014 Avalon Hybrid with 75k on it. If it can check each fans, pump, it would be really nice. I have the factory software for my old bmw and it can control all electronics modules. I am hoping that level of control.

    2. Planning to replace the pump anyway and replace coolant with Toyota coolant. The coolant pump for engine, any life span for this? Should i replace this as well? Regular cars like the Odyssey i have, i replace it at 100k with TB job.

    Thanks in advance..
     
    #1 saneesh8, Jul 5, 2024
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    So your '09 if the inverter coolant pump is not functioning properly the little red car on the multifunction display is displayed right now it's no longer green may say problem across the top of the screen etc etc so you just want to replace the pump without the bracket it's the fastest way to do it and everything should be back to normal. The regular water pump in this vehicle has a belt and it is belt driven off the crankshaft and they rarely go bad if you wipe your hand underneath the mechanical pump if it's weeping out of the weep hole your hand will have some drops of cooling on it then it would be time to think about getting a pump they're very inexpensive they're like what Toyota used on every engine back in the old days like $30 or something seriously and they rarely go bad now the belt might break and if you just replace the belt and top off the coolant should be fine this is nothing like the Avalon You won't need to be calling up pumps very often things like that the inverter pump runs when you open the door and all of that sort of thing so you don't really need to call it up with electronics same with the engine water pump there's nothing to call up like maybe on the Avalon or the generation 3 so much easier car to deal with and work on It generally doesn't break unlike the other electric pump generation threes Avalon's camrys that sort of thing
     
    #2 Tombukt2, Jul 6, 2024
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  3. saneesh8

    saneesh8 Junior Member

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    Thank you. Checked the inverter coolant tank. No flow when engine is running. Inverter coolant pump is shot. Ordering a new one now.

    Since i don't know the history of maintenance, i am going to do the following. Please correct me if i am wrong.
    1.Inverter pump and coolant
    2. Cabin filter. Engine filter seems to be new
    3. ICE coolant
    4. Spark plugs.
    5. Brake fluid
    6. Transmission fluid.
    7. Engine oil, seems to be ok. But don't want to take chances
    8. All tires. They are really bad.
    9. Hood latch is out of sync. Only the top part locks. Seems something pushed in it. Need to fix it. Now, anyone from outside can open it.
    10. Horn seems to be disconnected. Need to fix it. Also even though no history, seems it was in some kind of accident. Please see below pictures. The hood latch and the inverter one one side is attached with multiple washers.

    Also found an old brake actuator assembly in the trunk. Seems they replaced it. Not sure.

    1.jpeg 2.jpeg 3.jpeg 4.jpeg 5.jpeg 1.jpeg 2.jpeg 3.jpeg 4.jpeg 5.jpeg 1.jpeg 2.jpeg 3.jpeg 4.jpeg 5.jpeg 1.jpeg 5.jpeg 4.jpeg 3.jpeg 2.jpeg 1.jpeg 1.jpeg 2.jpeg 3.jpeg 4.jpeg 5.jpeg
     
    #3 saneesh8, Jul 6, 2024
  4. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    The inverter coolant pump is powered on anytime the car is in "ignition on" mode (power button x2 with no foot on brake) or "ready" (power button x1 with foot on brake).

    The OE pump seems to last around 100k miles. The most reliable also seems to be a genuine OE part from a dealer. There are many counterfeits out on the web.

    There are many reports of questionable function of aftermarket parts- it can work fine for a few months, then randomly decide to "not pump" until you cycle the power a few times.

    As far as the engine (ICE) pump, I inspect it for leaks or noisy bearings when I perform routine oil changes, also check the belt for cracks. I would likely change the pump, belt, and idler pulley sometime between 150-200k.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #4 mr_guy_mann, Jul 6, 2024
  5. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    This needs to be amplified. Buy an OEM pump and buy it only directly from an official Toyota outlet, usually a local dealer. The OEM pumps are usually good for a long, long time, but will fail eventually. Since it runs whenever the car is on they eventually just wear out. Call around, prices will vary. Do not buy any other brand (they are historically unreliable) or buy a "Toyota OEM" pump from Amazon or Ebay (as the odds are very high it will be counterfeit).

