2010-2015 Toyota Prius Engine coolant drain and refill

[@coltonlapp4193]

Maintenance mode: power button twice, gas fully twice, brake once (hold), neutral, twice gas, park, twice more gas pedal

[@Doinformowany]

How to turn off this mode ?

[@garyomglol]

@@Doinformowany Turn engine off with start button and it will revert back to normal

[@johnalkin9768]

Nice cheat code

[@andrewareva4605]

up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A and Start

[@andytraiger4079]

Will this give my engine infinite lives or any special powers?

[@getbuckxSON]

Super helpful. Anyone else think the Maintenance Mode process feels like a video game cheat code? Thought my Prius was going to start floating or something

[@NutzAboutBolts]

🤣🤣 up up down down left right left right A, B, Start

[@ArielDavis-it8rl]

I probably will have to do this soon. But I would like to personally tell you, I appreciate you. I have saved money and learned about my car in the process. Thank you kind sir - you have helped a woman not get scammed by these dealers!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

No problem! Glad the videos were helpful and helped saved you lots of $$$ 🙂

[@DaleEGordon]

Great video and instructions for engine coolant and inverter coolant replacement. Based on dealer quote, this saved me $550.

[@alexisrodriguez2966]

I was about to take it to them i will do it myself 😂

[@AnnaA-fq8yw]

NOT great. He did not mention the bleeding valve under the cowl panel that is required by the factory manual. And these 3rd gen cars are prone to engine overheat.

[@arturpirozhkov6779]

U5aa5,д5дгчTY k KY just uju😂​@@alexisrodriguez2966

[@MarcillaSmith]

​@@AnnaA-fq8ywas I understand it, they found that the bleed valve was unnecessary with the pressurized system, so Toyota eliminated it during the Gen 3 run.

[@johnmooney8568]

This channel is such a hidden gem! 💎 Thank you for sharing your expertise in such a beginner-friendly way!

[@ChrisBeers01]

Thanks for helping me diagnose this. I’m headed Valvoline but I didn’t know where to turn before. Thanks.

[@Herlongian]

Using a trim removal tool, gently wiggle out the plastic pins that hold the splash shield so you don’t break them. Reinstall them in same location. Have spare plastic pins ready. You want that shield just like it came from the factory.

[@daver35]

i'm going thru changing the water pump and thermostat now. if someone doesn't want to remember all those steps for maintenance mode you can just place an item on the accelerator pedal and the car will start and stay running. if you want or need to get to 2500-2700 rpm you can place an item heavy enough to get the pedal to get to those rpm's. bleeding air out of this car was more of a challenge then i thought it would be. had to compress the inlet hose(at the t/stat) many times to prime the pump. good video. thanks.

[@JuanPablo-kt4uh]

How do I bleed the air out? I can't get the coolant system to fill? Is my t/stat not opening? Or am I not doing something right?

[@michaelm9621]

Man that was way easy to change out the fluid. Great Video sir, keep it up.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Thanks!

[@HeavyDutySafe]

Thank you for the video, it helped me so much to do the coolant change and to do the whole process again when I had to replace the water pump. Maybe next time you can add the video about that too, even though is actually not bad to do. Only 2 hours tops.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

for sure when ours go bad, its electric water pump, so it shouldn't go out on you...

[@bmana0gali859]

thx man. I just bought a hybrid prius and didn't know how to work these new cars. thx for the help and I'll share this with everyone I know

[@NutzAboutBolts]

thank you, we appreciate that :) You can also check out PriusChat forum as well, they are pretty helpful in questions in case you have any problems with your vehicle. :)

[@bmana0gali859]

thx will do

[@funexnm]

There's a vent valve on the heater return pipe on the transmission side of the engine,open that to get the air out quicker

[@NutzAboutBolts]

It’s only on 2010-2011 models

[@tvpierce1]

Put a piece of vinyl tubing on the radiator drain petcock, and run it into a jug/container. No splashing!

[@The_Humble_Hurricane]

Man, you and this video are pure life savers. This is exactly what I needed. Thank you very much. New subscriber

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Glad it helped 👍🏼

[@Juss-Saiyan]

@@NutzAboutBolts how long does it take for the fan to come on. it's around 50 degrees outside where I am

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@Juss-Saiyan if you idle it, it’s usually longer than 30 mins. If you keep it at 2k rpm, it’ll probably turn on between 15 mins to 25mins.

[@Juss-Saiyan]

@@NutzAboutBolts the fans started kicking on and off so I guess it worked. I have hot air, but what's strange is I'm use to seeing a lot more movement in the water when it kicks on. Also weirdly enough I had it at exactly full and now it's like an inch over full..? That's a first as well

[@paveld6]

There are access holes for both the drain nozzle and the tap. No need to take anything off underneath.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

We were filming the inverter coolant drain and refill video as well, so that’s why the undercarriage panel was off. But yes, you don’t need to remove the panel since there is a hole for the radiator peck cock from the buttom.

[@troybonner91]

You put the cap back on before running the heater? Wouldn't that keep more air bubbles from coming out?

