EGR pipe cleaning on 2010-2015 Toyota Prius
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- A preventative maintenance step for these cars.
If the EGR pipe is blocked and in combination with a blocked EGR manifold, it can lead to higher engine temperatures. The result of which? a head gasket failure at around 150K miles.
Cleaning the pipe is a straight forward enough method of helping to avoid such a situation.
An oil catch can is also helpful as an install, which NutsAboutBolts covers in his excellent maintenance series.
Here's NutsAboutBolts reference video: • 2010-2015 Toyota Prius...
My video is intended to compliment his, to show likely different angles and techniques. Also maybe 1 or 2 tips for fellas like myself who are fresh to such maintenance.
I got the oem toyota egr kit on ebay for $ 180 i clean the egr cooler . I also clean the manifold ,throttle body air intake, mass air sensor. It took me 12 hrs to do i save a lot of money thanks to youtube my check engine with away. It does not rattle no more runs good am the original owner it has 170,000 miles 2012 pruis. I love this pruis am California correctional officer in San Diego but live in Tijuana Mexico my co workers make funny of me and tell me to buy a new car lol. My next vehicle will be a new toyota tocoma :).
To prevent future problems (rattling and headgasketfailure) you really have to take the EGR-cooler, EGR-valve, EGR-pipe and intakemanifold off, and clean all of them using ovencleaner. Clean them like they are new again and the car will run forever. Repeat this every 30 - 50 k miles or 50-80k km's. If you are so unluckey to have the 1.8 of 2010-2013 that burns oil, you have to do it more often.
I also changed the electric waterpump and thermostat, while I was in there, at 230k km's. Also known for failure. Buy the OEM pump, made by Toyota/Aisin, not a cheap one, that will soon fail. Change it as a preventative job, now it costs a little money, but when it failes while you'r on the road, it will cost you thousands.
All this in one day of work for an amateur like me
Toyota Prius 3rd gen. I used an extra reach 12 mm racheting wrench for the three nuts in the back and took a while to reach the 4th HIDDEN 12 mm nut underneath the EGR cooler. We used a Torx E8 socket for the two bolts in the back, to finally free up the entire EGR assembly off. Great Video
Am looking at bits to buy to clean ours, seems I need a few things. Haven't got many tools, your info is appreciated.
@@Slider2732 for the Torx E8 socket, using a 1/4 inch drive Finger Ratchet works goods
@@Slider2732 Removing the EGR cooler is no joke. Spent a small fortune buying specialized tools. In retro, would have been better to take it to a mech. See if your mech will remove for you, clean it yourself, save $ and have mech put it back together for you.
@@NINJA2da all you need in one special tool for to bolts in the back.
Just finished cleaning the egr valve on my 2010 no more nasty cold start noises and was clogged so bad thank you for the help!🫡
Good job. I don’t have a car but when I get one I’ll keep this in mind
Thanks, it's straight forward really, especially after watching someone do it. This only applies to 3rd generation Prius's, but keeping pipes clear is always a good idea for any car.
Just curious, why are you watching this video? You must have fallen into one deep click hole to get here.
Anyone seeing this… Cleaning just the pipe and intake is pointless if you don’t take the time to properly clean the cooler. The cooler is what becomes clogged first, and if the other parts are clogged, cleaning them and NOT the cooler won’t help.
Yeah I am just watching this now and wondering wtf this guy is doing.
У меня Тойота Приус альфа, 2015г, рестайлинг. Прошлом году и сегодня чистил ЕГР, полностью демонтировал. Впрыском Азелитом из Хим топа и промыл с горячей водой, выходил очень много нагара и сажи.
Please make sure to clean the egr cooler as well they are usually very clogged up with soot also replace the pcv valve and add another beneficial extra step would be to add an oil catch can to reduce the clogging of the egr system and reduce/fix engine knocking on cold days.
The oil catch can is on my list for near future :)
This one is on 88K now, all the 'big' maintenance is planned for 100K (transaxle, plugs, coils etc). The pipe cleaning is an indication, plus if folks can do this they should gain confidence for the fuller procedure as you described.
My humble apologies my good friend. UA-cam has not been sending me notifications of your uploads. Even though your bell is ticked. This looked like an awesome tutorial. Very well presented. I am now going to sit here and go through your videos I have missed. Had a few health challengies. But ok now. so uploading again soon. Hello Julie I hope you are both well. Have a great day. My very best regards. Raymond.
