You can fill the cooler with various type of products to clean out all the build up. I’ve used strong degreaser, oven cleaner, brake cleaner, Dawn dish soap. Each time I let any of those projects sit and do their work. Then cleaned it out with boiling water. I also flushed it from both sides. You should take the EGR apart as well. If the EGR is not opening and closing properly you will have problems driving, accelerating and poor gas mileage (so clean it). Brake cleaner, a toothbrush, toothpick, pick, etc. just get it clean before reassembly. Also make sure you clean the flap and make sure it’s smooth when it opens and closes. It really is an easy job, except for 1 bolt. *****DEFINITELY get a telescoping magnet because you will drop the nut and you will need the magnet to get it.*****
With minimal experience working on my former 4 cars, thanks to the confidence you inspire with your pleasant tone, egoless guidance, great camera angles and full steps, I decided to clean, replace or install the following all within the same day: EGR cooler clean, intake manifold clean and gaskets, spark plugs & coils replacement, PCV valve replacement, and oil catch can install. At first, I felt the engine would jump out of car upon starting it, but 10 seconds later - niceness! It's gone from 49 MPG to 61 MPG on my normal routes. Car had 91,000 miles and the amount of gunk was substantial. Thank you for what you do Nutz@Boltz.
@@NutzAboutBolts I actually called two mechanics in Honolulu and both quotes were precisely at around $2200. So yes - you saved me a bunch of money! Mahalo
@@Clemty808 We could spend a weekend morning working on it together. I wouldn't charge. Only issue is that when I did mine I borrowed certain tools that make all the difference in getting this job done flawlessly. Let me know how to contact you and we'll go over what tools you have and perhaps with the ones I have we could tackle this project.
Just did this, the single most effective thing I found to clean the cooler was a combination of oxiclean and extremely hot water from an electric kettle. Brake clean made brown liquid come out the bottom, oxiclean and water made coffee grounds come out, but the oxiclean and boiling hot water was getting flakes and chunks of carbon out, until the water dripping out was basically clear. Anyway, thank you for the tutorial!
Thank you NAB, your videos are spot on and super helpful! My 2010 Prius with 110k had the EGR cooler completely clogged, 100%. Mine burns a fair amount of oil, around maybe 1 quart every 3,000 miles. If you're cleaning the EGR cooler, since you'll have it all apart anyways, it's a good time to: replace the spark plugs, drain/fill the engine coolant (then no need to clamp off the various coolant lines and draining from the radiator is sufficient), replace the PCV valve, clean the intake and throttle body, and add an oil catch can (NAB has videos on all of these topics). I consider myself a fairly competent DIY mechanic (do brakes, brake calipers, water pumps, ac compressors, etc.) and I did all of the above and it took me around 5-6 hours wrench time and an additional 3-4 hours of cleaning the EGR cooler. I used brake cleaner (8 cans total), a wire coat hanger, and oven cleaner to clean the EGR cooler. Please wear eye protection when you're doing this, you'll have brake cleaner everywhere! The oven cleaner works great, but needs to sit for 15-20 minutes. I basically used the brake cleaner for a bit, then the wire coat hanger, then oven cleaner (sit for 15-20 mins), then rinse it with a garden hose (really helps, don't skip this step), then repeat this process until it looks clean. I cleaned mine to around 80-90% clear. In retrospect, the EGR cooler is available brand new on eBay for around $175. I would just buy a brand new one rather than spending hours cleaning it. Some tools I found very useful for this particular job, in addition to the E8 torx socket, which I didn't have in my toolbox: the gearwrench style racheting combination wrenches are very useful for getting into tight spots like the EGR pipe bolts. Also the hand rachet is pretty useful (he used one in the video). Also the long reach pliers and especially the long reach pliers with the 90 deg (or whatever degree) bent head. Very useful for getting all the plastic electric connector tabs releases and also removing hose clamps. Also a pair of hose removal hooks are useful to get off coolant hoses which are hard to release. A lot of work, but a necessary job.
agree to above, the only I would skip is change the coolant. You can drain about a gallon and limit the spill/mess (the throttle body doesn't have to be disconnected but EGR cooler does). Now I read I should change the water pump as preventive - should have done that when I changed the coolant at 150k
VegascomJeff You can completely clean the egr cooler in 5 minutes at the car wash. No chemicals. Just blast the insides with the wash wand. It’s all stainless steel and has worked for me 3 times now.
I didn't have much luck with parts cleaner. I used Krud Kutter that I purchased from Lowe's and that worked great. It still took me several days to clean all of the carbon build up from the EGR cooler. I have a 2012 Prius with 181,000 miles on it. It's been running rough for awhile and the dealer was zero help. Thank you for making these videos. I've learned a lot from NutzAboutBolts and now I'm on a quest to educate all Prius owners about the PCV and EGR issues.
Nice words. I am about to clean EGR cooler on my Prius V 2013 with 190,000 miles. I am planning to soak it overnight in a gasoline and then use oven cleaner and do power wash at car wash place. Do this drill two times or until oven cleaner is empty. Is this a good way to clean EGR? Also , do you recommend me any particular brand of PCV valve? Thank you.
@@kumara5492 I purchased one from Napa Auto Parts for around $8 and it lasted 5,000 miles. Toyota wanted $115. For something that is a known problem, it's up to you how much you want to spend. I put an oil catch can in my car and I empty it about once a month. I'm not going to keep changing PCV valves, too much labor an time to get to them.
@@ti50pqsmoith34 Great idea. Can you please tell me what parts I need to purchase and where can I get oil catch can and what size of hoses I need to buy? I really appreciate your suggestions. Thank you
BE AWARE: There are other problems that can cause a P0401 code. This video helped, but did not resolve the issue. In addition, I was having infrequent overheating and poor mileage. After replacing all the usual culprits, I found the ROOT CAUSE to be the exhaust flow coolant recirculation system under the car to be the problem. For some crazy reason the 2010 Prius circulates the coolant around the exhaust pipe to (1) warm the engine faster, and (2) make the heater work faster. They also put a butter-fly value in the exhaust pipe with a spring blocking the flow! It should open when the car warms up. Mine froze and held the valve partially closed and continued to circulate coolant around a hot exhaust. My solution in Tucson AZ was to bypass the coolant line and bolt the valve open. RESULT: no code, no overheating, great mileage, and much better performance.
I bought a 2010 Prius with 200,00Mine was so plugged up I had to use a 1600 psi pressure washer. I hit it in both directions and finished it with some break cleaner. Thanks for your video it gave me the understanding of where the bolts are located and the confidence to do it myself. Great job!
Thank you for the great video! I did my egr, Pcv valve, spark plugs and intake cleaning on my 2011 prius (226k). So far so good. You have no idea how helpful the videos are. I don't even want to go back to Toyota for the recall notice. Dealers are too shady.
@@Senorlatulla I believe the warranty is only for the EGR valve, they don't clean/replace the cooler (which they charge an arm and leg for) according to online msg I've read. Mine is 2014 @156k so doing this as maintenance as I'm not seeing any issues/codes otherwise.
I just got a 2010 Prius and discovered the this issue with my car already. It’s has 240k and about to do all of this. I hope the shaking/acceleration issue stops and mpg gets better. I was under the impression Prius’ were no hassle cars
Had just over 200k miles on mine and just did this after having bad engine shaking on start up and the code for egr valve. Pain in the butt to clean the cooler. Mine was totally clogged 99%. Two cans of brake cleaner and a couple hours of poking all the holes with a wire hanger and I got it 95% cleaned out. I felt clamping the hoses were pointless too. Thanks for the great video!
MORE TIPS: (1) When replacing the EGR cooler, you can skip putting the studs back in the flange for the exhaust pipe connection. Replace the studs with (2) 8x1.25mm x 20mm bolts (either hex cap or use hex+washers). This makes it MUCH easier to maneuver the cooler for both install and removal in the future. Just be mindful of the gasket when install and remove. (2) Don't worry about putting the bolt back in the lower EGR mounting tab. It's insanely difficult and you will be fine without it. (3) While brake cleaner does work, I've found that throttle body spray cleaner works MUCH better.