[@mattgreen4611]

My thoughts exactly

[@chupacabra3351]

@@mattgreen4611 I think the coolant runs through the heater core whether you have the heater on or off. It's like a little radiator inside the duct work or heat and air assembly.

[@jonathanrivera283]

Thank you for your video i use this videos for change the spark plugs, transmission oil and the water pump and coolant

[@yaszey5]

I now know the cheat code to my car. Thank you.

[@alierikenoglu8006]

If you turn your heater on "full blast" the gasoline engine will keep running until the engine warms up and cooling fans energize and the heating t-stat opens up. I don't think there's any need for the elaborate "maintenance mode" ordeal.

[@alaind831]

you can also get dr.prius mobile app and use the free tool to go into service mode.

[@williamwilson1165]

That's I'm thinking

[@d_bb9]

Great video. Broke down to step by step.

[@paladain55]

If anybody is watching this video just know this process is incorrect! You will be fine if you stick with the same coolant more than likely, but just realize since he didn't drain the cylinder block drain cock plug most of the coolant is still in! Don't accidentally mix it if you're trying to swap colors! Coolant capacity is about 5 more quarts than he was able to get out just draining the radiator and leaving the coolant in the engine!

[@stn7172]

How do you flush the engine

[@paladain55]

@@stn7172 pull a line on the exhaust heat exchange and let it drain. For filling you use the burp port near the dash.Just open it though. You fill up to the burp line on the coolant tank.

[@CollyCam10]

Makes sense why I did this and my new coolant instantly turned dark like the old stuff I drained

[@JuanPablo-kt4uh]

​@paladain55 to clarify I have to fill the coolant reservoir up to the burp fill line in order to open up the burp port? I am having issues with filling my coolant system up.

[@paladain55]

@@JuanPablo-kt4uh Easiest method is to drain the coolant line going to the exhaust portion and the radiator. When it finishes, fill from the bleed port on the top of the engine near the firewall, and finish up with the coolant resevoir. Theres a hump in the system at the engine block so one side will drain and one wont. Hope tht makes sense.

[@farmerinchico]

I used an Airlift tool when I refilled the coolant. It eliminates the hassle of the bleeding process and speeds things up considerably. The third generation Prius has a very extensive cooling system. Air bubbles are real concern. I also squeezed the radiator hoses (from the bottom of radiator, to remove air bubbles) after the thermostat opened in the engine.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

+farmerinchico you know, the funny thing is, it didn't take long for the engine to heat up and bleed all the air out of the system. It was much faster than my Honda Accord when I bleed it. We covered up the plastic under panel too early so we used the over flow hose by the coolant reservoir to check if it's hot enough, and sure enough, it was hot and a couple minutes later, the radiator fan kicked on. I think people make these hybrid vehicle maintenance out to be harder than it is, when it's really that easy.

[@farmerinchico]

+NutzAboutBolts It's all those noises a Prius makes as it just sitting in the garage: )

[@NutzAboutBolts]

+farmerinchico I know what you mean lol!! Darn Prius noise.

[@21boxhead]

+NutzAboutBolts you didn't flush the system

[@NutzAboutBolts]

21boxhead that's why its called a drain and refill...

[@iwontreplybacklol7481]

I tried to do the maintenance mode, but instead it unlocked beast mode and now my Prius has 800hp! 😳

[@NutzAboutBolts]

🤣😂🤣

[@philippageorgiou3827]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@danielsmalley7110]

helpful video for "maintenance mode."

[@musicalchris559]

Thank you for this video. It really helped!

[@healingworksyesjohnn]

Why maintenance mode? The engine runs with the hybrid system on? Seems fun to control the computer with such an obscure button pedal mix! Thanks I will definitely plan to do this myself, slowly and carefully!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Maintenance mode bypasses the hybrid system. It’ll let you run the engine only so that the engine gets up to the proper temp for the thermostat to open up to finish bleeding the system from air bubbles.

[@baynaamchaahat720]

I could flush the engine coolant of my Gen III Prius (2013) without opening any panel at all. First I memorized the position of yellow knob of valve which was visible from top . Then there was a rectangular hole (aprx 6" x 3") in the sheet metal at bottom where I could put my arm and my hand could reach the valve at the estimated position (reach of others may depend upon the thickness/girth of their arm). With some effort I could open the valve by hand and most of drained coolant came out through another smaller hole in the sheet metal, though not very cleanly. Around 1% of coolant splashed and came out from a couple of other holes. In retrospect, I wish I would have drained slowly and had additional pans ready which may have reduced the mess. After draining I could close back the valve from the same hole at bottom.

[@alaind831]

Yep same here (2014 Gen3 Prius) @ 155K (first one I think - liquid looks good). If you ONLY have to drain the engine coolant (the inverter was replaced by Toyota so they changed that coolant), you don't need to remove the panel. Easy rolled on ramp, to reach in there and turn (if really slow it drips straight down, if faster it will splatter and will come out 2 holes further back in the cover as well. I cut a gallon milk jug to collect those secondary drips. used dr.prius app to put into maintenance mode and torque app rev to 2500rmp and heat coolant (89c stated boiling in overflow, no fan though). I used Zerex Asian pink for toyota. Same organic coolant at $11/g vs 33 at dealer a long drive away. easy peazy...