Ah, wonderful to know you are ok. We had both been worried about you. Julie said " Thanks for the hi Ray."
Maybe the clapper has fallen off the bell.
That’s one clean engine bay
If you use a 10mm socket behind those plastic clips they’ll pop off without breaking. Just a tip.
Thanks Roman :)
Just cleaned the EGR pipe on a 2014 Prius. It was running great at 101k miles but I read about the headgasket issues on these cars and decided to tackle the job to prevent a problem. The pipe was fairly clean with minor soot but I went ahead and took off the EGR cooler to check it out while my windshield cowl was off. It's a pain in the neck to remove but I'm glad I did. My friend, it was totally blocked up. Unbelievable as the pipe wasn't too terrible. Hard to believe as the car was running so well. It absolutely required a pressure washer to fully remove the hard built up carbon. Hot water and chemical cleaners and a thin wire did not help much. After I finished pressure washing it for a solid 10 minutes, I could finally see the fins inside and see straight through to the other side. Next time I will buy a new EGR cooler and valve so I can simply swap and sell the old one.
Great info and thanks for posting, especially with it being a 2014. I'd agree about the swap, then clean the other at your leisure. We could do with a company bringing out something like a carb cleaner... spray it liberally into the throttle body and watch the black exhaust gases. Problem is, would start up, go to spray the cleaner and the damn car would switch itself off lol
The pressure washer didn't damage the fins ?
Cleaning that pipe, doesntbdo much, because the main problem is the actual ports inside the intake runner clogging. I just removed the intake today and cleaned the ports. Thats where you get uneven distribution of the egr gases and causing uneven cylinder temperatures. Cheers
Yep, I agree. Cleaning the pipe is an indicator. Also allows experimentation with home cleaners to see what works before tackling the big clean. Best wishes for many 1000's more miles :)
What do you guys think about running seafoam in the fuel regularly and in the oil just before an oil change? Should free up some stuff right?
@@mhaskins3769 it all depends on how much deposit is already present. If it frees up and get sucked into places like the camshaft phasers, thats problematic. Of course the oil filter should catch everything right? Im a fan of changing oil more frequently.
@@mhaskins3769 the egr system is separate from the fuel and oil systems so it would still need to be cleaned independently.
My headgasket has blown. I used Bars sealant to seal it. So far so good. How does EGR valve make gasket go bad ?
The temperatures in the combustion chamber are higher than they would be otherwise causing it to fail is my understanding.
Or something similar to that, maybe too much pressure as well.
@@SvenTSchixe👍
Someone plz tell me what spray/cleaner to use when cleaning EGR. Looking to get it done pretty soon but collecting information upfront so I do it close to a 100%. Thanks in advance!
Great video thanks!
How is your engine bay so clean after 85k of driving?
IKR? as they say. We bought the car from a Toyota dealer in September and I was shocked myself. Must have a good steam cleaner is all I can think of.
looks BrandNew !!!
All the driving was done on a closed track by a professional
I’m gonna do mine it’s at 134k and I have no idea when the last time it got cleaned it’s gonna be so jacked. 😅
Hi Slider. Man I bet that beats the ford escort hands down.
All my best.
Bobby
Haha cheers Bobby, yes it certainly does. Is a full second quicker 0-60 in PWR mode too!
(a surprising fact given that many think of the Prius as a very slow car).
Best to you and yours too.
It will be very helpful
Anything involving an EGR cooler should be preceded with “you are going to need a leprechaun and an elf to get the bolts off” or “hope you weren’t too fond of skin on your hand”... EGR pipe not bad, EGR cooler TERRIBLE.
Also, soak in purple power and use pipe cleaner... tah dah.
Tetrus masters have nothing on the engineers who stuffed the hood of a Prius.
I use a rifle cleaning brush. The where ones that they have on a rifle cleaner. You can use that and shove it all the way down in there
Hey, that is a different subject, what channel am I watching? And all done one handed !! Does your wife know what you did with her toothbrush?
Haha, we do have a stock of the old ones. Did this because it's a common thread subject on PriusChat and felt sure i'd mess it up lol. Luckily didn't.
Oh but also, I can pull up to 1.2KV out of the onboard batt for home electrics, so it's semi sort of related to usual programming on the channel. Don't want the possible elecky generator to go bang in a crisis :)
Great video!