The reason we didn’t use throttle body spray is because it leaves an oil residue behind. Brake clean doesn’t. But people also use oven cleaner and soak it overnight to get rid of the carbon build up. 👍🏼
Mine is a full head gasket job... I took off and sprayed the cooler when I first removed it and let the brake cleaner soak in it over night towards the piston ... I just took the piston off just to check and it was covered in a thick carbon sludge.... I used two cans or brakecleaner and noticed that the cleaner would not really make it's way down to the other side... I blew on it *gross* an it has some air flow 🤣 but I figure I might as well give it a good soak to see if it's worth salvaging.... The part is running near 300 plus which seems insane to me but I assume dealerships are replacing these like crazy... I see no reason an over night soak in solvent can't get the job done... I'll follow-up
@@NutzAboutBolts I'll be surprised if the brake cleaner doesn't get it done... But I'm definitely cleaning it out even if it means turning on the pressure washer... Problem is I'm up north and it's freezing lol
Thank you. Wouldn't have happened without your video. That was the most unpleasant auto repair I've ever had to make. Used 2 cans of spray brake cleaner 14 gauge copper wire and some coat hanger wire on a drill. Should have started with gallon of brake cleaner in a deep can and soaked overnight. The engine had random misfires at low speed (235,000 miles). The EGR cooler was actually "water tight". Completely blocked.
Awesome video. Thank you! My EGR cooler was totally clogged. I soaked it with break cleaner for an hour then took it to the carwash. The hi pressure wash cleaned it like new!
@@Senorlatulla You can soak it in lacquer thinner. It does the same job as brake cleaner but you can buy it in quart or gallon containers. Just don't get it on any plastic or paint.
@@Senorlatulla I used purple power degreaser and let it soak overnight in a large zip bag, then used pressure washer, then air pressure to dry and finished with brake cleaner. Fun, hey ? it was new afterward...
Holy shit, I'm in the process of cleaning the manifold and egr system and damn is it hard work! Much respect to you guys doing this for a living. Thank you for the awesome guide!
EASIER WAY TO CLEAN IT IS TO USE BARE SOLID COPPER WIRE ON A DRILL AND PRESSURE WASHER TOOK AN HOUR GOING BETWEEN THE TWO PRESSURE WASH AND DRILLING WITH COPPER WIRE ATTACHED JUST DON'T PUSH IN THE WIRE TOO HARD COULD SNAP GO EASY AND MAYBE REPLACE EVERY FEW TIMES
Agree, Oven cleaner is made for carbon build up, soften it up after few hours and blast it out with brake cleaner. It works the best and no physical force
I want to say thank you for your videos they help me a lot and allowed me to save a lot of money. good job brother keep going in thank you God bless you
This and other related prius videos are beyond helpful! Great step by step guide. I am pretty unmechanical by nature but am now competent at disassembling and cleaning the EGR system. Awesome video(s)!!!!!
I just did this on my 2010 Prius. It was the hardest car project I have ever done. I used 3 cans of brake cleaner, 1 can oven cleaner, a good soak in hot soapy water, 2 long soaks of 18 hours total in Oxi-Clean solution, and Liquid Plum-R to clean the damn thing out. 193k miles, the cooler was full of carbon crap. Removing and installing it, you make it look easy. You're like a magician!
NutzAboutBolts please immediate help; I middle of this job. And I have a question. The two torx stud bolts on the back where attaches egr cooler to exhaust. If I just remove the nuts not the stud bolts; can I free up the cooler? ( bcoz i striped one of the head of the studs) 🙁
@@kerem54545454 Remove the upper and lower E8 mounting studs. Do not bother with removing the two E8 studs that connect to the exhaust, just remove the two nuts. Mine rounded off at the exhaust.
I found by just removing the upper and lower EGR cooler mounting E8 studs, you do not have to remove the lower two E8 studs at the furthest opposite end where it attaches to the exhaust. Most often than not the lower E8 stud will not come loose.
Keep in mind if you have large forearms this may be much more difficult than it appears. Also consider that some of the hose clamps may be rotated in the manner that does not allow you access to them with needle nose pliers. Also remove the lower plastic splash pan/guard before you start so if you drop something you dont need to jack the car up and remove the guard while doing this repair to retrieve it. Another consideration is on the Lexus CT 200 H you do not need to remove the windshield wipers or any of that stuff up top to do this or the plugs. In fact there’s metal in place that would make that pointless. Good video and be ready to buy a few specialty tools in the process to deal with unforeseen issues.
Just accomplished on my 2010 Toyota Prius, not a confident diy, took it apart 2 times and cleaned thoroughly to where you can see through the egr cooler, did this w/ an 18gauge wire. Over all great video
because of people like you taking the time to make a nice video like this one i got inspired to tackle this job myself on my lexus and all went well...I soaked everything especially the EGR cooler in heavy duty degreaser and hot water and it came out like brand new...i cleaned everything to a brand new state, like really took the time to do a perfect job...the intake manifold i also soaked completely in heavy duty degreaser and hot water, cleaned the throttle body and the whole lot... anyway, thank you very much man for all the tips, camera shots and cool demeanor ! God bless you mate!
thanks for great video! I was able to get egr cooler off today but I didn't have E8 torx socket. I used 6mm hex socket to remove front stud but didn't remove remaining 3 studs - just removed 12mm nuts, and I was able to pull it off. After I got egr cooler off, I wrenched off the troublesome lower stud and disposed of it for good:)
This video is awesome! I found it easier to access the bolts that were hard to reach from underneath the car after removing the underside panel. Didn't have to remove the cowl panel and windshield wipers that way.
It might work if you have a lift, but not for DIY at home. I tried & just couldn't loose the nuts due to the very awkward & tiny space with only the height of a jack stand to maneuver.
It seems like a lot of steps and hassle to remove the cowl and wipers but in reality it's pretty easy. I am a mechanical idiot but after doing this a few times I feel like I could disassemble and reassemble in 5-10 minutes now. I was having a lot of the shaking motor issues and so at various times over the past few weeks found myself changing plugs, cleaning egr pipe, throttle body, intake manifold/pcv valve replacement then finally the egr valve itself and short pipe. It's really not a big deal to remove the wipers and cowl at all. I emphasize I am very unmechanical and yet find this pretty basic stuff.
I recommend just draining the coolant he probably needs to be done anyway. And it's easier than pinching off all these hoses. Just make sure you get the air out and run the heat when you fill it back up. Also probably a good time to do spark plugs
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, $300 at toyota, part 25601-37010. Clean EGR pipe and valve with the intake manifold/throttle body. Replace PCV valve, optional oil catch can. X At 230K miles my EGR cooler was completely blocked up with soot (previous cleaning at 130K). My symptoms were brief misfire on #2 couple times every 100 miles and slow engine coolant leak into the engine. #2 spark plug and #2 set of 4 valves were pretty dirty. Head gasket and cylinder head was replaced with refurbished one. (6,000/3month warranty). Car runs great so far. 4th Gen Prius has improved this problem.
@@devinbartley5768 Maybe. It's still something I might do but haven't. At 259k. "Catches oil/water residue before it goes through the engine. I think that would minimize the soot from building up.
2013 or newer have much lower rate of head gasket failure. What is the percentage you drive less than 10 miles in a year? Cleaning the EGR cooler and intake does not affect much of the head gasket problems unless it is completely blocked and cause higher temperature in the engine. EGR functions as reducing O2 contents and reduce the engine temperature and NOx. The head gasket failure most likely caused by tons of city driving with a lot of on and off and restricted cooling system. Water pump is one of the culprit. In some cases, the propeller on the water pump are stripped off, so it spins but do not push the water properly and do not throw any code.
