Conager
¿Que? Cornelius!
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2014
- Posts
- 18,282
The mighty Prius that could may need to be pushed for the last 1,000 miles before I hit half a million.
It has been going through coolant again so I did another head gasket treatment but this time I did the quickie version where you don't have to remove the thermostat. Seemed to make it worse.
It's really really hard to get all the air bubbles out of this very complicated coolant system. It's got a mechanical pump and an electrical pump, a coolant control valve, a thermostat and a thermos to hold hot waterl. The system is monitors temperatures and puts hot water in the thermos for later. (Because the gas engine cycles off, frequently.) Any of those places as well as the heater core can get air bubbles in them and if you get air bubbles- the system basically doesn't work.
I'm starting to suspect either a clogged heater core or a problem with the coolant control valve. It tries to decide where the hottest water is, and send the hottest water where it's needed.
I use a spill proof funnel gadget to kind of help tease the air out of the system and while I'm watching it the whole system just about boiled over and filled up the thing almost to the rim. I turned the car off the coolant goes back down into the system. Eventually I was satisfied that I got most of the air out. Similar to other times when I've done this- that seemed okay.
I got the small one a third of the way home and I got the red triangle of death. I drove quite a bit further like that because we were not in a good spot for cell phone service or really any services . . got it to a gas station opened it up and re-bled everything. I lost quite a bit taking the radiator cap off but by the time I put everything from the coolant overflow tank and 16 oz more it was topped off. So I wasn't really losing any other than the portion being forced into the overflow tank.
After I got her home I ran all night with no heater on. When this whole problem started last time it started in the winter and it started with poor heat in the cabin first. Long before it started showing up missing coolant.
After running all night I left it alone decided not to mess with the radiator cap. Which, by the way, I replaced last night- just in case. It's the third radiator cap that I replaced this year, "just in case."
This morning I still haven't messed with the radiator cap or checked fluid level but there is zero in the overflow tank.
After the head gasket treatment I also changed the oil and added an oil treatment. Right before I got the red triangle of death I was just thinking about how very smoothly the car was running. Prolly jinxed it.
It has been going through coolant again so I did another head gasket treatment but this time I did the quickie version where you don't have to remove the thermostat. Seemed to make it worse.
It's really really hard to get all the air bubbles out of this very complicated coolant system. It's got a mechanical pump and an electrical pump, a coolant control valve, a thermostat and a thermos to hold hot waterl. The system is monitors temperatures and puts hot water in the thermos for later. (Because the gas engine cycles off, frequently.) Any of those places as well as the heater core can get air bubbles in them and if you get air bubbles- the system basically doesn't work.
I'm starting to suspect either a clogged heater core or a problem with the coolant control valve. It tries to decide where the hottest water is, and send the hottest water where it's needed.
I use a spill proof funnel gadget to kind of help tease the air out of the system and while I'm watching it the whole system just about boiled over and filled up the thing almost to the rim. I turned the car off the coolant goes back down into the system. Eventually I was satisfied that I got most of the air out. Similar to other times when I've done this- that seemed okay.
I got the small one a third of the way home and I got the red triangle of death. I drove quite a bit further like that because we were not in a good spot for cell phone service or really any services . . got it to a gas station opened it up and re-bled everything. I lost quite a bit taking the radiator cap off but by the time I put everything from the coolant overflow tank and 16 oz more it was topped off. So I wasn't really losing any other than the portion being forced into the overflow tank.
After I got her home I ran all night with no heater on. When this whole problem started last time it started in the winter and it started with poor heat in the cabin first. Long before it started showing up missing coolant.
After running all night I left it alone decided not to mess with the radiator cap. Which, by the way, I replaced last night- just in case. It's the third radiator cap that I replaced this year, "just in case."
This morning I still haven't messed with the radiator cap or checked fluid level but there is zero in the overflow tank.
After the head gasket treatment I also changed the oil and added an oil treatment. Right before I got the red triangle of death I was just thinking about how very smoothly the car was running. Prolly jinxed it.