[@terrytorres7075]

@@alaind831 I have same 2014 Prius. We have to change inverter coolant???

[@alaind831]

just like the engine one it has a limited life and could get dirty and is exposed to heat as well...looking at maintenance log p50 it shows [] replace engine/inverter coolant at 100k / 10y BUT inverter is 150k - with this side note: 3) Initial engine coolant replacement at 100,000 miles/120 months. Replace every 50,000 miles/60 months thereafter. Initial inverter coolant replacement at 150,000 miles/180 months. Replace every 50,000 miles/60 months thereafter. Refer to “Engine/Inverter Coolant” in the “Explanation of Maintenance Items” section in the back of this guide for more information.

[@terrytorres7075]

@@alaind831 what guide sir?

[@alaind831]

@@terrytorres7075 "maintenance log page 50" as stated above

[@troybonner91]

At what temperature does the thermostat open? Shouldn't there be a noticeable drop in coolant level when it does? I'm bleeding mine after replacing my water pump and refilling coolant and temps got up to 215 Fahrenheit without any drop in coolant level.

[@hawaiiansheepdog]

Did you also replace the thermostat?

[@JuanPablo-kt4uh]

How did you fix the issue?

[@Island_runner22]

Is this supposed to be done at 100k miles?

[@gasolinaquema8416]

Per Toyota yes

[@tastetrice9503]

Thank you for the helpful video!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

You’re welcome

[@YuusufAkorede]

First I want to thank you for this awesome video. My 2010 wouldn't pick up. Then I found your video. Now my car picks up, runs in the maintenance mode but for a few seconds and then shut back off. Please what else can I try? Thanks in advance.

[@vilaylacksithiphanh7775]

Hi, how long does it take until the cooling fans turn on during maintenance mode?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

45 mins of you leave it idle, but if you rev it up like we do to about 2-3k rpm, then it takes around 15-20 mins.

[@mrkahn3776]

@@NutzAboutBolts 3

[@bearsneaglesentertainment3901]

The fans kick on when the coolant temperature reaches 95°C, so if you have an OBD app or some other means of checking the temperature, you can watch your progress instead of just waiting.

[@mattbrooks9928]

@@bearsneaglesentertainment3901 what would cause it to get up to like 215 in maintenance mode while doing this process. It kept climbing up higher so I shut it off, but I’ve got new pump and thermostat no leaks fans came on just didn’t help to drop the temp

[@JuanPablo-kt4uh]

​@mattbrooks9928 did you find a fix?

[@TimZ007]

I find that just run the heat on HI will make the engine run. you can also hit the gas. that fluid looked new. LOL

[@RobertBeedle]

Looks can be deceiving on coolant. You can use a test strip on it to see if it is still good

[@TheCgraham18]

Great Prius maintenance video!

[@Ramirezja76]

great videos man. quick and easy and great quality!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

+Jesse Ramirez thanks!

[@Dr.Gunsmith]

Absolutely what I needed, thanks 🙏

[@rohitbhatnagar7599]

Excellent video. The explanation was very good !!

[@MrMishka212]

Does it have coolant level sensor?i forget to hook overflow line and was driving a week without warning

[@Mr.Buttermaker]

Great video per usual.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

+Mr. Buttermaker thanks

[@SteveTK420]

How long should it take for the fan/thermostat to kick in? How long should I let it run with the heater on?

[@rubenzavala9993]

I like to know how long take to thermostat to kick in?

[@ronmelliad7327]

How about air bleeding the system?

[@joshuacoleman6122]

You're talented

[@panutusawapornpisan6807]

My 2014 prius almost at 120,000, and I'm planning to replace the water pump on the enging. Should I replace the thormostat as well? Have you ever had to replace them on your car?

[@1969MARKETING]

what if it's low? can you simply add more coolant?

[@johndorian9358]

Yes, but it still needs to be changed to remove the salt build up from old coolant. The longer you go without a change the faster the coolant boils off and leaves behind even more salts

[@thereallouies9915]

I have a great question for you. I have a 2014 toyota prius v and I have low heat after driving for 10-15 mins. I changed the thermostat and that only made a slight difference. I make sure my coolant level is to the top. Maybe is obvious but I do have a bad head gasket that doesn't mix with oil just burn coolant and the heat was working even with that issue present. I put the car into maintenance mode and left the car on reving to 2000 rpm for about 40 mins with the tank cap off and the heat on high and the car never gets hot even in full speed and max temp. I also squeeze the lines awhile it was on with the tank cap off. I changed the cap and still no heat. When the cooling fans kick in the hoses from the thermostat is hot and I measure the temperature of the two heater core hoses and they were the same temp 102c. I also flush the heater core before this and made no difference. After all of this is it possible there is still air in the cooling system? Is it may be that three way coolant valve that is causing the issue even tho I don't have the p0 code for it?

[@MrTmenzo]

So to summarize when you want heat the car isn't blowing hot air? Does your car still blow cold air when you have the AC on? If yes then most likely the heater core is clogged up and if a flush didn't work it the core will need to be replaced. If the cold air isn't working either most likely the blower motor is out. A heater issue has nothing to do with the head gasket and the obd 2 system so you'll never get a code for it not working.