@@devinbartley5768 Yes I think oil catch can will be huge help. In my prius, I found pcv valve leaked so much oiil into air intake that passage into first cylinder was positively dripping with oil. EGR cooler was completely blocked with soot. could not see any light at all when held up to sky. No wonder head gasket blew.
Update: Aug 11-2022 I'm at 301K now. I'm getting around a 2 second engine stutter like it's struggling to rev and shake a bit. It's been 70K since last cleaning and I'm currently cleaning everything out. This time I went to a self serve car wash and 5$ for 10minutes and blasted the majority of carbon soot out easily! Will be doing this from now on in between at least 6 oxyclean hot water soaks and trying a coat copper wire hanger to help loosen and about 4 purple engine degreaser soaks with a cork plugged and some brake cleaner. The car wash pressure washer by far got the most crap out. Even after the car wash the oxyclean soak water is still dirty! Might not need to do so many soaks if I do this cleaning every 50k-75k and might reduce potential of blowing another head gasket. Maybe since I have the plugin prius that temperature changes are more varied/higher/lower temps since I charge every day and that could cause more stress on the head gasket vs. non plugin being more close to a consistent temperature, but this is just me speculating besides all the other factors. I'm planning on finally installing an oil catch can. I replaced my water pump and thermostat at 232K. The water pump seemed ok and the propeller had a little bit resistance but not to bad, still replaced. Maybe going to clean the fuel injectors. I just replaced the inverter pump as preventative step. still was working fine but I don't want to risk the inverter overheating and then getting stranded waiting for a tow. I suppose some people think the risk is not that high and they assume it will be an intermittent problem? but it still is a risk that would require keeping an eye on temps not overheating hopefully which could fail the expensive inverter. Took me 14 hours! mostly because of how difficult it was to remove and put back from the bottom. I removed the headlight to help remove things on top. Would maybe been easier if I took the inverter itself off but that was a lot of connections I didn't want to deal with. I used a crow bar to bend the mount underside and it was much more difficult then I thought it would be to bend. Barely got the pump out, extremely awkward. I would pay someone to do this unless removing the inverter would help? there is a plate the inverter sits on in the way? I'm buying new gaskets incase I need them, from rockauto. I suspect some people replace them even if the gaskets look good but being this old perhaps they should be replaced regardless.
I just did mine today I ended up mostly using A clothes hanger and oven cleaner and that stuff just melt off it's not really easy but it does help a lot more than brake cleaner, Then I pressure washed it also cleaned the intake manifold and replace the PCV valve and added a oil catch can all in one take your video was extremely instrumental thanks a lot great job
You have to also pull your intake and clean the 4 egr inlet holes that flow into the intake really good... You can instal brand new egr valve and cooler but if those 4 holes are blocked car will still not run correct
Yep, that was my issue, 2 out of 4 of the holes were completely clogged..car did the clack clack at idle, i thought it was a blown head gasket, whew! Car runs like a champ except just a little stumble on idle now, but I didnt clean the egr cooler yet, so thats next.
THANK YOU for the video... I feel comfortable doing this and saving a ton (preventive, no error code, 2014 with 156k - cooler pretty clogged up, could barely see light through) Why do they have a Torx shaft (which can be stripped) + nut (easy to drop) instead of just a bolt ? I don't get why the double things to take out. Why not replace them ? Update: I just did this last night. 1) Skip the brake cleaner (I think I used 6 bottles between this and the intake!) and use Purple Power or other de-greaser where you can let it soak for couple hours, then pressure wash it. The cooler is small enough to fit in a large ziplog bag, and just one 40oz bottom (1/10h the cost) will do a easier job on it's own, especially if you have a pressure washer too. 2) I drained 1gal of coolant thinking the 4 hoses would be empty - but still got a bit of spill (much less than video) - should have moved the hoses around to help drain I suppose. 3) I recommend you do spark plugs, clean that intake manifold correctly at the same time, change PCV, and install oil catch can (did that later - have to take intake out again) so you don't have to do this ever again! big job but so worth it.
My toyota dealer charged $700 for "taking care of" EGR issue and two weeks after that head gasket blew. Upon taking out EGR/EGR cooler myself, I found it hadn't been touched and was completely blocked with soot.
@@springer-qb4dv dealers are a scam job. I got told once that a mouse had eaten up my air filter. i approved it and then when they returned the car to me, I asked if i could see the eaten up one, they somehow all of a sudden couldnt find it anymore. Pretty sure I got scammed.
I flushed my 2010 Tacoma transmission a few months ago. It was a fairly advanced job for the average person, good training for the Prius EGR nightmare.
*****IMPORTANT****** Anyone that owns this generation of the Prius needs to get their EGR cleaned. Be careful never to overheat this generation. If you blow your head gasket it will end of screwing up. The EGR and filling the intake manifold by mixing water, steam and it forms a gooey type glob. It will be drive but your car will run like shit. You will need to fix the head gasket first and then the EGR, EGR Cooler, spark plugs.
Thank you NutzAboutBolts for the demo. Just completed this cleanup in my 120K miles Prius without any hitch. Tip: The elusive bottom nut of the EGR cooler can be easily accessed from the bottom of the engine when you jack up the car and remove the plastic engine bay flooring. My cooler was partially clogged and I used pressure washer + intake cleaning spray to unclog it.
Many thanks, did my 2010 with 209k….approach from the rear is best…toughest part was rear studs were rusted, lots of penetrating oil to get free….my hands are pretty scraped up but it is done…..:-)
Master ASE tech who works for Toyota. We just replace the cooler in the shop because this is too time consuming. In my real life where I don’t want to pay for a new one, I take off the cooler, and soak it in Purple Power in a heavy weight bag, then spray it out with carb or brake cleaner and allow to dry.
Yeah I’ve read people just buy an extra cooler to swap out with the clean one and soak the old one in oven cleaner overnight to break down the carbon inside of the old cooler lol. It is time consuming if you don’t have an extra cooler. 👍🏼
Great video and tips! But, Jesus, Joseph, Mary! What a PITA! I just replaced the EGR cooler due to a coolant leak and, well, blood makes a good lubricant on your tools.
XTheJenovaProjectX It should. My 2012 was shaking very bad (and loud!) at low RPMs. My friend cleaned EGR valve and cooler, and it’s been 99% smooth since. I’m thinking soon I’ll clean the Intake Manifold and replace the PCV valve to make it 100%.
Apocalypse I’m in the middle of doing PCV, oil catch can, manifold cleaning, EGR pipe cleaning, and now I’m thinking about going the extra mile and cleaning out the cooler too.
@@XTheJenovaProjectX The EGR pipe was bad... but no where near as bad as the cooler. The cooler was completely clogged, nothing would pass through. A pressure washer cleaned it out easy.
I just got the cooler out yesterday. That underside nut took me 2 hours to figure out how to get out, but its done and never going back into the car again! Dont think my EGR cooler will fall off if its missing that one nut.
Just did this, this week, in the middle of a head gasket job. My EGR cooling tank was clogged SOLID. Ended up clearing it with a bicycle wheel spoke while it was submerged in a gallon can of carburetor cleaner for a couple of hours. I'd say I got it about 90-95% clean. FYI... It turns out my Prius didn't need a head gasket after all, it was the clogged EGR system causing my car over heat 😠😠😠
no one wants to do this, but it'll help in the long run, do it every 120k miles or so with all your other services, such as spark plugs, coolant, intake manifold, pcv valve and such.
I'll do it in the spring of '18. My arms and hands are not small. might have to disconnect some of those brake lines to the m.cylinder just to get to them nuts and studs.
NutzAboutBolts I've got an issue. I cleaned the intake manifold, the EGR valve + EGR cooler, the EGR pipe, AND changed the spark plugs, but the Prius is still shaking around 20mph (135k miles) So, I purchased an EGR valve + cooler assembly with only 16k miles, cleaned it before swapping it in (looked literally brand new) and I swapped it out, the shaking is STILL there. Any idea what I should do next?!