    Aisin is said to make the OEM pump, and there are Aisin pumps available from reputable parts sources. These might be exactly the same as the OEM pump, or they might be parts that didn't pass QC and so cannot be sold as an OEM pump.

    Spend money on a good pump and save money by installing it yourself. There is a long thread on this site discussing how to do so. It is not difficult.
     
    #5 pasadena_commut, Jul 7, 2024
  6. saneesh8

    saneesh8 Junior Member

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    I bought the Inverter coolant pump(G9020-47031), coolant (00272-SLLC2), spark plugs and ATF from the local dealer. Will be picking it up when it is ready. The pump is shot. No movement of fluid in the reservoir. The plugs seems to be worn. ATF, just want to change it because i don't know the history.

    Regarding the aftermarket/ebay/amazon parts, i got burned once with spark plugs. It was fake and the plugs which were supposed to last 100k on the Odyssey, at 3000 miles, they were in bad shape. Luckily i got it on time. Will never ever buy aftermarket/ebay/amazon parts. So many fake parts. On the odyssey forums, there are stories of so many people who bought the TB kit from ebay/amazon with Honda sticker and got bent valves because of the bad belt.
     
    #6 saneesh8, Jul 7, 2024
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  7. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    The car needs to be level (front to rear) when you refill the transmission. I have seen Prius that were 3-4 quarts overfilled because the front was raised on jackstands. This will cause hybrid motor cooling fault codes, esp on highway driving.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #7 mr_guy_mann, Jul 8, 2024
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  8. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    Well, let's assume a person doesn't have a lift and doesn't have 4 jack stands. Can it be done? The front of the car would need to be jacked up to remove the drain bolt and loosen the fill bolt. Once empty, put the drain bolt back in, lower to the ground, and then what? Maybe run a plastic tube down into the fill hole ahead of time, and pour in fluid until it starts dripping on the ground, then jack it back up again to put in the fill plug? Presumably the fluid should stay in as the car is being tipped away from the hole.

    The least amount of lift I have seen for this procedure is in this video:



    and they still had to jack up one side some in order to reach those bolts. Personally, I wouldn't go under a car held up like that though, and the lowest settings on my jack stands are much higher than that.
     
    #8 pasadena_commut, Jul 8, 2024
  9. saneesh8

    saneesh8 Junior Member

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    I am planning to do it on 4 jack stands or 2 on ramps and other 2 on jack stands and in level position. I had done this on my bmw Z3. Had to use the hand pump to fill it in, same method on the Passat i had earlier. So kind of know the idea. Since there is no warm up, recheck and refill procedure like those cars, it is little easier. Just drain and fill until it overflows through fill plug right? Like a differential fluid change.

    The Avalon hybrid i have, the dealer did it at 45k. It was still under warranty. Wanted to do it, but didn't want to mess up the warranty.

    Still waiting for parts. Seems the inverter coolant pump, they don't have it in stock. I am hoping to do all next Sunday. Will update.
     
    #9 saneesh8, Jul 8, 2024
  10. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    Yep, like a differential or manual transmission. Add fluid until it's level with the fill port. Put the plug back in and you're done.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #10 mr_guy_mann, Jul 8, 2024
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  11. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    Is it possible to reach that plug if the car isn't raised somehow? (I don't feel like crawling around on the hot pavement right now to find out experimentally.)
     
    #11 pasadena_commut, Jul 9, 2024
  12. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    If I remember correctly, driving the car up onto 2 2 x 6s under each wheel will give you just enough room to get that plug out.
     
