2004-2009 Prius: NEVER Ignore This Sound! (Sudden Death! Inverter Pump)

[@lafaea8543]

Thank you for the Prius videos!

[@wigidy12]

Mine sounds like a chicken clucking when you hit the start button, but not when driving. Ever heard that that before? Great video, thanks!

[@timothycreamer8610]

I carry a new Aisin pump and a piece of 2x4 along with a gallon of red coolant and ratcheting hose pinch pliers as well as sockets and extensions no tow for me....but yes this will strand you so good advice. Love your Prius vids Drew✔️👍

[@DrewGarage]

Wow I’m all for carrying parts but this impresses even me lol I love it

[@bladerunner1458]

Thank you for the heads up. If I hear that noise, I don’t wanna get stuck, too bad they make it difficult to fix by taking out the . I love my Generation 2, 2008 Prius, with 170,000 miles. Bought new for 25K 10/2007. Excellent shape, since its garage kept. Original Battery perhaps due to less corrosion on the hybrid battery connections? Has additional front and rear running lights. The HID headlights failed but replaced them myself by feeling my way with my hand and did not have to take the bumper off. They are much brighter than the originals. Replace the 12V battery twice. New water pump. New left front bearing. 2 New PVC valve replacement. Fix a leak in the air-conditioning system. Cleaned hybrid battery fan with an added cleanable filter screen at the air intake. Sometimes the dash lights go out 3 times a year when the weather gets cold. They will go back on within 50 miles of driving. Heard it’s cold solder joints on the electronics? Went 90K 10yr. with the energy saver Defender Michelin tires and replaced them with the regular Defender Michelin tires. Loss a few miles per gallon but handles better and a softer ride maybe due to new thread. The Prius is used for long trips only with an average mileage of 50+ MPG. Short trips are by bike, feet and public transit all year. It’s a beautiful sports car Barcelona RED and a sleeping camping car with a 6’ bed with great cargo capacity. Adding a portable inverter makes a 115 Volt generator for back up efficient home power with the on and off cycle of the engine. The Princess Prius is a tough survivor like the princess cat in the movie “The Incredible Journey”. The beautiful large dash display is ahead of its time with sharp graphics like a space ship. Ran out of gas, and a whole dashboard lit up including the triangle of death (indicates serious malfunction - do something now!). Fortunately filled up 1/2 mile away before the battery became too low. Never again!! the amazing thing the car starts in extreme cold weather 30 to 40 below by the motor generators. It’s an adventure reliable stealth vehicle that slips through the air quietly! The best smooth styling of all the model years. Definitely a incognito James Bond vehicle with secret abilities never to be underestimated. So watch out!!! Soon it will become a classic antique with appreciating value

[@DrewGarage]

Yes they are amazing, and yes I hope to see them on the road in 40 more years. It's possible, but being I have tons of exposure to already antique cars with computers, I can testify it wont be easy to keep them around that long. Chips loose their data, capacitors leak, etc.. Please subscribe =)

[@leifhietala8074]

I converted mine to LED headlights when the halogens kept dying. Should probably polish the lenses to get the clarity back but otherwise the headlights have been 100% reliable since making the switch.

[@tomkato9725]

Thanks for posting new subscriber love my grn 2 and gen 3 (gen 2 a lot more). Started hearing this sound a month or two ago on my 09. Part arrives tomorrow thanks for posting. Keep up the awesome vids!

[@DrewGarage]

WOW! Good catch! Glad you were ahead of it. Thanks for the sub. Check out all my prius videos =) There are a ton

[@roverdad]

Lol, replaced mine about 3 years ago. Was a pita. Ended up loosening the bumper cover, removing driver headlight and reaching blindly into a spot too small for my hand but I got it changed. Toyota supposedly redesigned these and the newer ones are supposed to last. I got mine from the dealer and so far so good.

[@DrewGarage]

Yea its not fun! Believe it or not, removing the inverter bracket on the right and loosening the bolt on the left, you can get it from the top. Please subscribe if youarent already!

[@roverdad]

@@DrewGarage already subscribed.Thanks for the prius content!

[@samanthabrandt6603]

I replaced that same one! Lol ran better afterwards and havent had any issues with it. My small hands made it so easy to get to.

[@colecooper6047]

So my old pump through that code. I put a brand new one on from Toyota. It made that noise until I put fluid in it. Didn’t realize it had 2 different coolant reservoirs. Seems to be ok now and isn’t making the noise anymore. Hope it’s ok??