Carb and choke cleaner could be a good solvent to use without having to take a bath in it. A round brass wire brush might be pretty effective in combination. Use Nitrile rubber gloves.
Thanks Bill. Yes I agree. Good idea with the brass brush too.
Thank you very much! Just rolled over about a hundred six thousand miles and my engine light came on for this reason. I guess this is the only thing I have to do to make it go away I keep the engine clean?
With the engine light on, it means it's definitely time. If it still runs great you should clean out the whole EGR circuit right away. NutsAboutBolts has a full vid on it. It involves stripping down the whole path, inlet manifold, valve, cooler and the pipe. A weekends worth, but can be done on your own and saves the car.
This is a good short thread, with plenty of tips: priuschat.com/threads/egr-circuit-cleaned-it-still-cel-now-what.198447/
Tips to PREVENT HEAD GASKET FAILURE:
231K - 2013 Prius. Just had head gasket replaced for $1,500.
Could of prevented it if I cleaned/replaced EGR cooler around my second run of 80K or 90K miles?
Maybe it happened to me a bit sooner because I cleaned my EGR cooler out about 90% +\- at 130k miles, + 1000 miles/week, 50K/yr. and maybe because of potentially more cold/heat cycles on the head gasket.
Lots of people highly recommend 3rd gen prius owners clean or replace EGR cooler AT or BEFORE you hit every 100K miles.
EGR cooler $178 new on ebay, $300 at toyota, part #25601-37010. Clean EGR pipe and valve with the intake manifold/throttle body. Replace PCV valve, optional oil catch can.
X
At 230K miles my EGR cooler was completely blocked up with soot (previous cleaning at 130K). My symptoms were brief misfire on #2 couple times every 100 miles and slow engine coolant leak into the engine. #2 spark plug and #2 set of 4 valves were pretty dirty. Head gasket and cylinder head was replaced with refurbished one. (6,000/3month
warranty). Car runs great so far. 4th Gen Prius has improved this problem.
Thanks for posting your experience. Will be doing ours in the next few weeks. It's on 92K, but not considered to be too soon. We have 250 miles left on the tank fill from before Covid 19, but in with generally not going far is more heat cycles on the engine -you make a great point. Luckily the pipe was fairly clean, but am not taking any chances... the car has to last!
@@Slider2732 Cool. Yeah it's the EGR cooler that I replaced but some clean it out. I cleaned everything out. Toyota should have had first put the EGR after the catalytic converter which they now do in 4th gen.
I just replaced my water pump and thermostat at 232K miles as a preventative step. I may replace inverter pump before 300k but it is still flowing in the reservoir. Some people want to wait for check eng codes to pop up or leaking or abnormal noise or worst case it pump(s) may fail and ECU computer would put prius in turtle mode requiring one needing a tow.
Did your car throw any engine codes?
@@Greg1485 Ah, interesting to keep in mind for a potential modification if the exhaust needs to be replaced with the catalytic converter. Will have to see if the 4th Gen can retrofit into a 3rd gen also, stock or custom equivalent. Did you happen to look into performing by chance? I'm at 220K and noticing I think during a ECO range just after EV (I use ECO Mode) the cold engine rattle until I idle down and increase slower or throttle more to deal with for a second or two until stops. Not sure causation yet, no error codes. Though definitely in the plan to clean next with most likely a PCV Valve relocation and OCC while all is tore apart. ECG circuit cleanout at least seem priority along with windshield wipers which triggered all this research to do other inspection and maintenance learning and acts while disassembled. RainX for now.
@@jafinch78 Never heard of an exhaust mod, but if it failed that would seem smart if possible. I think first your going to want to clean everything, manifold, replace pcv, clean egr pipe and egr cooler/or replace cooler, egr valve. I have not added OCC oil catch can but it may improve car life and prevent cooler plugging up at every 70-100k+/-. Ok goodluck to you. I was hoping to prevent head gasket replacement but I was too late in cleaning it out. see if cleaning everything improves your rattle. thanks to nutsaboutboltz instructions.
I dont understand how peope in the US get the egr clogged up. Poor fuel and a lot of city driving?
Your egr pipe looks normal after that milage. Mine looked the same after 165.000km (100k miles). I also cleaned the bottom part of the egr. Easy acces to it when the pipe is off.
