I have a 2001 Prius, and I believe I have a leak in my inverter. Im not to sure about what Im looking at but when I look under the car I see crusty pink around what looks to be a plug like one for an oil pan. I beleive thats the bottom of the inverter where Im seen what I believe is dried up coolant. The inverter coolant reservior is low at times when I check and I top it off with the special Toyota coolant. My engine coolant resevior is low at times as well but Im not sure if its related. My main question is, is it possible that I just have a small leak by the "plug" in the inverter coolant or am I totally off my rocker and not know what Im looking at. Thank you for any adivce and comments you may have.
It is possible after 10 years to have small leaks, have you ever changed these fluids, you can take off the drain plugs and clean and regasket, if applicable. And put in new fluids. Just loosening a drain plug and retightening also might help.
You can try torquing the plug. Spec is 29 ft-lb. A leak is possible if it is undertorqued or if the crush washer was reused after a service. Have you had the pump changed or a coolant exchange recently?
I had the same problem, on my car, it turned out to be the inverter coolant reservoir leaking at the neck (the place where it fits into the inverter). There was a small hairline crack in the reservoir on the neck that "plugs into" the inverter. I would suggest removing the reservoir (not easy, there are 4 bolts to remove and are very hard to get to) and checking it for a crack at the neck. I diagnosed it by turning the key to ignition on (engine not started) and looking for a leak. I noticed it was leaking out of the bottom of the reservoir (slow drip). When I pulled it out, I shined a light into the reservoir and sure enough, there was a hairline crack in the neck. Be careful to keep track of the o-ring that fits around the neck (its easy to lose). This is the most likely place for it to leak. The plastic that the reservoir is made of becomes brittle over time and cracks easily. I would not recommend replacing it with a used one because it will be brittle as well. A new one costs about $50.