NutzAboutBolts unfortunately not. Is there any chance of carbon build up under the black cap on the EGR valve (held in by the impact Philip's screws) or do I just leave that alone? I'm really not sure what else I can take apart and clean, maybe the exhaust is the issue?
EGR cooler can be cleaned without removing it from the engine,you just need to take out the EGR valve and pipe,then with a drill and a hard steel wire about 8 inches long you poke the tiny holes on the cooler and then blow it up with compressed air,I have done around 100 of them already
@manuel Diaz, do you mean remove the EGR black valve (2 Philip screws) and the pipe that goes to the air intake manifold ? can you push a wire into most holes of the cooler and wiggle with a drill, how to you suck the parts out (strong vacuum cleaner ?). If you blow with compressed (from front I suppose) wouldn't all the dirt be put right in the input pipe and possible fall to catalytic converted, which would be worse ? then get sucked back as large particles ??? Please explain as current steps look very tedious and difficult without all the right tools...
I don’t remember if this was mentioned but it’s a lot less stressful if you buy an already clogged EGR cooler (used) for cheap to clean. When the times comes, just swap it out. You won’t have much downtime cleaning it with the car torn apart if you don’t take forever cleaning it since you’ll have a clean spare. Afterwards, just clean the one you took out for next time. Other tips: -You can do the same with the intake manifold as well. -A lot of people recommend soaking it in oven cleaner, wrapped in a trash bag, and tied off to let sit for hours or days. -If the oven cleaner still left some residue and the garden hose won’t get the gunk out. Try a pressure washer from a car wash. Move the nozzle around to get all the crevices in the cooler. Keep doing it until the water runs clean. -On the EGR cooler, leave the very bottom bolt out. It’s a PAIN getting to it. The other bolts will hold just fine without it. Use your personal judgement with this one.
@drew michael "I’m not a preventative maintenance kind of guy" yeah no kidding. A blown head gasket is not a small repair, must have cost a bunch... and not fixing the root cause will likely make it happen again or blow your engine (are you loosing coolant?). just saying...
Alain Dumesny I did not have the head gasket replaced. Problem solved with a $25.00 can of Bar’s Head Gasket Leak Seal. This problem is common on the 2010 Prius. Car runs fine. Drew michael
Just replaced mine. Had the check engine code.egr flow . I would just drop the coolant rather then joggle hose clamps . The long nose pliers are a must . I blasted mine with my karcher pressure washer with the patio cleaner attachment . Got it clean in no time then ran brake clean though it . 3 mpg improvement.... I did replace the egr valve with a new one tho I think the old one would of cleaned up . Pain in the ass to do but it's just bolts nuts and pipes fiddly but do able.
@@michaelborrego2886 Acetone is very strong and can crack some plastics and rubber parts. It is safer if you use non acetone base brake cleaner or oven cleaner instead.
I went 135K before I knew that EGR needs to be cleaned at 60K intervals. It was clogged. I am using purple power to clean it out. It is taking a lot of soakings but it seems to be working.
I soaked it in baking soda and CLEANING vinegar (way more acidic) for 3 days and most of the carbon blew out when I blasted the cooler with the hose. I then sprayed brake cleaner after that, but honestly nothing came out because most of it already came out with the baking soda / vinegar soak
I think it would be a great idea, to be using that brake cleaner spray, a bit further away, from the car. It might just do some damage to the paint on the car.
Question: I'm about to tackle this project. Wouldn't it be smart to drain out the inverter coolant instead of clamping all these coolant hoses? By adding all these clamps it reduces the amount of room to work and pull out the EGR cooler. Just a thought. If anyone can share their advice it would be greatly appreciated.
NAB, much love to u bro. What helped the most, was using an extra reach 12 mm racheting wrench for the three Nuts in the back and it took a while to reach the 4th hidden 12 mm Nut underneath the EGR cooler. We used a Torx E8 socket 1/4 in. finger rachet, for the two Bolts in the back, to finally free up the EGR assembly. If you take it to a mech shop, they are charging around $250-$300. Cheers!
Also you buy oil valve from the manifold fix the problem too ...I replace the EGR and the cooling pipe brand new no recommending to clean ..also I did the oil catch can too.....and everything go well I know people have the same problem maybe help.......thank you for the video
Warning, the nut under the EGR canister( @ 10:35 ) is the hardest part. I'm struggling with it. He makes it look pretty easy. I'm doing it on a 2010 and the shield is bent around the bolt and there's not much room to work in.
I couldn't remove the 2 rear exhaust studs so i pried the tank off by pushing it out of the way with a large screw driver. Once out, i grinded off that lower bracket. Still very secure without it. Totally unnecessary if you ask me.
Hi! . I just bought a 2010 prius with 147 000 miles on it yesterday. The guy told me that he doesn't think the erg / egr cooler or manifold haven ever been replaced. Is it bad? Should I clean / change them or should I do only when I have the symptoms? I have heard the 2010 toyota prius had a lot of head gasket issues caused by dirty egr systems. Thank you so much for the video your help!!
@@DrumPeearl we did use brake clean, it cleaned ok, but if you want the whole thing clean, soak the parts over night in oven cleaner, it’ll brake down the rest of the carbon inside
@@DrumPeearl I’d say removing is 45 mins or so, and installing the same, but I’d recommend soaking it. If you don’t have time, some people just buy a spare egr cooler to replace the oem and have the oem soak overnight and use it as a back up Incase it clogs again.
The problem is the source of "crud". Placed an oil catch can to catch the "crud" from the pcv valve (30cc every 5000 miles). Next...diverting the egr valve tube and directing that "crud" into a egr "catch can" then back to intake manifold. Better to discard the "crud" then to burn it.
Easiest way I found to clean out the cooler without all the harsh chemicals is stick a power washer in it blow out all the dirt or take the part to the self serve car wash and stick the spray wand inside and blow out all the dirt
I want to say thank you for your help but ever since I cleaned the EGR pipe ,cooler ,it started making the noise but there was no noise at all before cleaning( no doubt there was a lot of dirt in Pipe ,cooler and valve they were literally stuck) but I decided to clean it .I don't know what to do.Thanks
The problem I'm having is that the nut at 10:08 attached to the stud on the intake underneath is literally welded on and nothing I have tried can get it loose. I'm going to have to try to split that nut with a nut splitter. I have grabbed it with deep socket 1/2 drive with 3/8 ratchet flex head adapter and doesn't do anything. I have tried with a ratchet wrench, doesn't budge. Ton of WD-40. Its literally the worse nut in the history of nuts that is the most inaccessable and difficult to deal with.
TO EVERYONE!! be aware that those exhaust torx studs will break off at the ends EASY!! I dont know how these youtube mechanics always seem to never have any rust whatsoever...I live in the south away from beaches and i had rusted bolts on every car ever owned
at209k just got the light. factory plugs. EGR probably needs to be cleaned. I run the car very hard daily but do highway cruising. as well. I think the flogging helps keep it clear longer. I go WOT at least 50 times a day LOL. never skipped a beat. maybe I'll do the plugs same time.
At 26:57 I cannot get this. The threads are fine and I have everything loosened to allow maneuverability and lining up. This stud will not catch on the other side, I’m lined up perfectly and I keep maneuvering around and it still won’t catch. Any ideas?
Not sure if this is pointless or brilliant: At the outset, open the engine coolant vent tap at the top, drain about a quart of engine coolant at the radiator drain. Then do the procedure, removing the EGR valve/cooler, and HOPEFULLY the coolant level has dropped, below those components, nothing spills. Plug the tubes anyways. Then after everything's reassembled, push a tube extension on a small funnel onto the vent tap, crack it open, and pour the drained coolant back in. Might take a bit of hose squeezing to burp it in. If for some reason it wont go, say due to air pockets, pour it in at the reservoir, and cross your fingers, lol. Or do that and do the maintenance mode warm up. Very likely overthinking this, lol.
