I have an 2002 which I bought new. It's got low millage, just over 92,000. I took it into the dealer for a free state inspection and was told that the water pump is leaking. Given the age I'm not too surprised although I don't know what the reliability is like on that part. I've been using the local dealership (Brown Toyota) for 2+ years and have been getting decent service although I now have a new service advisor who I don't trust. I want to verify myself that the water pump is actually leaking before having it replaced but don't know where it is or what to look for. Googling hasn't been too helpful - I get lots of hits about the inverter pump, not the water pump. I have not seen any signs of leaking on the ground under the car. There was no mention of the water pump leaking when I took it to the dealer at 90,000 for an oil change, with my original service advisor. Is the water pump something that I can fairly easily inspect? Where do I find it and what do I look for? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
The Classic Prius has three coolant pumps: 1. engine coolant 2. cabin heater core coolant 3. inverter coolant I believe you are concerned with #1. That pump is located at the "front" of the engine which faces the passenger-side fender. It is spun via a rubber serpentine belt which is powered by the engine crankshaft pulley. Find the pump and its pulley. Look at the inside of the pulley for a pinkish or whitish powdery deposit which is dried antifreeze. Also look at the air conditioner compressor housing below the pump to see if any residue has deposited there. In severe cases you will see the pinkish spray deposited on the inside of the hood. See my post #18 in the following link, which is relevant to 2G. The Classic engine is similar except the serpentine belt also turns the air conditioner compressor. Some of the photos may be helpful for you to see where the engne coolant pump is located. Service Schedule on Serpentine Belt | PriusChat
Check the coolant overflow tank level in the morning. Running dry could lead to severe engine problems. Bob Wilson
Thanks for the responses. There was some dried white powder on the inside of the hood on the passenger side. I didn't get under the car to look. The coolant level is between the full and low lines. I cleaned the underside of the hood and will keep an eye on it as well as the coolant level.
Check the coolant level in the radiator. It is possible that an engine coolant pump leak will allow air to enter the system, so that the vacuum which normally would develop when the engine cools down will dissipate. Then the coolant level in the reservoir may remain at what looks like a good level while the coolant level in the radiator continues to drop.
Yes, I know not to open the radiator cap if it's hot. Thanks for the reminder. I checked the coolant level in the radiator this morning. It was filled all the way to the top.
Whoops, sorry, I inadvertently replied to an old thread. Mechanical engine water pumps use a ceramic seal. in you case, if there is no continuing or ongoing loss of coolant, and you aren't hearing a noise from the pump, I wouldn't worry about it. https://attachments.priuschat.com/attachment-files/2015/10/96234_T-SB-0117-11.pdf