[@thetechgurulouies9952]

@@MrTmenzo Just a update in the matter. The AC system in the car isn't usable since the ac compressor was causing a high voltage leak which will turn on a hybrid code light so i just disconnected the compressor from the car, its still there and the lines but no com with the compressor since i disconnected from the wiring harness. It blows cold air when i have the heat on and after 20 minutes of driving it would get Luke warm but not warm. I found out that if leave the car in maintenance mode for 20 minutes than i get good heat. Don't worry i am not driving it with maintenance mode on because that will ruin the transaxle but if I wanted to take a nap that's what i did since i know i am not going to be driving it. Both the heater hoses are hot and i did flush it but honesty I don't think that its clogged since i eventually got great heat after being left in maintenance mode for a long time. Before that i replaced the thermostat twice and both times i found it closed which is the way it supposed to be because if I found it open that would be the cause of my problem. Most of the time having head gasket issues wouldn't effect the heat on cars but i found for some reason if you have a head gasket issue on a prius it will allow a lot of air to be mixed with the coolant so you would never get the heat you want. By leaving the car in maintenance mode or driving the car nonstop for 70 or more miles without a break any air that gets in the coolant would bleed out because of the temperature of the coolant would be so hot and the engine will stay on which would mean that the hoses and all will cause any repeated air coming in will just bleed out. I still have the prius now but i already have a 2000 lincoln continental with 105k in good shape so i am just waiting until i have the money for the registration and take it to a shop to get the inspection done. It's been a good run with the prius, i got it at 320,000 miles from a mechanic that my dad was great friends with but both him and my dad died of co-vid 19 not so long after. Right now it have 372,000 + with it misfiring from here to there and burning crazy amounts of oil even after replacing the pcv valve. I just put a heavier oil for more protection and that it last longer and i get a big hit on the mpg for that but for me it's better for the car to run with 21 mpg rather than having to check it everyday for oil and having 50 mpg but one day i forgot to check and the engine throws a rod. Thanks for trying to help out but unfortunately having a head gasket issue is a death sentence for the heat. After i tried everything i came to the conclusion and many people on the prius forums have come to that conclusion after all the crazy things they have tried to get their heat to work.

[@alex39k]

It would be cool if you said why you did each process (maintenance mode, turn hybrid off,run heater) for us noobs ,also is it bad to just top off the coolant? Why is this overall process even necessary?

[@PoVForzaTch]

was not easy to drive it for few minutes till the sensor opens and stop and refill until your coolant level has stop? good video.

[@JaidervillaTV]

Hello, great video! I have a question regarding the water pump, how many miles can you recommend to replace it? I have 170k miles I know it’s easy job but some people saids that if you get the light alert maybe it’s to late! Thanks in advance

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Mines still running at 240k miles. I’d change it when it alerts me lol

[@philippageorgiou3827]

mines is still running at 392K, but I did replace my first pump around 28k something was wrong with the oem water pump. I did replaced it with another OEM pump. I was looking at this video, on how to bleed the coolant, since I just cleaned out the EGR and EGR cooler. How ever my fan is not turning on, might need to run it till 20min.

[@saivprius]

Спасибо.

[@mrc79]

30 minutes and my coolant read at 203 F and fan still did not come on 😢. Any advice? It’s about 60F outside

[@dublinvids5146]

Update? Also, how do you know collant temp?

[@niyiactive]

Thanks for sharing. Did it exactly following your procedures but in the last step to put the engine in service mode did not see much coolant going down the funnel. The fan just won't come on since it's freezing code today when I did it. Any thoughts on if I need to do anything else to bleed air out? Thanks!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

+Yi Ni like we said in the video, when you're in maintenance mode, you're not suppose to be driving since all of the system is off or disable. Just run the engine until the radiator fan comes on. Check the overflow hose that goes to the reservoir until its hot as well. Eventually your radiator fan will come on, you can notice that our coolant starts bubbling because the system is hot and a couple minutes later, the fan will come on.

[@harsep]

@@NutzAboutBolts how do you put into maintenance mode? Another reader explained how to get out of it by shutting the engine off.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@harsep we showed that step in the beginning of the video

[@wmarian5027]

At 316 they go thru steps for maintenance mode. Then turning on ready mode (idling) to cycle cooling system.

[@Allgood73]

Thanks again for the great videos!!!!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

np :)

[@ploxplox1109]

@@NutzAboutBolts hey is this the same coolant you use for the inverter coolant change and what is it called exactly the coolant ?

[@alzajalijudgal2932]

Thank you so much for those information sir that gain our knowledge thanks and awesome

[@denniskongvongsai3921]

does the method of getting into maintenance mode apply to Lexus CT200H as well? (same 1.8L engine)

[@hiwrenhere]

To anyone else reading this now, the answer is yes

[@denniskongvongsai3921]

@@hiwrenhere thank you, a bit late (3 yrs old) , but I guess it beats never

[@vickvega571]

Thanks for this video places want like 230 bucks to flush and replace.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Yeah they’re pretty pricey

[@rohitbhatnagar7599]

Thank you for the video. I took engine radiator out, but do not what screws/clips go where. Do you have any video or a diagram you can refer me to on the internet. Thanks !