    #12 dolj, Jul 10, 2024
  13. saneesh8

    saneesh8 Junior Member

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    Just finished replacing spark plugs, engine oil (full synthetic 5W30 with Toyota filter), ATF, Inverter coolant pump and coolant. Also the engine coolant was slightly low. Topped it off.Took 4 hours for all. Now i can see the coolant movement in the inverter coolant reservoir and it was not there before. Also bleed it using the procedure. No more air bubbles.

    After i did the spark plugs(they were looking bad), put the rear of car on ramps and front on jack stands. Verified car is level using a level and did all the fluid changes. Noticed slight pink color under engine water pump area. Also checked the brake fluid again. 2% moisture level. Next, brake fluid and engine coolant.

    Brake actuator is making noise, but no codes so far. Car seems to be running smoother. As per Carfax, previous oil change was 2 years ago, but with only 1k miles. So wanted to change all fluids. It might have been changed, not sure.
     
    #13 saneesh8, Jul 14, 2024
  14. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    Both are more complicated than you might expect. Do not proceed as if it was a regular car.

    The engine coolant change is doable. Watch these videos (more than one part) first:



    The brake fluid change requires special software/scanner and a complex series of steps. Techstream with a mini-VCI is probably not going to work. There have been reports that it can be done with the Autel AP200. If the actuator is going changing the fluid isn't going to fix it. You might as well wait until that needs to be changed, otherwise you will be doing this twice.
     
    #14 pasadena_commut, Jul 14, 2024
  15. saneesh8

    saneesh8 Junior Member

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    Thank you @pasadena_commut . Just saw the video. it was really helpful.

    On my Avalon Hybrid, i did both. I used the vacuum method for the brake bleeding. Not the regular method or invalid mode method. Planning to do the same. Followed CarCareNut's YT video.

    Coolant, i saw some seepage under the water pump area, but coolant level was little low like 2 teaspoons. That's it. Wonder if i need to change the water pump also along with its belt and Thermostat. Planning to give it to my teenage son. So want everything to be in good shape :)

    Tomorrow taking it to Discount tire for replacing tires and TPMS sensors. TPMS sensor, they charge $60 per tire. Seems the standard rate for all cars.

    About the software, i have foxwell nt 530 with Honda software pack. Does any one tried the Toyota software pack from them? Also which one is good ebay alternative? I will check Autel AP200. Since the brake fluid is 2% moisture level, i think it should last little bit more here in Dallas, TX heat. No moisture in the dry air.
     
    #15 saneesh8, Jul 14, 2024
  16. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    I would plan on replacing the ICE water pump, belt, and the tensioner pulley. Thermostat isn't a bad idea while you're in there.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #16 mr_guy_mann, Jul 15, 2024
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  17. saneesh8

    saneesh8 Junior Member

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    3 way coolant valve, is this a maintenance item? Part 16670-21010. Also i can't find the part number for the tensioner pulley.
     
    #17 saneesh8, Jul 15, 2024
  18. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    Change it only when it goes bad. If it breaks you can still use the car normally. It controls which fork the ICE coolant takes, but either path, the motor still gets cooled. The inverter is much easier to change than the 3 way valve - there is very little room around the latter and moving the old one out and the new one in is a complex 3D puzzle of turns and twists of an odd shaped object through an irregular tunnel.

    I suppose if push came to shove it could be bypassed by plumbing the ICE coolant to go completely around the thermos bottle. Might throw a code though if it was unplugged.
     
    #18 pasadena_commut, Jul 15, 2024
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  19. saneesh8

    saneesh8 Junior Member

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    Thanks.. i will not change it then.. Its bad that no temperature gauge on car :(
     
    #19 saneesh8, Jul 15, 2024
  20. saneesh8

    saneesh8 Junior Member

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    Changed all 4 tires with TPMS sensor. Car is quiet now and no more TPMS light. Other than the krr sound every few seconds from the brake actuator, it is silent now.
     
    #20 saneesh8, Jul 15, 2024
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