My 2010 has the vent cap, btw, but I believe it was deleted by 2012? I that case, just dump back into the reservoir, but I'm thinking the vent cap is right above the EGR, direct connection.
I did that - actually drained a gallon out but still had a bit of spill when removing the hoses - should have wiggled them to empty them. You can lift car on ramp and access it all without taking anything underside, pour it back in reservoir and to the maintenance mode warm up (see their other video).
update: The random idle issue has gone away after around 2k miles, everything continues to run great since the clean. This normally won't or shouldn't happen but in my case I got a few pending codes after successful cleaning step by step, but I cleared them with torque pro and good thing is they have NOT come back in 1,000 miles so far. The pending codes were: P0441 Evap emission control system incorrect purge flow. and P1421 (google: EVAP Canister Gross Leak?). I rechecked connections, used a little can of air on the connectors of throttle body sensor and the two near the EGR cooler top. After cleaning everything, once in a while prius will idle at a stop. (maybe 1 to 4 times each 100 miles i drive) (at random times when the engine is already way passed the warm up cycle, no reason why it should turn on as this did not happen before the cleaning, 74 deg F outside). Idles at 1,000 RPM and then it'll turn off in 5-10+/- seconds about and once it stayed idleing at 1,000rpm when I put prius in park. I re tightened air filter box, if it was a vacuum leak i don't know. I can try taking negative battery cable off for 10 minutes if i continue to have idle issue. Gas cap seems too easy to remove, I will ask toyota if they recommend me to replace, possible smoke test if issue continues. I have NOT cleaned the MAF sensor. I DID change the manifold gasket. My other concern was that since EGR cooler was notably plugged up maybe it would have been better, definitely easier in my case to replace it. Engine coolant temps max go to 196 deg F on freeway so that seems normal compared to before. Prius 2013 127K. Replaced PCV valve, Completed EGR system and the manifold cleaning and replaced spark plugs. EGR cooler was very clogged and pipe. I cleaned EGR assembly with 2 cans brake cleaner and 1 can carb/throttle cleaner, and 6 one hour soaks of hot water oxiclean plus shaking EGR cooler with hot oxiclean and a little white vinegar about 6 more times. After the soaks since it had still been dirty clogged but eventually got to about 90%+/- clean. My mpg's did not seem to improve after everything so I guess it wasn't bad enough to effect but I did notice the engine runs smoother, more efficient acceleration, and quieter on accelerating and glad I am preventing future problems. Thank you so much for informative videos step by step it was fun!
At 301K now. Car wash water pressure was absolutely necessary and made it so much easier to clean. Some oxyclean/brake cleaner before after is probably good idea. Installing oil catch can now. Update: At 302K successful install of oil catch can using 3/8 x 3/8 barbed to barbed elbow/90deg connector and 3/8 5 foot hose, 2.5 feet each way worked. 2 second stutter on cold start up is gone which I believe was due to needing to clean out the small port holes on intake with pipe brushes. The pending codes come up every time I clean the intake but they do go away after 100 miles.
Hello, i have 2011 toyota prius, my car burns oil but there isn't any smoke coming from exhaust so can a clogged EGR cause engine to run at high temps and burn oil?? mechanic said that my piston rings and valve seals are in good condition.
Thank you so much for all your videos! They are an incredible resource. After completing this, along with intake manifold clean, pcv replacement, all fluid replacement (except brake), the engine sounds rough and I have a check engine light. I have not gone to have it tested yet. Several questions, can the EGR valve be removed without taking out the cooler again? I could not clean the stem of the valve inside like yours, it still had deposits on it after 216 000 miles. I tried removing the black cap but stripped the screw heads so cant check valve function. I also cleaned throttle body off the car (along with MAP sensor). I have read that electronic TB may need relearning. Is this something I can do and would that affect my rough idle? Every hose and plug is where it should be. I ran car in maintenance mode for 20 minute waiting for fans to turn on to complete engine coolant bleed but they never turned on. Heater on full, fan low, ac off. Thank you for any advice! I will get code read today if I'm brave enough to drive car...
I think honestly your issue might just be the stem on the valve. I had the same issue after cleaning and had to take everything back apart just to find out the stem wasn't seating correctly due to the carbon build up on the inside edge of the stem. You have to find a way to get those stripped screws out and disassemble further so you can clean the whole thing. Mine went right back to running great after that
N&B. We just got our 2005 Prius back from our granddaughter. We let her use it for a year as her life settled. She would drive it until the dash lit up, then add oil. So we've had it back 3 days and drove to a local restaurant. 6 blocks, maybe. It chugged and drug itself up the hill and wouldn't even hit 20 mph. Had dinner, headed home - same thing. CEL both ways. Codes listed 300, 301, 303, 304. (Cylinder misfire). I Googled it and it sounds like the EGR issue. BTW 211,xxx miles. But you mention a code 401 for the EGR. Am I barking up the wrong tree? I'm hoping it's not the head gasket. Oh, an no complaints from the g-daughter. I hope to start the EGR cleaning tonight. Thanks for any guidance.
It sounds bad. Has the vehicle had the spark plugs changed in it? All those codes are due to misfire on cylinder 1, 3 and 4. I would check the spark plugs first and see if the coolant is low or not to make sure there’s not blown headgasket issue. Egr is the least of your worry right now.
@@NutzAboutBolts I'll check the plugs tonight. 50k on these. Other readings have led me to think egr and cooler plugged. High mileage, (well, maybe not for a Prius.) Costantly ignored oil sump. It was night, but I don't think my coolant is low. Will check tonight. Thanks!
I noticed There is a hose coming from the valve cover feeding into the intake can that possibly feed oil into the intake also? if so do we need to add a second catch can to pick up that extra oil or maybe a second PCV valve? what do you think
Will an 1/8" drill bit get through those enclosed passages? I am setting up for this job and doing over the weekend. HF sells a 12" long 1/8th and would be perfect, if it fits. (also will be soaking cooler in acetone over night...i've heard this makes it perfect) Will be soaking intake in concentrated purple power at the same time.
How much to just replace this whole part? If it’s totally clogged / dirty. Maybe that’s just simply the better path? Car is at 95k but getting 40mpg. Thinking about doing this + spark plugs. Have already done transmission fluid.
I'm planning to do this for my 2012 ct200h with 159k. I have cylinder 1 & 2 misfire codes. Dealer diagnosed previous owner with blown head gasket ( probably the reason why they traded in ). I haven't seen signs of blown head gasket like blue smoke, overheating, oil in the coolant, etc. I did notice very little brown/black sludge in the oil dipstick even after oil change. Do you think the EGR clugging issue can cause the misfires instead of head gasket?
i decided to remove EGR and Cooler. At 8:24'" you suggest using a Torx E8 socket for removing the two rear studs holding the EGR cooler on the back side, A E8 Torx was too small and a E10 was too large. I ended up using a 6mm socket. The stud does look like a Torx though. Do they make an E10 Torx socket? my new set didnt have that size. Your thoughts? Thanks. Drew
Calvary Assembly of God Southington CT everyone’s being using the E8 torx without issues and even the repair manual recommended it. So I’m not too sure... maybe once the bolt is removed, you can test it on the bolt and see if it still fits, if not then I’m not too sure.
Calvary Assembly of God Southington CT you don’t need to disable the egr itself since behind the black cap is just the valve which I didn’t see any carbon in there
NutzAboutBolts Hello Sir, I undid the two Philip screws holding the cap to the EGR housing. I spun off the round magnet and large spring and this gave me access to the plunger rod. I was able to manually test the tension on the plunger and it moved freely in and out. There was carbon on the seat of the EGR valve so I cleaned it up. I began reinstalling assembled EGR valve/cooler under hood. Started with two rear studs and nuts and called it a day. I wouldn’t have EVER attempted this without your videos and prompt replies. The EGR cooler was so blocked I could barely blow threw it. A coat hanger and carb cleaner made 100 percent difference. Back at it tomorrow. Thank you 🙏
Calvary Assembly of God Southington CT glad you remove the cap and reinstall it without issues, I’ve read quite a few people who had issues reinstalling it. Good job!