[@flyingcat2054]

Good info! Thanks. My 3rd gen Prius has no heat.🙁 coolant level is about 1/4” below the low marker. Car had been driven about an hour earlier. What to do?🤔

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Did you follow the procedure? Why’s it below the low mark?

[@eurovan03]

You mentioned maintenance mode and inspection mode

[@tomtaz9102]

Thanks I did as you said but my ac is not cooling any idea what happened.?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

was it cool before? This doesnt affect the AC if that’s what you’re thinking. If your AC isn’t cooling, I’d check if the freon is low or leak in your AC system line.

[@romeomaloco3180]

Can you write the steps on bringing the car in the maintenance mode please and how to bring it back to hybrid mode before driving it. Thanks

[@terrytorres7075]

Romeo maloco any response?

[@harsep]

YES I did put out there how do you get into maintennae mode? I know how to get out of it by simply shutting the engine off.

[@typhoon320i]

Is there not, an engine block drain plug, also? All the coolant you are getting, is out of the radiator bottom?

[@NINJA2da]

Appreciate your awesome videos, NAB! Ever done a Gen 3 prius thermostat replacement? I heard it's just 3 nuts where 2 is easy and the 3rd one is hidden in the back (hard to get to). The hard to get to last nut.... is that a nut or is it a bolt? What socket to remove last 'hard to get to one' . Thank you

[@kumara5492]

The hidden third one is a bolt and you can take it with 10 mm

[@NINJA2da]

@@kumara5492 Much appreciation, K.A

[@NINJA2da]

@@kumara5492 Appreciation, brother

[@jgehbinv]

For a Prius Hybrid, you did not also drain the inverter, which should have a drain plug under the car?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

We did another video for it

[@theodoredeleon6660]

How much coolant did you use?

[@Kitty_Lady]

how does it good to inspection mode do I wait

[@ms372591]

How much coolant should I buy if I'm going to do the inverter and the engine at the same time?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

2 gallons.

[@ms372591]

Thanks!

[@CollyCam10]

Confused why you don’t flush the system and you just drain and refill? I followed your video and my new coolant instantly started to turn dark like my old coolant I drained. I even poured distilled water in until all the dark coolant came out before adding the new coolant.

[@jasonkung2861]

Thanks for you video! Do I need to lift the car to reach that drain valve? I have 2013 CT200h, is the same procedure as your 2012 Prius? I heard they are using same hybrid/power system. Thank you!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

We jacked it up and put 4 jack stands under it since we were going to do the inverter coolant as well. Its better this way since you need to remove the undercover to get access to the inverter coolant. Also, both system needs to be changed out every 120k miles, so 2 birds 1 stone :)

[@jasonkung2861]

Thanks! If I only replace the engine coolant at this time, do I need to buy two gallon coolant? or just one gallon is fine? @@NutzAboutBolts

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@jasonkung2861get 2

[@PixelRogue3]

These videos are fantastic..thank you so much! I am in a bit of a jam as I forgot the sequence and drained the fluid before removing the fill plug on a Gen3 Prius. The fill plug is now 100% stripped, rounded out even though I was using a 10mm allen plug...not sure how this could have happened. Anyway,, it is stripped and interested if you or anyone here encountered the same and, if so, how it was fixed? I am close to drilling out the plug however concerned of accidental damage to the threads and/or metal shavings inside the transmission case (and think even compressed air might not work given there is wet fluid liner inside.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Which fill plugs stripped? For the transmission?

[@PixelRogue3]

@@NutzAboutBolts The top fill plug for transmission, for this video. The plug that is tucked behind the axel w/very little room to work. The 10mm allen socket plug went from looking like a square to now looking like a circle. Tried vice-grips on the outside, no luck and that chewed up the outside a bit....the plug continues to degrade.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@PixelRogue3 try using a flat head screw driver or something sharp to create a dent, and use a hammer and hammer the bolt in reverse to twist it out.

[@PixelRogue3]

Think there might be one shot left to create a dent (did this earlier w/effort of knocking it loose.) To confirm, 'in reverse' you are saying hammer the same direction to unscrew (counter clockwise?) No risk to damaging threads? As backup, is there any other way to fill the transmission (with a close measurement on volume?)

[@PixelRogue3]

UPDATE: Used a chisel to create an indentation, then screw driver and once it had a grip it spun out as if it were brand new! Happy days. Thank you!

[@myboyteo9]

Thank you very much. So well done!

[@bch6707]

Hi NutzAboutBolts, thanks for sharing this video. Do I need to run things in Maintenance mode if I'm just adding to a system low on coolant?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Nope

[@bch6707]

@@NutzAboutBolts Appreciate the quick reply. To ease my anxiety, I think my prius C 2014 is low on engine coolant which is generating a check engine light. I notice two places where I can add coolant. One reservoir looks like the one in the video but I see another one on top of what I think are radiator fans. If I add coolant to either inputs, would I need to worry about pushing the air out of the system? Thanks so much for your time.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@bch6707 from the looks of it, I see your inverter has a reservoir but I don’t see your engine coolant has one. In that case, you can remove the radiator cap and use a spill free funnel to add coolant from top.

