2016 Toyota Prius Engine Fails @ Just 73,000 Miles. I Thought These Were Good! Full 2ZR-FXE Teardown

[@stuffandjunkandthings364]

How it bends a rod is pretty easy to figure out. The 2nd motor in the E-CVT also functions as the starter motor, so however much coolant was in the combustion chamber was introduced to the piston/rod assembly via a 26HP (I think) electric motor capable of moving the car in reverse. It takes almost NO coolant in the combustion chamber in that style hybrid to bend parts, because the "starter motor" has more than enough power to do so. It ain't a little 12v motor via the ring gear, it isn't going to stop in the event of a hydrolock (unless it's 2 or more cylinders, and even then it would probably still brak parts).

[@chubbysumo2230]

Mg1, aga the starter and evct regulator gear is capable of 42KW, or about 56HP.

[@daewooparts]

2:56, when a engine says "Eric save" you know it's going to be something that needs to be seen

[@clbcl5]

It is really ...SAVE ERIC.... Like Ferris..Bueller..Bueller..Bueller

[@gvet47]

When you say a part is good and then you intentionally throw it, there is probably someone out there that could have used it. You say the new part is not that much but if you are are young man trying to work on an engine they just may not have that extra dollar. A free oil pan just may help him or her out.😢

[@OldManBadly]

Who is this Eric Save guy?

[@therealdojj]

Glad you are back on the normal timeslot, heard about your dog 😔

[@I_Do_Cars]

Thanks for the thoughts. It’s still tough. 😞

[@Kanesgarage]

@@I_Do_Carssorry to hear about your pup. It’s definitely not easy 😔

[@dirtfarmer7472]

My Boston terrier is 8 years old.and I’m certainly not looking forward to the day when I have to start looking for another. Got him when he was 6 weeks old it’s been a long time.

[@bradbrown7555]

You found it! The EGR hose leaks coolant out (air bubbles proved that), engine overheated, head gasket failed, owner refilled it with coolant, coolant leaked into #2 cylinder, bent rod. Which was first the chicken or the egg! LOL

[@planetwisconsin9901]

You never want your engine to have "Eric, Save" written on it.

[@marathoner43]

Thanks for my Saturday night entertrainment Eric. I hope you got lots of sellable parts off that one, and hope you have a great rest of your weekend.

[@JayLopiccolo]

If there was a leak in the head gasket, the electric water pump running while the engine is off could flood the cylinder. Engine tries to restart, and boom - literally.

[@joebersani8068]

Having the clamps off and still cutting the hose, it’s the little things in life lol, thanks for another great video Eric

[@kevincurry4735]

Happy Saturday night Eric. I hope you had a great time at Ray’s and we have a great video to come.

[@bensonak47]

common issue on the 3rd gen prius. the coolant sweeps into the cylinder overnight and causes a misfire in the morning that goes away after a few seconds. depending on how bad the head gasket is and how careless the owner is, repeated starts will bend the rod.

[@josephludwig1126]

Just enough HP to make someone mad. Awesome ❤❤❤

[@briancox2721]

Once again, the milkshake brings all the engines to the yard.

[@68404]

I think that's a different type of motor ;-)

[@TheWolfiet]

The water pump in these is built similar to the ones used in industrial sealed fishtank filter pumps, and tend to die for the same reason. The plasticy bits swell, as you said, and they just kinda burn up and die.

[@hirogodsend]

I'd recommend Engineering Explained's video on hybrids and oil. "It Turns Out, Hybrids Are Really Hard On Engines"

[@abcortani]

He just release that video, the timing is kinda hilarious.

[@bradhaines3142]

@@abcortani its like we're all in a simulation, and its run by a hivemind.

[@muddywater6856]

That video hit the nerve of a bunch of Prius fan bois😂😂

[@bradhaines3142]

@@muddywater6856 i personally own a highlander hybrid. still love it. simple solution to the problem, oil change every 6 months, itll never collect enough water to even be noticed. power tailgate struts though, FUCK those things.

[@Flies2FLL]

Perfect!

[@tsimpson007]

Glad you are back. Saw you on Ray's channel, along with A Rod. Glad you guys are getting together.