Neither do I, being from England :) You have a valid point about fuel, with all the Ethanol here. It's possibly the other way around for build up too, much longer journeys? We just did a trip to Minnesota and back, 2000 miles of highway. Great for traditional ICE cars, not for Atkinson hybrids?
Full EGR cleaning is next on my list + a catch can. It's been 100% reliable over the past year and I aim to keep it that way.
How does a clogged EGR pipe cause a head gasket problem? Is the EGR valve stuck the problem, or is it clogged pipe (between the intake and EGR Valve) with full functioning free flowing valve (with no active flow) a problem? The EGR goes off and on a lot. If the EGR is off, or that pipe clogged, how is the intake gasket under stress?
I believe it's to do with cylinder temperatures. A clean airflow allows the cylinder to combine the gasses properly, cooling the combustion to more of a flame. When blocked, especially to varying amounts in the inlet manifold, 1 cylinder may be running far hotter. That causes uneven heat across the block and can cause the gasket to fail. Cleaning the pipe allows the best conditions further into the system.
The pipe check is quick to do on a Sunday afternoon etc, so forming a good indicator of the inlet manifold condition without tearing everything down.
I'll be doing our whole system at 100K, this video was a 'look see' towards overall condition. Keeping the pipe itself clean goes a long way to allowing a better gas mixture in any case. Hope that helps.
EGR COOLS THE TEMPS OF ENGINE COMBUSTION CHAMBER
KEEPS ENGINE COOLER AND THUS HEAD GASKET LAST LONGER
MAJORITY OF HEAD GASKET FAILURE IS DUE TO OVERHEATING ENGINE
AND IMPROVES MPG
P0401 CODE IS DUE TO CARBON BUILD UP IN THE EGR COOLER
Hie
thanks a lot for that vidéo.
Please if you can post the same for the prius 4 génération.
We will be moore to follow you here in France.
I would really like to do the same for the Gen 4... but only own a Gen 3. I might be able to do the video in about 5 years time lol
Apparently the Gen 4 engine doesn't have the same build up problems, which is good news for you :) It is wise to strip down and clean whatever you can if your mileage/km's are high.
Interesting method. Thanks for sharing. Neat watching different cleaning methods used and people performing. Did yours throw any error codes?
Sorry for the delay. Nope no error codes. It's a good point that I hadn't considered, probably because it fortunately didn't happen lol.
@@Slider2732 No need to be sorry, appreciate the reply. UA-cam is definitely handy for that capability on top of the video blog and detailing stuff. Interesting timing too since I got my PCV Valve in the mail today and back from getting 3/8" fuel/PCV rubber hose, a M16-1.5 to 3/8" Dorman adapter and hose clamps for the PCV Valve relocation to between the Valve cover and inverter coolant tank somewhere. Have an OCC that I'm thinking will be here this weekend and am hoping I don't need an adapter to couple from the OEM PCV Valve location and can just drill or punch out the valve in the OG PCV valve so to use as a hose adapter. Was hoping to find Tygon Fuel line in 3/8" and haven't been able to find around or on eBay even that's fuel grade. My issue is the wiper motor I think failed and while disassembling, I figured I'd look into PM's since I'm at ~220K and get that rattling sound briefly accelerating after warmed up then sits I think. Plus the dealerships and I noticed more oil consumed that last few oil changes.
@@jafinch78 Great info and thanks, because also others may see it.
Is yours a pre 2012? I know that oil consumption is to be expected, more so on the first Gen 3's. Saying that, 220K is nothing to sneeze at, except if owning a Prius!
Could the brief rattle be the ECU being pulled out of operating conditions due to carbon? As in, the cylinders miss because of an incorrect air/fuel mix. If so, your cleaning should remedy, from what I've read (Priuschat). Also, acceleration is a bit of a mixed bag, especially from rest, cos of the electric motor. Can easily imagine a situation where pulling away is fine, then it starts to rattle... as the engine kicks in.
Am also thinking the wiper motor may be corroded contacts. Could be worthwhile to put 12V to it directly when disconnected from the car and see what happens.