[@bch6707]

@@NutzAboutBolts Thanks a lot for the follow up. Last set of questions I had was that I only noticed the coolant was low from not seeing any pink in the "expansion tank" that's closed by a black cap labeled coolant. It sits next to the radiator cap. Should I not ever being filling that up? And how would I know if I added enough coolant to the radiator?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@bch6707 There should be a full and low hash mark on the coolant reservoir to tell if it needs refilling or not.

[@alexanderchenf1]

You forgot to mention you have to turn on A/C to turn on the cooling fans!

[@michaellees601]

You don't turn the AC on, the cooling fan turns on once the engine is up to temperature. If you turn the AC on the fan runs nonstop.

[@STEPKICK]

Your video is awesome. I have a Prius 2013. Do I have to drain the coolant on 60K maintenance? Or is it good enough to refill the coolant only? Thanks!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Refill till 110-120k miles

[@Bigdaddyshaker]

Is there any difference between bleeding in maintenance mode vrs just letting it run with the heater on ?aside from wasted time when the engine kicks off?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

If you don’t run it in maintenance mode, your engine won’t be on, it’ll be the hybrid system on. If you run in maintenance mode, the engine will be running the whole time so it’ll circulate the coolant throughout the engine and warm it up.

[@jaymeez]

I have a 2015 Prius and it looks like there is a 2nd coolant reservoir on the drivers side. It’s pink in color as well. What is that!?

[@metrork1]

It is for the converter only, not the engine, although it takes the same type of antifreeze

[@hummernewsnetwork2026]

VERY INFORMATIVE THANK YOU

[@TerryUniGeezerPeterson]

Can you put a 2011 Prius into maintenance mode if you don't have a screen?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

You’ll need the dash screen to see if it’s set in maintenance mode or not

[@TerryUniGeezerPeterson]

@@NutzAboutBolts don't have MFD. But obviously don't need to put it into maintenance mode in order to change the inverter fluid.

[@anthonyz7023]

what are your thoughts on vacuum filling coolant method❔

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Never tried it… how long is the process?

[@TerryUniGeezerPeterson]

So the 2011 Prius only has the inverter coolant?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@TerryUniGeezerPeterson all Prius should have the inverter coolant, that’s the hybrid coolant

[@TerryUniGeezerPeterson]

@@NutzAboutBolts what meant was, does the gen 3 have *two* separate reservoirs: one for engine coolant and another for convertor coolant?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@TerryUniGeezerPetersonyes, they all should have separate cooling system since ones for the engine and ones for the hybrid side.

[@TerryUniGeezerPeterson]

@@NutzAboutBolts that's what I thought, but watching your video, unless I missed something, it looks like you are only draining and filling the reservoir on the left side, which I assume is the inverter coolant. Can you give me a time stamp in the video where you drained and filled the engine coolant side? Looking at a schematic, the invertor coolant reservoir is the same as the power control unit reservoir.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@TerryUniGeezerPeterson​​⁠we have 2 videos for the coolant drain and refill, this video is for the engine side, our other video is for the inverter coolant. If you’re looking at the engine, the left coolant reservoir is for the engine, the right coolant reservoir by the brake fluid reservoir is the inverter coolant. Hope that clears this confusion.

[@generaljohnson]

Thanks for the video, but I am confused about one thing. Near the end, after you have run the engine for a while in maintenance mode, you installed the caps back to the coolant reservoir - and then you ran the heater. I thought running the heater is part of the air bleeding process? Thus, shouldn't you still keep the cap off the coolant reservoir when you run the heater - and then finally install the cap at the very very end of everything?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Once the fan turns on, the system is free from air pockets in the coolant system. You can still run the heater after and it won’t be an issue.

[@generaljohnson]

@@NutzAboutBolts OK great - thanks for the quick reply! I'm in my driveway leading the air out of the coolant system now as we speak!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@generaljohnsonnice! I did my coolant drain and refill twice already. It’s 250k miles

[@generaljohnson]

@@NutzAboutBolts yeah, at 173K now and it was drained and refilled at a shop at around 130K. Been getting an intermittent overheat symbol lately and I am thinking it is because of air in the coolant system (at least I hope it's just that!)

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@generaljohnson Hrm, never had that issue before. Let me know if there’s a check engine light

[@denkdiep]

Is this the only coolant that needs replacement? Or are there other coolant circuits?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

One for the engine and one for the inverter

[@kye04]

How long did it took for the fans to start?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

30 mins idling or 15-20 mins with engine rev to 2-3k rpm

[@greatogbuagu1370]

How do u remove it from maintenance mood?

[@psadhi]

Turn off the engine. That simple.

[@harsep]

@@psadhi thats great. But how do you get it into maintenance mode prior to draining coolant?

[@crispyinnovator5852]

How does the air in your heater core bleed out if you already put the pressure cap on?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

The radiator fan turned on, there’s no air in the system.