[@unavailablenumbers]

First of all, so very sorry to hear about your dog. It's never, ever easy to say goodbye to our four legged family members. Maybe the hardest of all. :( But on to the geekery, yes? The interval on the plugs for these is allegedly 120k. They also insist you should only change the oil every 10,000 miles but reset the maintenance reminder every 5,000 miles. (I'm not making this up. This is explicitly stated in the official Warranty and Maintenance Guide. Oil every 10k, but make sure you just reset the reminder.) Just like Corolla CVT fluid replacement is "never." Yeah. Sure Toyota. And the 3.6 Pentastar doesn't have any design defects, and Stellantis didn't cut costs past the breaking point on the 5.7 for MY22. (Keep an eye out - inadequate metallurgy for the cams, take 2!) And that head gasket is actually TERRIBLE. See those shiny silver spots? Yeah, those are ALL blowouts. The head gasket is supposed to be completely black and smooth on both sides with no silver showing at all. Everywhere you see silver is an existing breach. If you want to confirm, just pop down to your local Toyota dealer and ask them to show you the replacement part - they'll have it in stock, guaranteed. And with every Prius, all those blowouts are in the coolant passages from the wet jacket. It was dumping the entire wet jacket into that cylinder. Just how bad is it? Cylinder 2 is completely gone. Cylinder 3 was pushing water into 2 through the fire ring. And cylinder 1 was getting some water and about to let go. You can tell by the plugs; 2 was flooded to non-combustion, 3 was way too cold from water getting in, 1 was going cold, and 4 was still okay.

[@litespeed7715]

Calling The Care Care Nut! AMD will probably know the history of the issue, how common they were, and probably fixed a bunch of them.

[@ManOfScarab]

The engine shuts off if you are stopped and starts back up when you touch the gas, I can see a scenario where the head gasket blows while driving due to a faulty water pump and then you stop at say a light and the pressure in the system fills the cylinder with coolant. The light turns green, engine starts, and boom hydro locked.

[@kcstein5956]

Sadly, these don't hydrolock. The E-CVT also functions as a starter. So this isn't no 12v starter, it's gonna push through it whatever is inside, bending and breaking shit.

[@kenhitchcox5750]

No comment on the teardown other than it seemed like a pretty straight forward one. I'm very sorry about your pup. They are family, sometimes more than blood family. RIP Lucky.

[@monomille1]

I have had two of these cars and they both are still running fine for other family members with over 150k miles each. Oil and filters at recommended intervals incl plugs at 100k. Takes a new 12v battery every 4 to 5 years. Brakes at 100k because regen braking extends life of friction brakes. Zero other problems. I couldn’t ask for more from any car.

[@b0bsaget007]

"No, Patrick. Mayonnaise is not a lubricant." "Horseradish is not a lubricant, either."

[@liver.flush.maestro]

I like the design of the electric water pump. There is no weep hole, and it can't leak like a traditional water pump through its axle.

[@richardgraham1167]

Happy Saturday!

[@gophergarage]

Left lane.... That was too good!! True however lol

[@TCGProductions03]

The last time I was this early, the 24-valve Cummins was still the new hotness

[@kencreten7308]

I don't know why, but your jokes never get old about hoses and chain guides. You know you could save the hoses, belts and chain wear surfaces, in a box, well boxes, then you could put them behind your business. Then just keep saving them. Eventually you'd have a lot of them. Maybe you could give some to your neighbors.

[@thomasrbishop8736]

Great video. I'm just amaze how a engine is put together. With so many parts that it takes to build them anymore. One mistake will make it failed down the road.

[@mattt198654321]

1:40 For the record, I got my 2010 prius up to 113 mph (on a closed course...er, yeah). Those bodies are slippery AF, they make the most of the 122 HP.

[@kcstein5956]

It doesn't take much to get to that speed though. My 07 Aveo hatch with the 1.4 wrapped the speedo countless of times

[@ianriggs]

I see a major flaw with that water pump... it has a freaking circuit board on it lol 😞

[@CoryRwtfyt]

I worked at a Yoda dealer for almost the entire third gen prius production. They honestly didn't fail very often. Carbon buildup in the intake was a bigger issue.

[@ianriggs]

@@CoryRwtfyt I was just being sarcastic lol. When someone says water pump with a circuit board on it that just sounds like a bad idea

[@richtes]

@@ianriggsWater pump with a board bothers me less than a submerged oil pump belt

[@GeneCash]

"There is someone out there that can break it" - [looks around with side eye]

[@Bowhunters6go8xz6x]

Air compresses, Water not so much ! Another good reason to flush and replace the coolant when recommended is that coolant has lubricants that lube the water pump.

