1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Did I damage EGR cooler while cleaning?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Su Mo, May 10, 2024.

  1. Su Mo

    Su Mo Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2023
    59
    12
    0
    Location:
    Dallas, Tx
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Hi Guys, I keep this short
    1. I’m sure you know cooler bas boxed passages from end to end if you peep through the hole on one side.
    2. If you look close you’ll notice there are fins
    Diagonally in each box. I do not know how many such fins exist in each passage?
    3. I used a 16gauge wire and used a drill in/out in/out to clean up the passages. Now it looks NEAT.
    4. I think I bent the fins on the side from where I drilled in the wire.

    do y’all think I have damaged the cooler? Please let me know. Thank you very much in advance.
     
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    10,376
    1,792
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Before you install it put some water to the water porch like tap it into the garden hose and barely fill then leave the hose crack just a little bit see if any comes out the porch that are in line which is the exhaust bending over a few of those tabs is not mission critical but if you damage the wall separating the gas and the coolant mix that's not going to be good so you want to make sure that before you install itl it
     
  3. Eddie25

    Eddie25 Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2018
    434
    174
    0
    Location:
    IL
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I'm not willing to make any hard claims, but I personally would put it back on my car since I highly doubt it'll affect anything. I assume it's just extra surface area for cooling so wouldn't matter if it's bent a little.
     
  4. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2012
    11,330
    4,614
    0
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest, USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    OMG... You're in top 10 terrritory of weirdest @tombuk2 ramble ever!

    Are you saying to test for leaks? Is that your point?
     
    Khezekiah and Tombukt2 like this.
  5. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2012
    3,311
    1,017
    0
    Location:
    Arcadia, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    If you bent fins then it is similar to a radiator or condenser being hit by pebbles/rocks in the front of the car. You're going to have to make a determination whether it's bad enough to replace or not...

    CPH2551 ?
     
  6. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    10,376
    1,792
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    It's an intercooler It has a water jacket around it and EGR gas flows through it to be cooled and/or heated to whatever the water temperature is or try to make it that so when you go ramming something through there like incorrect rod sizes to rod out the radiator which is common in radiator shops. If you damage the water jacket or poke a hole in the portion where the EGR gas is flow through you want to know about it before you install it so you can bench test the water ports on the intercooler which is the silver piece you're working on If you ram something through there and you bend a bunch of stuff you might want to make sure you didn't put a hole It's just that simple.
     
  7. Su Mo

    Su Mo Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2023
    59
    12
    0
    Location:
    Dallas, Tx
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    I did this test just like you told me. I found no leak into the exhaust passages. Water simply flows out through the coolant lines.
     
  8. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    10,376
    1,792
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Then you are watertight and good to go just like your radiator or the bottom of your inverter I'll need to be isolated from their respective systems. So no matter if you've bashed some of the things or the points inside of the little intercooler not going to hurt a thing long as you don't poke through.