[@SillyLilWabbit]

Prius 2014: my engine coolant is at the “low” mark and the inverter coolant is a little over the “F” line. Is this “ok”? (When to the Toyota dealer/side job with mechanic). The measurements are with the car cold, sat over night. Southern California climate of that makes a difference. Should I just add a little distilled water? Thanks

[@shujayethossain6554]

Hello, I have a 2017 Prius with 120k miles and suddenly I see that the engine coolant reservoir is empty while the inverter coolant is full. I didn’t find any driving underneath and the engine doesn’t overheat. Why is it happening and what should I do? Thank you!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Not sure if you have a blown headgasket or not… I’d definitely get it checked out and see if that is the issue. Is your oil milky? Is the reservoir completely empty? Do you smell a sweet smell by your exhaust? Is the smoke white coming from the exhaust when the engine is running?

[@shujayethossain6554]

@@NutzAboutBolts Hi I noticed Nothing you mentioned. However, once in a while, I smell something like weed from the ac vent. After a while, it goes away. The tank was almost empty. Took it to a garage, and they found no leak anywhere. So asked me to fill the reservoir & keep driving. However, once in a while

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@shujayethossain6554 Hrm, maybe you’re in a hotter climate so it burns the coolant more then if you don’t have those other symptoms.

[@shujayethossain6554]

@@NutzAboutBolts I live in NYC.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@shujayethossain6554 well, if there’s no check engine light, I wouldn’t worry too much until then since its already been diagnosed and found nothing.

[@76tigga]

I understand that the engine will not run continuously when not in maintenance mode. The whole idea is to excrete all of the trapped air bubbles in the coolant system so the final fill point is achieved. Instead of putting the car in maintenance mode, wouldn't driving the car around for a couple of miles to run an errand, park the car, then check the coolant level to achieve the same results?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

No, because the vehicle engine won’t be hot enough to bleed the air bubbles in the coolant system. The hybrid system cycles from the engine to the inverter to be fuel efficient, so it won’t be hot enough on short drives. Now for the longer freeway drives, I would guess it might work since it works on conventional vehicles, not sure about hybrids.

[@kerem54545454]

What about driving. In power mode in highway.

[@OnlyTruthLove]

ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED! Can't figure out why I have no hot air. Changed blown head gasket, changed water pump and thermostat, and still no heat. Bread the system for 45 min to get no bubbles in a raised funnel. If I wait for 30 min, the cabin heat warms up to hot, but as soon as I hit the A/C on button, it starts blowing cold air again. (Room temp).

[@NutzAboutBolts]

If you turn on the a/c, it’s not going to blow hot air, it’ll blow cold air

[@OnlyTruthLove]

@@NutzAboutBolts that's not how it works. A/C should blow hot air if the temp is set to max. I have 2 prius, and the other one works fine.

[@RileyNguyen]

I see the you used the same Super long life coolant 50/50 for both Engine and Inverter Coolant. It should work well right?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Yes, that’s the oem.

[@RileyNguyen]

@@NutzAboutBolts thanks for your great video and answers to my query 👍🙂

[@jdmfans6078]

i just bought a 2010 prius second gen. with 106k should i change the cooling? previous owner told me they never did.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Yes change it

[@Jeremy-vz9gr]

@nutzaboutbolts I’m new to your channel but so far I love it. This is the only video I have questions on. Any clarification is appreciated. I tried seeing if anyone in the comments had the answer first but no luck. The questions are: At 1:52 after you’ve drained the original coolant and closed the valve by hand, how did the reservoir drain again? Did you open it up again off camera? At 3:16 to enter maintenance mode, do you push the power button twice WITH your foot on the brake or off? You also mention a maintenance mode and an inspection mode. Are they the same thing just a different name?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

The reservoir uses vacuum to suck out all the fluids out from the reservoir due to the fluid being drained out of the radiator. Foot off the brakes when pressing the power button. Maintenance mode is for the engine to be on all the time without the hybrid system being on. Inspection mode is to use to flush the brake fluids by using the electric brake pump to flush out the rear brake calipers.

[@Jeremy-vz9gr]

@@NutzAboutBolts so even when we close the valve at the bottom, it will still continue to drain when it’s filled up again?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@Jeremy-vz9gr no, as long as the petcock is open, it’ll keep draining out the coolant.

[@Healthytruth]

Tha kool for video . I have a 2017 Prius two. I’ve driven 35k mikes . When should I change my coolant liquid?

[@maxter3326]

Dealer says Toyota coolant good for 100k it's long life coolant, but good idea to do it at 80k

[@avidskier73]

I'm worried that the Gen 3 Prius (2010) I just purchased has a head gasket leak. I performed the EGR pipe, cooler cleaning along with the intake manifold and i still get the periodic engine shake at start up. I have a OBDII scanner showing a p0301. Which could be a blown head gasket? I just recently replaced the spark plugs with Bosch Iridiums. Question, can you perform a block chemical test on the prius via the coolant reservoir? This should be a sure fire way to tell of it's a blown head gasket? I would assume so but you guys seem well versed in Prius and your videos, btw, are super helpful.

[@terrytorres7075]

Ricardo Santiago, what was the issue? Blown head gasket? Can you preform that test? I have 2014, milky dip stick, cold start knocking, low coolant ( no sign of leaking on ground). No check engine light.