[@BrainDamageBBQ]

That water pump is basically a brushless fan motor like you would find in a computer. I'm sure it reports back the rotational speed of the armature and a few other things including coolant temperature. Electronic components on the circuit board are unlikely to fail even with a locked armature condition. Catastrophic electrical failure is unlikely - you probably won't see scorched parts on the circuit board. Look for things like cracked solder joints especially around larger components which are subject to vibration. Bearings, etc. could fail as with any other mechanical device. In 20 years, the electrical failure of capacitors becomes likely, but for this reason most automotive and aerospace electronics are built to avoid electrolytic capacitors where possible. I am sure lots of otherwise excellent cars are being scrapped because of electrolytic capacitor failures causing all sorts of weird issues especially in the fuel injection and ignition systems. Electrolytic capacitors fail simply due to age but are cheap and easy to replace if you know what you're doing with a soldering iron. Used and New-Old-Stock parts will not be helpful, as the capacitors will be just as old as the ones in the part on the car. Your local antique radio club is well-versed in troubleshooting capacitor-related problems and will happily help repair the ECM in your Buick Grand National or other car...

[@rleger123]

Saturday night teardown ! Yes!

[@randyhall2135]

Being a hybrid the engine could have not ran in a while if they topped off the batteries from at night. Even a tiny hea gasket seep could leak enough over that time to hydro lock the engine.

[@scottallberry]

I dont have a prius, but i do have a kia niro hybrid. Its not just that the engine shuts off at stop signs and starts when you touch the gas. The electric motor has more than enough power to get the car moving, while the engine starts...or while starting the engine, depending on design (kia has 2 clutches, 1 for engine, 1 for motor/generator. It uses one or both as needed). But when that hot engine shut down, then you start moving and the engine restarts its got a 30hp motor pushing it, as well as the inertia of the car pushing that crank. If coolant pooled, your bending a rod

[@michaelpickarts7683]

My Milkshake brings all the boys to the salvage yard 🎶🎵🎼

[@tallbeen1990]

Thank you Eric

[@u.e.u.e.]

The sparkplugs are very much original! The service interval in Europe is 90,000 km, so they were a bit overdue. But they are usually fine up to approx. 120,000 km. If you use Denso TT then even above that. There is a video in that a guy pulls out the sparkplugs at over 400,000 mi - but that's nothing you should do. 🤭😂 The camshafts have too much wear. The mechanical waterpumps of the 1.5 l 1NZ-FXE (Prius II) always leaks a bit. There is not any not leaking known to mankind. But there are no known issues about it in the Prius III. Prius III and Prius + were known for problems in the high-voltage inverter. The 1.8 l engine in the European Auris Hybrid, Corolla Hybrid and Prius III (all markets) collects huge amounts of condensed water in the intake system. That causes very loud engine knock. But why should this enter just 1 cylinder? 🤷‍♂️

[@darrellk9671]

Thank you, Eric.

[@exNRGista2]

It's 4:25 a.m. here in Italy, should I go to sleep? Obviously not, Eric has just uploaded some interesting shit 😆

[@lewismcgowen]

I bet from the looks of some sludge, engine was neglected and then it was overheated, it would be interesting to see how flat the cylinder head sealing surface is.

[@trith72]

Eric...MERCH please! We want Uncle Rodney Tshirts...

[@speeddemon1092]

Not a car tech, but I see this type of water pump all the time with computer water cooling. The major advantage of these kinds of pumps is that there's only 1 contact surface and no rotating/shaft seals, so as long as they've got the correct coolant and are kept in temperature spec, they'll last a long time, basically as long as the electronics or the bearing surface does. The problems start when you overheat them or run them dry. Unlike a conventional belt-driven pump that is (more) tolerant of being run dry and doesn't really have anything that needs to be cooled (like coils or the electronics package), electric pumps like this require their motor coils and the electronics package to be kept within operating spec, and they absolutely ****CANNOT**** be run dry. The coolant serves as lubricant for the bearing surfaces, and running it dry has the same effect as not having enough oil in an engine (which we've all seen). For the eletronics and coils, and I'll repeat myself on this, they must be kept cooled; for every 10C/50F hotter a component gets and runs sustained at, the remaining lifetime gets cut in half. Motor coils that get overheated start degrading and burning their insulation, and when it fails entirely, you get a short, and the coil becomes useless.