After removing the curved pipe connecting the intake and cooler, would pouring enough gasoline or brake cleaner in the cooler to soak the cooler be effective? That way only the curved pipe would need to be removed?
Dude how much weed did you smoke to stay so calm and monotone? I've never fixed anything without a few outbursts of profanity or at least some stress in my voice. Kick ass quality video and while I just did the plugs and coil packs on my car... I think I'll let Toyota do the EGR (i'm throwing a "check hybrid system" warning). I've checked the voltage between all cells and none are off by over .5v so traction battery is good and the 12v battery is showing good. So I'm down to this nightmare looking job. Toyota getting ready to grease me up and bend me over for this job, I'm sure.
Cleaned the egr cooler today on my ct200h today and intake manifold because it had a mix of coolant and oil in the intake manifold causing a p0301 and 302 trouble code.however on first start up idle is rough after clearing the codes. Did you experience the sane
How do you do these videos without CUSSING? I found the torx sockets in a set of four at Advance Auto Parts for $13.00. Also, I put a big pan under the car and didn't worry about clamping hoses. When refilling, there's a burp opening/valve with a white screw (plastic) you need to let the air out of the coolant system. Highest point of coolant lines. Thanks for this video! Sorry, I used some foul language; it seemed to help.
I'm sorry. I just thought you were a professional mechanic and come across Gen 4 prius sometimes. I had 2017 prius and due to head gasket blowing I ended up getting rid of it after 370,000 miles. I bought the exact year and a model at 59000 miles on it and planing to clean the egr valve and the cooler and intake manifold every 100,000 miles hoping to go beyond 500,000. Btw, I am a rideshare driver.
@@afk389 wow, I’m surprised they still have head gasket issues on the gen 4. Sorry to hear about that. Hopefully routine maintenance will help but some of them are just prone to those issues. I have the 2012 and it’s at 250k miles, still original brake rotors and pads, original hv battery and no issues with headgasket.
You can fill the cooler with various type of products to clean out all the build up. I’ve used strong degreaser, oven cleaner, brake cleaner, Dawn dish soap. Each time I let any of those projects sit and do their work. Then cleaned it out with boiling water. I also flushed it from both sides.
You should take the EGR apart as well. If the EGR is not opening and closing properly you will have problems driving, accelerating and poor gas mileage (so clean it). Brake cleaner, a toothbrush, toothpick, pick, etc. just get it clean before reassembly. Also make sure you clean the flap and make sure it’s smooth when it opens and closes.
It really is an easy job, except for 1 bolt.
*****DEFINITELY get a telescoping magnet because you will drop the nut and you will need the magnet to get it.*****
With minimal experience working on my former 4 cars, thanks to the confidence you inspire with your pleasant tone, egoless guidance, great camera angles and full steps, I decided to clean, replace or install the following all within the same day: EGR cooler clean, intake manifold clean and gaskets, spark plugs & coils replacement, PCV valve replacement, and oil catch can install. At first, I felt the engine would jump out of car upon starting it, but 10 seconds later - niceness! It's gone from 49 MPG to 61 MPG on my normal routes. Car had 91,000 miles and the amount of gunk was substantial. Thank you for what you do Nutz@Boltz.
Good work! You probably saved about 2k in labor lol
@@NutzAboutBolts I actually called two mechanics in Honolulu and both quotes were precisely at around $2200. So yes - you saved me a bunch of money! Mahalo
Hey Howzit! I’m in Honolulu too!! I would legit pay you if you could work on mines?
@@Clemty808 We could spend a weekend morning working on it together. I wouldn't charge. Only issue is that when I did mine I borrowed certain tools that make all the difference in getting this job done flawlessly. Let me know how to contact you and we'll go over what tools you have and perhaps with the ones I have we could tackle this project.
how many hose clamps did you end up using?
Just did this, the single most effective thing I found to clean the cooler was a combination of oxiclean and extremely hot water from an electric kettle. Brake clean made brown liquid come out the bottom, oxiclean and water made coffee grounds come out, but the oxiclean and boiling hot water was getting flakes and chunks of carbon out, until the water dripping out was basically clear. Anyway, thank you for the tutorial!
Thank you NAB, your videos are spot on and super helpful! My 2010 Prius with 110k had the EGR cooler completely clogged, 100%. Mine burns a fair amount of oil, around maybe 1 quart every 3,000 miles.
If you're cleaning the EGR cooler, since you'll have it all apart anyways, it's a good time to: replace the spark plugs, drain/fill the engine coolant (then no need to clamp off the various coolant lines and draining from the radiator is sufficient), replace the PCV valve, clean the intake and throttle body, and add an oil catch can (NAB has videos on all of these topics).
I consider myself a fairly competent DIY mechanic (do brakes, brake calipers, water pumps, ac compressors, etc.) and I did all of the above and it took me around 5-6 hours wrench time and an additional 3-4 hours of cleaning the EGR cooler. I used brake cleaner (8 cans total), a wire coat hanger, and oven cleaner to clean the EGR cooler. Please wear eye protection when you're doing this, you'll have brake cleaner everywhere! The oven cleaner works great, but needs to sit for 15-20 minutes. I basically used the brake cleaner for a bit, then the wire coat hanger, then oven cleaner (sit for 15-20 mins), then rinse it with a garden hose (really helps, don't skip this step), then repeat this process until it looks clean. I cleaned mine to around 80-90% clear.
In retrospect, the EGR cooler is available brand new on eBay for around $175. I would just buy a brand new one rather than spending hours cleaning it.
Some tools I found very useful for this particular job, in addition to the E8 torx socket, which I didn't have in my toolbox: the gearwrench style racheting combination wrenches are very useful for getting into tight spots like the EGR pipe bolts. Also the hand rachet is pretty useful (he used one in the video). Also the long reach pliers and especially the long reach pliers with the 90 deg (or whatever degree) bent head. Very useful for getting all the plastic electric connector tabs releases and also removing hose clamps. Also a pair of hose removal hooks are useful to get off coolant hoses which are hard to release.
A lot of work, but a necessary job.
agree to above, the only I would skip is change the coolant. You can drain about a gallon and limit the spill/mess (the throttle body doesn't have to be disconnected but EGR cooler does).
Now I read I should change the water pump as preventive - should have done that when I changed the coolant at 150k
VegascomJeff You can completely clean the egr cooler in 5 minutes at the car wash. No chemicals. Just blast the insides with the wash wand. It’s all stainless steel and has worked for me 3 times now.
PRESSURE WASH + SOLID BARE COPPER WIRE ATTACHED TO DRILL = QUICK 1 HOUR JOB
There is actually a built-in oil separator. That is what the PCV valve attaches to.
Why not buy a new car 😂
I didn't have much luck with parts cleaner. I used Krud Kutter that I purchased from Lowe's and that worked great. It still took me several days to clean all of the carbon build up from the EGR cooler. I have a 2012 Prius with 181,000 miles on it. It's been running rough for awhile and the dealer was zero help. Thank you for making these videos. I've learned a lot from NutzAboutBolts and now I'm on a quest to educate all Prius owners about the PCV and EGR issues.
Nice words. I am about to clean EGR cooler on my Prius V 2013 with 190,000 miles. I am planning to soak it overnight in a gasoline and then use oven cleaner and do power wash at car wash place. Do this drill two times or until oven cleaner is empty. Is this a good way to clean EGR? Also , do you recommend me any particular brand of PCV valve? Thank you.