[@avidskier73]

@@terrytorres7075 I did perform the test using the coolant reservoir and it was inconclusive. I didn't have the milky dipstick, but think for sure it was the head gasket in cylinder one. My fix was simple, a $12 bottle of K-seal into coolant reservoir and almost 8K miles later, no shakes and no coolant loss. Disclaimer, these block sealers don't work 100% of the time, in my case it did and I believe I was just lucky. I know I'm on borrowed time but until then 258,000 miles and counting.

[@metrork1]

The awful banging sound you hear is a piston preparing to slam its way through the side of your engine block. It is now dead. New engine is now required

[@avidskier73]

@@metrork1 Maybe you're right but not the destiny of my little Prius. A bottle of Kseal seems to have fixed my issue. 8K miles later the Prius continues to rock along. I have been making trips to and from West Palm Beach and Sarasota and averaging 40 mpg at 70-75 mph. Amazing machine. Granted, I know the engine can go at any time and I'm ready for that till then...

[@dublinvids5146]

@@avidskier73 Update?

[@mckohtz]

My husband's 2015 Pruis hit a deer in October 2021 and completely damaged the passenger front quarter. They fixed the body and the reservoir, but missed a crack on one of the hose connectors and it over headed on Monday afternoon. He filled it with coolant and drove it home slowly. I replaced the broken hose but coolant is below the recommended level. Can I just top up the fluid or do you recommend I drain and refill the coolant? Thanks!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

I’d just do the drain and refill procedure like this video since it’s already below the coolant level, you don’t know if air got in and created air pockets in the system or not, better to be safe.

[@mckohtz]

@@NutzAboutBolts Another question... How do you dispose of old coolant properly?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@mckohtz I usually bring it to Firestone and they dispose of it for me. You can call around different automotive stores and ask if they take it or you can Google which stores take them.

[@mckohtz]

@@NutzAboutBolts Thanks

[@luja805]

Is radiator cleaner necessary?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

I’ve never used one before. If it gets to the point of it being clogged, you can try, if not, then replace it.

[@cooljuno411]

Could i use a hand pump to suck out the coolant from reservoir so i dont have to take off the under pumper?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Let gravity do the job, it’s easier, and hand pump won’t suck everything out of the engine block...

[@7k7Kizumiiiiiii]

Hi what is the coolant you used and called? I’m looking to refill for my 2010 Prius

[@NutzAboutBolts]

It’s in the description box with the link, it’s the 50/50 pink coolant from Toyota, hope that helps 👍🏼

[@7k7Kizumiiiiiii]

@@NutzAboutBolts thanks!

[@hedgehogthesonic3181]

How do you empty the coolant reservoir? i changed the coolant of my Prius C but the only way i saw to change the reservoir coolant was to remove the little hose from below, i did not wanted to do it since it was quite stick in there and it could break.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

you can remove the reservoir itself to empty it. its either held on by bolts or clips.

[@hedgehogthesonic3181]

@@NutzAboutBolts Do you know if the same can be done on the Prius C? i think it might be the same but i did not bothered to take a look and see how to remove it, i guess i will have to wait to the next coolant change in 100,000 miles or 10 years.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@hedgehogthesonic3181 I haven’t worked on a prius c before, but from what I can tell from Toyota vehicles, they’re all the same, either held on by bolts or plastic clips or sometimes it’s just slid on to the body frame. Also, you don’t have to wait to empty the coolant reservoir, you can just remove the back flow hose and empty the reservoir and clean it if you want.

[@hedgehogthesonic3181]

@@NutzAboutBolts I see, good thing that Toyota make their cars simple, well i will take a look later. Thank you very much for answering.

[@RavenTheRiverRunner]

I’m all sorts of confused now! I have seen videos where people hook up a multimeter to the relay to run the pump (or something like that). What is that all about? I’ve been putting off changing my 3 way valve (code P1121) because it seems so tedious to burp the system, but your tutorial is so much easier. I have no idea about electrical and multimeters, so is that not necessary?!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Haven’t seen that before, hooking up a multimeter only reads what the current is doing, it doesn’t bypass the relay. Doing this way is the proper way since you’re in maintenance mode which bypass the hybrid and runs the engine.

[@RavenTheRiverRunner]

@@NutzAboutBolts Thank you so much for your prompt reply! I have 2007 Prius if that makes any difference. When they hook up the multimeter in a certain way that I have no clue about, they run the pump for 10-20 seconds at a time so it doesn’t get damaged and are watching the numbers on the multimeter. I have no clue, but your way is SO much easier!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@RavenTheRiverRunner I haven’t done it on a 2007 Prius since it’s the 2nd generation Prius. So I can’t help you there lol

[@RavenTheRiverRunner]

@@NutzAboutBolts lol thank you anyways!

[@RavenTheRiverRunner]

@@NutzAboutBolts I’ve figured it out! Gen 2 has a thermos heater coolant storage tank. So first that must be burped of air by running the heater coolant storage tank pump! … At least I’m pretty sure that’s what it’s about lol I’m still doing more research

[@eurovan03]

You don’t turn the heater on when you are on the maintenance mode?