[@dumahim]

I know. It's a hybrid engine with an electric water pump. Engine off, water pump kept pumping coolant, engine started with a full cylinder.

[@redcatxb125]

id imagine maybe the engine was parked hot and sat overnight, allowing the coolant to seep into the cylinder and fill up. cranking in the morning may have been enough to do it to those dinky looking rods

[@raykaufman7156]

You still tore it down...even though it pleaded for you to save it. Savage...😂

[@12345.......]

Marcia Griffiths - Electric Boogie, for those old enough and curious enough for the reference

[@litz13]

Love how it says "ERIC SAVE" on top .... ;-)

[@watercannonscollaboration2281]

Me at the start of the video: I wonder if this engine had a bad head gasket 19:32 Yep, there’s the 2ZR-FXE for ya. I’ve seen a lot of Prius’s on facebook marketplace like this, and the owners junked their car because they tried fixing it by pouring head gasket sealer instead of just properly fixing the head gasket

[@edifyguy]

Why can they not be repaired properly after this? Cylinder wall and ring damage?

[@boiledhippo]

I like how most people are using channel locks to take off oil filters.

[@colchronic]

The funniest part of this video is that none of those timing chain guides broke when he threw them on the ground That's what you call quality

[@refurbansuburban]

Bent rod--classic Eric

[@clbcl5]

Wedding tradition is the bride has something borrowed, something blue. Did you give Lauren ole' Blue?

[@telecomgear]

The outside of the engine is so clean. Like new.

[@erickbernard8208]

I'm waiting for a gr 3 cylinder tear down

[@BillinSD]

They all burn up I thought

[@aland7236]

That was a large bucket of high quality H2O, but I still like Gatorade.

[@thelonelywolf88]

Since my 18 Corolla has a similar version of this engine, I get to see what mine looks like internally

[@ianriggs]

Sweet! I would be grabbing my popcorn but i just ate dinner :-/. Maybe ill grab a drink and enjoy the show!

[@bullbutter9699]

Shut up P*ssy

[@Mountain-Man-3000]

These THOT BOTS are FAST

[@erickbernard8208]

They phucking are

[@codo7]

Since it is a hybrid, the engine stops running and the battery takes over from time to time. Imagine the engine is at operating temp and the gasket is failing. If the battery takes over for long time, the combustion chamber can fill...I am thinking perhaps it can come back on while there is a load on the engine and batt - perhaps while the car is accelerating the hybrid calls the motor back into play...the battery helps to power through the piston rod hydrolock event or at least, does try to.

[@russellstyles5381]

Apparently, hybrid engines are at risk because they sometimes run short duty cycles, and don't stay hot enough. Depends on what flavor hybrid. Some hybrids run the gasoline engine nearly all the time, and don't have this problem.

[@PaulMilenkovic]

There is a wedge-shaped tool that is tapped gently into an RTVed seal to pop an oil pan off. It runs about 50 bucks but I consider it worth it to not dent up a pan you remove.

[@mrtopcat2]

That water pump is similar to our washing machine pump, rotor is submerged with the impeller.

[@metalted6128]

73,000 mile, failure!!! Gotta be from, to many hole shots!! Damn Prius owners!!! And their aggressive driving!!! Who would have thought???

[@richardwarfield7386]

That's not Tapioca its Butterscotch

[@ataboytube]

I don’t know why, but yesss, Toyota owner slow down the left lane… a classic

[@TedSchoenling]

it is a hybrid... think. the cooling system was under pressure. the head gasket failed. it was run.. hot... then went to hybrid power then the powerful starter tried to start things.. and bam.

[@gregrussell5374]

Ok, head gasket, rod, bearings. Run it.

[@edifyguy]

My thought, too. Absolutely fixable.

[@RobsNeighbor]

Great video

[@Gapines23]

Prius been chewing up motors again recently, I’m blaming drivers/maintenance

[@jkrende]

If the engine was shut off hot and coolant boiled into a closed cylinder, then cooled off and condensed with too much fluid and closed valves and the cylinder with the bent rod was on the upstroke but NOT at TDC with the valves all closed - the next time someone got in and turned the key the engine would try to push that cylinder up to TDC and you can't compress water. Which means something has to give. Either a ring fails and lets water by or the rod bends or, usually, the engine is hydro-locked and the starter doesn't have enough oomph to bend the rod. But that hybrid doesn't have a starter, it has the massive 40 horsepower electric motor, which is probably more than enough to bend the rod.