@@kumara5492 I purchased one from Napa Auto Parts for around $8 and it lasted 5,000 miles. Toyota wanted $115. For something that is a known problem, it's up to you how much you want to spend. I put an oil catch can in my car and I empty it about once a month. I'm not going to keep changing PCV valves, too much labor an time to get to them.
@@ti50pqsmoith34 Great idea. Can you please tell me what parts I need to purchase and where can I get oil catch can and what size of hoses I need to buy? I really appreciate your suggestions. Thank you
Pcv is $6
@@kumara5492 I ordered the oil catch can from amazon and it came with the hoses and clamps. Think it was around $30.
BE AWARE: There are other problems that can cause a P0401 code. This video helped, but did not resolve the issue. In addition, I was having infrequent overheating and poor mileage. After replacing all the usual culprits, I found the ROOT CAUSE to be the exhaust flow coolant recirculation system under the car to be the problem. For some crazy reason the 2010 Prius circulates the coolant around the exhaust pipe to (1) warm the engine faster, and (2) make the heater work faster. They also put a butter-fly value in the exhaust pipe with a spring blocking the flow! It should open when the car warms up. Mine froze and held the valve partially closed and continued to circulate coolant around a hot exhaust. My solution in Tucson AZ was to bypass the coolant line and bolt the valve open. RESULT: no code, no overheating, great mileage, and much better performance.
Can you make a video demonstrating what that looks like now?
I agree. Make it and I'll Venmo you 20 bucks
Hi was you loosing coolant without trace mine is showing same code and loosing coolant
@@tahirayuob6887 did you ever find out why?
@@woodstream6137 hi buddy mine was leaking from exhaust pipe the coolant runs through the exhaust pipe for some silly reason
I bought a 2010 Prius with 200,00Mine was so plugged up I had to use a 1600 psi pressure washer. I hit it in both directions and finished it with some break cleaner. Thanks for your video it gave me the understanding of where the bolts are located and the confidence to do it myself. Great job!
Thank you for the great video! I did my egr, Pcv valve, spark plugs and intake cleaning on my 2011 prius (226k). So far so good. You have no idea how helpful the videos are. I don't even want to go back to Toyota for the recall notice. Dealers are too shady.
If it's a recall & your car is part of it. It should be free of charge, official Dealership shouldn't scammy
@@Senorlatulla I believe the warranty is only for the EGR valve, they don't clean/replace the cooler (which they charge an arm and leg for) according to online msg I've read.
Mine is 2014 @156k so doing this as maintenance as I'm not seeing any issues/codes otherwise.
Jermichael Kirkland
don't forget the oil catch can - should prevent this from happening again!
I just got a 2010 Prius and discovered the this issue with my car already. It’s has 240k and about to do all of this. I hope the shaking/acceleration issue stops and mpg gets better. I was under the impression Prius’ were no hassle cars
@@XTheJenovaProjectX You are at 240k buddy.....
Had just over 200k miles on mine and just did this after having bad engine shaking on start up and the code for egr valve. Pain in the butt to clean the cooler. Mine was totally clogged 99%. Two cans of brake cleaner and a couple hours of poking all the holes with a wire hanger and I got it 95% cleaned out. I felt clamping the hoses were pointless too. Thanks for the great video!
MORE TIPS:
(1) When replacing the EGR cooler, you can skip putting the studs back in the flange for the exhaust pipe connection. Replace the studs with (2) 8x1.25mm x 20mm bolts (either hex cap or use hex+washers). This makes it MUCH easier to maneuver the cooler for both install and removal in the future. Just be mindful of the gasket when install and remove.
(2) Don't worry about putting the bolt back in the lower EGR mounting tab. It's insanely difficult and you will be fine without it.
(3) While brake cleaner does work, I've found that throttle body spray cleaner works MUCH better.
The reason we didn’t use throttle body spray is because it leaves an oil residue behind. Brake clean doesn’t. But people also use oven cleaner and soak it overnight to get rid of the carbon build up. 👍🏼
I currently have mine soaking in a bucket of break cleaner.... They sell 5 gallon buckets of CRC for like $80
Mine is a full head gasket job... I took off and sprayed the cooler when I first removed it and let the brake cleaner soak in it over night towards the piston ... I just took the piston off just to check and it was covered in a thick carbon sludge.... I used two cans or brakecleaner and noticed that the cleaner would not really make it's way down to the other side... I blew on it *gross* an it has some air flow 🤣 but I figure I might as well give it a good soak to see if it's worth salvaging.... The part is running near 300 plus which seems insane to me but I assume dealerships are replacing these like crazy... I see no reason an over night soak in solvent can't get the job done... I'll follow-up
@@seanbouker6914 people soak in oven cleaner over night and it helped 👍🏼
@@NutzAboutBolts I'll be surprised if the brake cleaner doesn't get it done... But I'm definitely cleaning it out even if it means turning on the pressure washer... Problem is I'm up north and it's freezing lol
Thank you. Wouldn't have happened without your video. That was the most unpleasant auto repair I've ever had to make. Used 2 cans of spray brake cleaner 14 gauge copper wire and some coat hanger wire on a drill. Should have started with gallon of brake cleaner in a deep can and soaked overnight. The engine had random misfires at low speed (235,000 miles). The EGR cooler was actually "water tight". Completely blocked.
did it go back to normal afterwords or did you need a new head gasket
YOU FORGOT ABOUT USING A PRESSURE WASHER
WORKS WONDERS
Awesome video. Thank you! My EGR cooler was totally clogged. I soaked it with break cleaner for an hour then took it to the carwash. The hi pressure wash cleaned it like new!
Mine was clogged SOLID as well, and I dunked my in carb cleaner as I poked the passages with a bicycle wheel spoke
When you guys say dunked/soaked in break cleaner... How is that even possible? Do sell it in a jug? Because I have only seen spray cans
Should I be able to see daylight through this thing
@@Senorlatulla You can soak it in lacquer thinner. It does the same job as brake cleaner but you can buy it in quart or gallon containers. Just don't get it on any plastic or paint.
@@Senorlatulla I used purple power degreaser and let it soak overnight in a large zip bag, then used pressure washer, then air pressure to dry and finished with brake cleaner. Fun, hey ? it was new afterward...
Holy shit, I'm in the process of cleaning the manifold and egr system and damn is it hard work! Much respect to you guys doing this for a living. Thank you for the awesome guide!
Most difficult repair I’ve done in a long time. Oven cleaner was the best for the cooler. It took four hours to get all the carbon out.
EASIER WAY TO CLEAN IT
IS TO USE BARE SOLID COPPER WIRE ON A DRILL AND PRESSURE WASHER
TOOK AN HOUR GOING BETWEEN THE TWO PRESSURE WASH AND DRILLING WITH COPPER WIRE ATTACHED JUST DON'T PUSH IN THE WIRE TOO HARD COULD SNAP GO EASY AND MAYBE REPLACE EVERY FEW TIMES
Agree, Oven cleaner is made for carbon build up, soften it up after few hours and blast it out with brake cleaner. It works the best and no physical force
@@rondhole soak in and blast with brake cleaner?
@@ManishShrestha-ju4np brake cleaner evaporates so fast. Often it won't stay long enough.
@@rondhole cool tip
I want to say thank you for your videos they help me a lot and allowed me to save a lot of money. good job brother keep going in thank you God bless you
your the best show in RUclips how to repair Prius
This and other related prius videos are beyond helpful! Great step by step guide. I am pretty unmechanical by nature but am now competent at disassembling and cleaning the EGR system. Awesome video(s)!!!!!
I just did this on my 2010 Prius. It was the hardest car project I have ever done. I used 3 cans of brake cleaner, 1 can oven cleaner, a good soak in hot soapy water, 2 long soaks of 18 hours total in Oxi-Clean solution, and Liquid Plum-R to clean the damn thing out. 193k miles, the cooler was full of carbon crap. Removing and installing it, you make it look easy. You're like a magician!