[@travn1231]

I've heard that and knew something was wrong and finally know after many years. Good thing I regularly check the inverter coolant tank for turbulence and check temps on hybrid Assistant. What do those servos for AC system sound like? I have B1443 and B1433 on the self diagnostic for AC. I haven't been able to do open circ for front facing mode for a long time. Only defroster mode and floor vents can do open and closed. No other symptoms. I've had a persistent B1476 because stupidly I had an aftermarket AC compressor put in. Still blows cold air but when it's hot outside I have to drive like a hypermiler keeping rpms low which I've become pretty good at motivated by cool ac. Sometimes I have to reboot car real quick at a stop light or worse case find a shade spot and get AC going and cooled down real well then hit the road. August is the worst. It's turned into a game. No leaks which I've had checked regularly with my hybrid mechanic with proper HVAC, weigh, recharge and tests

[@monster1234579]

Drove from LA to SF and my car turned off 😢 after 30-40mins I tried staring it again and it turned on, guess I just needed it to cool down … Prius ftw, I never did get to change the pump tho, got rear ended and got money to buy another Prius but I started having the same issue again , will be replacing the pump soon

[@AustinZoph]

Just replaced mine. It is a cramped pain in the ass, if you don't have small skinny hands, do yourself a favor and make SURE you have hose clamp pliers, a LONG SKINNY extension for your ratchet, and lots of patience. Done several repairs on my 2nd gen prius and this was one of the more troublesome ones. Easy, but it's a very tight space if you don't remove the front bumper and headlight.

[@Wangstalked]

Hey if hear that sound when i turn the car off only. Never while the car ignition is on stopped or driving. Only after i shut the car off. I know nothing about these cars and it may be something else but def something makes noise. This car makes so many weird noises lol

[@jstarr1116]

Hi Drew, love your videos here as well as your walkarounds on the Pella channel. I have an 05 Prius with the inverter coolant pump replaced about 4k miles ago. No issues with the pump or inverter cooling system since then. Today I noticed that the pink coolant in the inverter coolant reservoir is close to the low line. Should I try to top up and maintain at the full line? For what it is worth, they said they replaced the coolant that was lost when doing the pump replacement, so slightly concerned about a small leak. Just curious your thoughts on this, and if there is reason to worry or do a much deeper inspection. Thanks for all the great content you put out!

[@JamesCampbell-c7n]

I replaced that pump in mine about a month ago and last week the red triangle came on with codes POA7A and POA92. I stopped the car and looked under the hood, the inverter was hot to the touch and after I got it home and on the lift I noticed transmission was hot too. I got in it the next day and had no codes and the car seemed fine. I’ve noticed if I get up to speed quickly the inverter and trans are hot but if I drive slow neither are… what’s wrong!? I drove it hard on two trips just the week before so I don’t think it’s because of the new pump, also it’s working fine… I’m at a loss

[@monoshock57]

I thought that was my car saying "lets go lets go lets go" Changed both of mine on my two cars.

[@DrewGarage]

lol! Yea every time I have heard this, its not nearly as fun as it sounds haha. NEVER was there, or will there be, a car with as many sounds as the gen 2. Please subscribe =)

[@bldmyamean8352]

Advice please. I bought a used gen2 Prius with this sound.. it was my first Prius and hybrid, I talked to a mechanic, and he said yeah.. they make a lot more noises than combustion engines, even when the car is off. So I ignored it. About 2 months later, code P1121 came on (coolant control valve for gen 2 Prius). Searched online and it said the heater might not work, but it wasn't an emergency fix. I probably drove it anther 10,000 miles or so no problems, and even the heater worked. I had the coolant control valve replaced, and changed the fluids, now the sound is gone. Ive driven another 10-15k since then and no lights or problems whatsoever. Question: Did driving it this way cause any permanent damage that i should be aware of?

[@m0ney0rder]

I was under the impression that noise came from the 3 way coolant valve not being able to find its position? My 2004 would do that sporadically until it finally threw the P1121 and ceased to make the noise this past month. My Inverter coolant reservoir still shows fluid current moving but no longer makes that noise.

[@zaza5584]

I just replaced my inverter coolant pump the other week after it failed (red light, inverter pump code, no swirl). The coolant is swirling now and it's making this sound intermittently so personally I'm unsure if this is the coolant pump or the three way valve sound. The sound is identical to the sound that I hear. I would be pretty confident that it must be the three way if it wasn't for me having gotten an aftermarket inverter pump and worrying that it's started to fail after a single week.