@@Slider2732 Your welcome, 2013 and thinking the same. Wouldn't know what I know if not for others sharing. I've wondered about running a fuel additive and oil additive then rinse for a long run. Reads like might help with reducing oil consumption by loosing up the rings that might have carbon deposit issues. Doubt I will... though will continue researching. For all I know, like the cold weather even worse sound that's always been with the engine... I may be nit picking since I've not been listening to music or the radio like I used to always when on the road. I plan to check the connection to the wiper motor with a DMM now that I know a little more with a wiring diagram. priuschat.com/threads/2013-front-windshield-wipers-not-working.219734/#post-3079315 Wasn't sure about a floating ground or not... so didn't want to test with the car powered on. Switch functions I think as designed. Good idea with checking the connection with a 12V source... didn't even think about. If doesn't work... I'll do a disassembly and document what all I do and add to the above post.
IT'S HALF ASS JOB
I RECOMMEND CLEANING THE WHOLE EGR ASSEMBLY
THIS IS ONLY PART OF IT
Since it's just caked up unburnt carbon and deposits in theory you could heat the shit out if the pipe with a torch inside & out and it should all burn off
I bought a used 2010 Prius (192,000 miles). It rattles when starting (not always, often when there's a pretty long duration between the startup and last time I shut the engine) for about 3 to sometimes 8 seconds. And then the check engine lights went up. P0103, P0300, P0301, P0302. Swapped the ignition coils and spark plugs from 1 to 4, and 2 to 3. Lights went up again. Gas cap is secured, MAF sensor and the filter, I just cleaned it yesterday.
Did you get your problem fixed ?????
@@beaulittle8141 Just today (from the past 2 days), I had been working on the MAF, MAF sensor, Intake Manifold, EGR pipe.
So far, the only code that appear is P0301 with no engine light just yet (used to be from P0300to P0303 and P0103 as well)
Its going be your egr valve if it not that headgasket for sure.
@@rosaritomex4223 It was head gasket. Got it fixed for $1,300. Toyota dealer wanted $3,500.
@@triparadox.c damm $3500
Do you use gas fuel treatment
Better to clean the EGR valve as well
I just fixed my p0401 code, I replaced just the egr valve motor with a good one off eBay and no more code!! Getting 40-45mpg city...if you clean everything and still get a code its the egr motor going bad
Great info Joe, thanks :)
P0401 CODE IS DUE TO CARBON BUILD UP IN YOUR EGR COOLER
EGR VALVE GETS CLOGGED TOO BUT EGR COOLER YOU WANT TO CLEAN OUT
YOU PROBABLY JUST LAZY TO TAKE OUT THE WHOLE EGR COOLER TO CLEAN OUT
EVENTUALLY YOU WOULD GET THE CODE AGAIN SOONER THAN YOU EXPECTED
@@21boxhead cleaning egr is very easy, I take the egr to the self serve car wash and pressure wash is with the soap.... this method works very well , egr is like new after cleaning
@@joerodriguez457 WELL GOOD THAT'S WHAT I SAY TO EVERYONE ELSE TO DO WHEN THEIR EGR COOLER IS CLOGGED
Is this what causes the engine to shake hard on acceleration?
It would likely be related if idle is fine, but could be a missing motor mount, or spark plug/coil pack issue. Normally it's all about the shaking/clattering on a freezing winter morning.
If this pipe is gunked up, then the manifold at the engine front would definitely need cleaning, plus throttle body. An oil catch can helps prevent the build up.
It's always best to let the engine switch off by itself during warm up too.
@@Slider2732 changed the spark plugs and did a head gasket repair about 6 months ago but its back at it with the same thing so when you mentioned head gasket it kind of made sense as to why it keeps happening
Slider, from the Manchester area?
Mid Cheshire, Northwich. Moved to the USA in 2007 but have clung to the Northern England accent lol :)
Pipe cleaner
Please Can I just delete that EGR f..k ??
THAT'S A DUMB IDEA
THE EGR IMPROVES MPG
WHATS THE POINT OF GETTING A PRIUS IF WANT TO MAKE IT LESS EFFICIENT?
Does this operation solve the P0401 error code? I have it. Same model Prius.
Hi Andres, have posted some info on PriusChat, but yes, along with probably cleaning the EGR manifold on the front of the engine. Easy first step is to clean this pipe. See if the code clears. If not, to then do the manifold.
Good luck!
YOU NEED TO CLEAN THE EGR COOLER IT CLOGGED WITH CARBON
NEED PRESSURE WASHER TO PUSH IT ALL OUT
THIS WILL SOLVE THE P0401 CODE
Had this problem a year ago. Cleaned it and the error code went away for a short while and returned 3 days later. Turned out a sensor in the EGR system was defective and need to be changed. Now a year after still working as a charm.