[@derekfriday7931]

What a interesting gasket design on the head you made there toyota. Suprised that didnt get blurred

[@ghostrider-be9ek]

at least it wasnt nitroused, unlike Hoovies Prius

[@1MiketheMechanic]

Have a 2011 Prius currently waiting for an engine. Coolant seeping into cylinder #2 from the head gasket. 183K the owner decided on an engine.

[@dalebailey1844]

opps I was to early to make that last statement. WOW BENT ROD!

[@Jacklsovakia1]

the milkshake brings all the blocks to the 'yard

[@houstonbinkley1844]

So, toyota still hasn't put any overheat protection in their tuning. Prius drivers are worse than Kia owners when it comes to maintenance. Every warning light to them means "just keep driving" I've several of these that customers cooked due to cooling system damage.....

[@patrickkennedy2533]

Briggs & Stratton compression

[@raymond_sycamore]

Prius engines and reliability videos seem to be in my feed lately...

[@ACatKrom]

With the piston steam cleaned, my bet is it ran with a bad head gasket, and was not running for a long enough time for the slow lead to put enough coolant on top of the piston to hydraulic the engine. The rod bent next time it tried to start

[@raystevens1458]

Eric, what is the metal band in the water jackets, and what are their purpose, thanks for another great tear down.

[@johntarbell5252]

Valve cover said "Eric save"

[@racingdreamz8021]

Toyota should just build a relationship with fel pro

[@2148aa]

I vote for an overload of Nitro when the owner was drag racing the car. E85 fuel for drag racing was overkill also.

[@BrainDamageBBQ]

Wow! My havdallah ritual... Saturday night with Eric. I really should get to posting on a regular schedule on my channel.

[@IndridCool54]

Maybe it’s Peyronie’s Disease… you know, a bent rod? I’m sorry, I’ll see myself out. 😂

[@paulvaz5846]

Thx Eric

[@MrHonestZ1]

Really a show that motor !😆

[@CoryRwtfyt]

I worked at a Toyota dealer for years. These had carbon buildup issues, but otherwise they are solid engines if taken care of.

[@Flies2FLL]

My brother Pork drove his '97 VW Golf through 3 feet of water and wound up bending all the rods in the engine. He called my dad and dad paid for a rental car for a month while Pork had the engine rebuilt to the tune of $4000..... Pork is 52 years old and still lives in his parents home in Asheville; Two weeks later he still has no water; At 350 pounds I an sure he smells like his name~

[@Flies2FLL]

I'm still not convinced that Toyota products are as good as people like Car Wizard say they are. I have a 2001 Subaru Outback LL Bean with the H6 engine that is bulletproof, and I had a '97 Ford Aerostar with the Vulcan V6 engine that literally ran until the tires fell off. I sold the later to a contractor who worked on my house four years ago and he still drives it with nearly 250k miles! Now, about that 928..... Great video!

[@someguywithaphone5921]

At 8 minutes, move 3 to the left, 3 to the right, step back 3 times, grab the ground with style, turn 90 degrees, and continue watching. Bet that head's warped.

[@David-yy7lb]

Heat that rod cherry red and bend it back straight it will be good as new

[@liver.flush.maestro]

It is rare an engine hydrolocks, bends a rod and still rotates that easily.

[@Flies2FLL]

My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard And they're like, it's better than yours Damn right it's better than yours I can teach you, but I have to charge My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard And they're like, it's better than yours Damn right it's better than yours I can teach you, but I have to charge I know you want it The thing that makes me What the guys go crazy for They lose their minds The way I wind I think it's time La la, la la, la Warm it up La la, la la, la The boys are waiting La la, la la, la Warm it up La la, la la, la The boys are waiting

[@peterpeter5666]

never seen one of these fail ? its just very important to use synthetic oil!

[@runderbearlp]

Pls do a bmw n52 or m54🤙🏻

[@garylarson6386]

such a pleasure

[@davidchrismer]

the clean cylinder piston is a little offset in the bore

[@ThxtBxyNatx]

So that's what a prius looks like