[@m0ney0rder]

@@zaza5584 I do believe the sound comes from the 3 way coolant control valve rather than the inverter coolant pump as it has a moving diverter inside of it that fails to find position over time. It starts to constantly wind the diversion chamber up and down trying to sync its position with the cars computer but can't tell where it is positioned. The electric inverter pump is essentially an impeller that constantly spins so there shouldn't be any kind of tone pitch in the pump, like it is changing directions, rather it just stops spinning. The failing 3 way coolant control valve kind of sounds like a washing machine agitator. Mine would make the noise for about a year until it finally stopped last month and threw a standard MIL with the code for coolant control valve issues. Like you said, the electric pump handling the inverter coolant loop failing will cause the red triangle of death as that pump failing poses a devastating threat to the inverter in short time if the car isn't shut down and pump fixed. You can safely drive the car with a failed coolant control valve, though it isn't advised as you won't know if you get further MIL codes as the light is already illuminated. You will also run into a no heat issue in the Winter if the valve failed in a way that shuts the heater core out from the cooling loop of the ICE. I could be wrong on all of this, so someone please correct me if so and fill me in on how the electric inverter pump would be making the noise in the video rather than the 3 way coolant control valve. Edit to add: You should also find that the car will cease to do its usual 'pump up' noise on startup or shutdown of the car. This sound is the pump on the coolant canteen filling/purging as the car thinks it has been cut off from the system if your 3 way coolant control valve fails in a position that isn't looped in to it.

[@m0ney0rder]

@@zaza5584 I will also add, keep your eye on that aftermarket inverter pump. I have perused the forums for many issues on my 04 Prius and 09 Wrangler and I can't tell you how many times I have seen folks say aftermarket parts of this nature fail on people very early on. I am hopeful to fix up my 3 way coolant control valve this weekend on my Prius and even though it pained me to pay almost double for OEM Denso parts on this 20 year old car I know this new valve should be the last time I have to tackle the repair, haha. I should plan to replace my inverter pump soon too as I can almost guarantee it is a factory part on my car about to hit 190k on the clock.

[@Customeroriented1927]

Thanks brah, you always have the best diagnostic sounds. I wanna get a 2nd gen, but the only one around me is $4.5k and has 210k miles. Scam or steal?

[@DrewGarage]

I consistently sell them for that or more BUT i bring them in from rust free areas so its worth it to the locals =) Thanks for being here =) I am guessing your subscribed? Really appreciated =)

[@ETPAK]

My ABS pump is bad. Driving with bad pump. Any tips for it please.

[@DrewGarage]

That sucks. There is a subscribed from africa that rigged up a vacuum pump and a regular booster just to get bye, but sadly, youre probably going to have to buy the $500 used part and spend the day installing =( give your self LOTS of room for stops in your current condition. Best of luck! please subscribe =)

[@ETPAK]

@DrewGarage thanks for the advice. I have been a mechanic for the last 36 years. Dont know much about prius. Mine is 2005. Love the car, but these brakes need to be fixed. Locally used abs pump costing me $500. Car it came out from had 127000 miles. Advice me, please. Is it worth buying that, or should i go for a new one?

[@DrewGarage]

@@ETPAK I wouldn’t hesitate for a minute to use a used one, given the savings. But, it’s important to keep in mind the cars I work with haven’t been exposed to road salt and are not rusty. If I was going to one of these cars, my fall maintenance would include spraying down all of the lines with a protective oil. This is what is done to our personal vehicles every fall, so if they ever need an ABS pump it won’t be bad

[@ETPAK]

@DrewGarage my prius is South Florida's driver. 155000 miles. Moving to Houston in November. So your advice is to buy that used abs with 127000 miles.

[@DrewGarage]

@@ETPAKno so much advice as simply what I would do… if I recall, a new one is more like 1500. I suppose if it was a car with absolutely no rust that I was going to keep indefinitely, I could justify the other thousand or so, but being it’s not a guaranteed thing that they just fail because of age kind of thing, I would probably go with the used one because I have the ability to do the job again

[@timothycreamer8610]

Also viewers should spring for Aisin or oem the cheap ones don't last.

[@leifhietala8074]

I'm on my 3rd inverter coolant pump, and in my opinion it might be the one really weak point of the GenII, powertrain-wise. The OE pump failed not too long after I got my '09 in about 2018, easy replacement. That one died about two months ago and I replaced that with some non-factory part, and it has thrown the Red Triangle of Death a couple of times, but each time after I tapped around it a few times it started working again. ONLY USE GENUINE FACTORY TOYOTA PUMPS. I'm usually about saving a few bucks, but this thing is crucial. I now have a genuine Toyota part, new in the box, in the basement storage of the trunk of the car, a couple of quarts of coolant and the tools to do the replacement. It's actually a pretty easy replacement to do, you just have to move some parts to get to it. I'm committed to the car but I'm keeping this one essential piece with it at all times from now on.

[@DogAteMyPopcorn]

I NEVER Ignore This South! When the magnetic capacitor is causing the secondary overheating and extreme cooling, I call my brother and have him bring his dog over. Unless it's Thursday, the dog is usually busy sniffing for drugs at Arnolds house.

[@DrewGarage]

This one is hard to follow, lol, but I am glad you are here =) please subscribe!

[@colecooper6047]

So my old pump through that code. I put a brand new one on from Toyota. It made that noise until I put fluid in it. Didn’t realize it had 2 different coolant reservoirs. Seems to be ok now and isn’t making the noise anymore. Hope it’s ok??