What was the hardest part? Was it just the time and effort of the cleaning?
@@djexentrix Cleaning took the most time and effort. The cooler was also pretty difficult to remove and reinstall.
Mine has almost 270K miles so mine is going to be fun.
Ass_Burgers_Syndrome what year? have you had a blown head gasket yet?? or have u done egr cleaning already?
how does the car seem to be running now-any updates?
this is the best video on RUclips thumbs up
thanks!
NutzAboutBolts please immediate help; I middle of this job. And I have a question. The two torx stud bolts on the back where attaches egr cooler to exhaust. If I just remove the nuts not the stud bolts; can I free up the cooler? ( bcoz i striped one of the head of the studs) 🙁
@drew michael I didn't go under the car at all, other than to drain coolant (which you may need to change anyway) rather than pinch all those hoses.
@@kerem54545454 Remove the upper and lower E8 mounting studs. Do not bother with removing the two E8 studs that connect to the exhaust, just remove the two nuts. Mine rounded off at the exhaust.
You can actually use a pressure washer to blast out the Cooler, it is quite effective in getting rid all the carbon.
Thank you for this advice. After soaking it overnight with no success, I took it to the quarter wash and got it cleaned out.
I found by just removing the upper and lower EGR cooler mounting E8 studs, you do not have to remove the lower two E8 studs at the furthest opposite end where it attaches to the exhaust. Most often than not the lower E8 stud will not come loose.
Keep in mind if you have large forearms this may be much more difficult than it appears. Also consider that some of the hose clamps may be rotated in the manner that does not allow you access to them with needle nose pliers. Also remove the lower plastic splash pan/guard before you start so if you drop something you dont need to jack the car up and remove the guard while doing this repair to retrieve it. Another consideration is on the Lexus CT 200 H you do not need to remove the windshield wipers or any of that stuff up top to do this or the plugs. In fact there’s metal in place that would make that pointless. Good video and be ready to buy a few specialty tools in the process to deal with unforeseen issues.
Great video especially lighting and camera angles.
Be careful of the overspray from the brake cleaner onto paint.
Just accomplished on my 2010 Toyota Prius, not a confident diy, took it apart 2 times and cleaned thoroughly to where you can see through the egr cooler, did this w/ an 18gauge wire. Over all great video
I did it with 14 gauge copper ground wire. I also tried 12 gauge ground wire but it was too thick.
I can't thank you enough. Because of your videos I at least saved a couple grand... Also the angled needle nose pliers are my new favorite tool.
because of people like you taking the time to make a nice video like this one i got inspired to tackle this job myself on my lexus and all went well...I soaked everything especially the EGR cooler in heavy duty degreaser and hot water and it came out like brand new...i cleaned everything to a brand new state, like really took the time to do a perfect job...the intake manifold i also soaked completely in heavy duty degreaser and hot water, cleaned the throttle body and the whole lot... anyway, thank you very much man for all the tips, camera shots and cool demeanor ! God bless you mate!
thanks for great video! I was able to get egr cooler off today but I didn't have E8 torx socket. I used 6mm hex socket to remove front stud but didn't remove remaining 3 studs - just removed 12mm nuts, and I was able to pull it off. After I got egr cooler off, I wrenched off the troublesome lower stud and disposed of it for good:)
This video is awesome! I found it easier to access the bolts that were hard to reach from underneath the car after removing the underside panel. Didn't have to remove the cowl panel and windshield wipers that way.
It might work if you have a lift, but not for DIY at home. I tried & just couldn't loose the nuts due to the very awkward & tiny space with only the height of a jack stand to maneuver.
@@NoSuffix if you have a floor jack and jack stands you can do it. It’s how I do mine.
It seems like a lot of steps and hassle to remove the cowl and wipers but in reality it's pretty easy. I am a mechanical idiot but after doing this a few times I feel like I could disassemble and reassemble in 5-10 minutes now. I was having a lot of the shaking motor issues and so at various times over the past few weeks found myself changing plugs, cleaning egr pipe, throttle body, intake manifold/pcv valve replacement then finally the egr valve itself and short pipe. It's really not a big deal to remove the wipers and cowl at all. I emphasize I am very unmechanical and yet find this pretty basic stuff.
I recommend just draining the coolant he probably needs to be done anyway. And it's easier than pinching off all these hoses. Just make sure you get the air out and run the heat when you fill it back up. Also probably a good time to do spark plugs
Did it without draining it. Just put plugged it with anything lol.
@@mrpistonrecaro6483 yea, but if your car is at the point of needing the egr cleaned, its bout time to change the coolant anyway as well.
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.
Maybe installing an oil catch can at 130K could have prevented your second head gasget failure?
@@devinbartley5768 Maybe. It's still something I might do but haven't. At 259k. "Catches oil/water residue before it goes through the engine. I think that would minimize the soot from building up.
2013 or newer have much lower rate of head gasket failure. What is the percentage you drive less than 10 miles in a year? Cleaning the EGR cooler and intake does not affect much of the head gasket problems unless it is completely blocked and cause higher temperature in the engine. EGR functions as reducing O2 contents and reduce the engine temperature and NOx. The head gasket failure most likely caused by tons of city driving with a lot of on and off and restricted cooling system. Water pump is one of the culprit. In some cases, the propeller on the water pump are stripped off, so it spins but do not push the water properly and do not throw any code.
@@devinbartley5768 Yes I think oil catch can will be huge help. In my prius, I found pcv valve leaked so much oiil into air intake that passage into first cylinder was positively dripping with oil. EGR cooler was completely blocked with soot. could not see any light at all when held up to sky. No wonder head gasket blew.
Update: Aug 11-2022 I'm at 301K now.
I'm getting around a 2 second engine stutter like it's struggling to rev and shake a bit. It's been 70K since last cleaning and I'm currently cleaning everything out. This time I went to a self serve car wash and 5$ for 10minutes and blasted the majority of carbon soot out easily! Will be doing this from now on in between at least 6 oxyclean hot water soaks and trying a coat copper wire hanger to help loosen and about 4 purple engine degreaser soaks with a cork plugged and some brake cleaner. The car wash pressure washer by far got the most crap out. Even after the car wash the oxyclean soak water is still dirty! Might not need to do so many soaks if I do this cleaning every 50k-75k and might reduce potential of blowing another head gasket. Maybe since I have the plugin prius that temperature changes are more varied/higher/lower temps since I charge every day and that could cause more stress on the head gasket vs. non plugin being more close to a consistent temperature, but this is just me speculating besides all the other factors.
I'm planning on finally installing an oil catch can. I replaced my water pump and thermostat at 232K. The water pump seemed ok and the propeller had a little bit resistance but not to bad, still replaced. Maybe going to clean the fuel injectors.
I just replaced the inverter pump as preventative step. still was working fine but I don't want to risk the inverter overheating and then getting stranded waiting for a tow. I suppose some people think the risk is not that high and they assume it will be an intermittent problem? but it still is a risk that would require keeping an eye on temps not overheating hopefully which could fail the expensive inverter. Took me 14 hours! mostly because of how difficult it was to remove and put back from the bottom. I removed the headlight to help remove things on top. Would maybe been easier if I took the inverter itself off but that was a lot of connections I didn't want to deal with. I used a crow bar to bend the mount underside and it was much more difficult then I thought it would be to bend. Barely got the pump out, extremely awkward. I would pay someone to do this unless removing the inverter would help? there is a plate the inverter sits on in the way?
I'm buying new gaskets incase I need them, from rockauto. I suspect some people replace them even if the gaskets look good but being this old perhaps they should be replaced regardless.
I just did mine today I ended up mostly using A clothes hanger and oven cleaner and that stuff just melt off it's not really easy but it does help a lot more than brake cleaner, Then I pressure washed it also cleaned the intake manifold and replace the PCV valve and added a oil catch can all in one take your video was extremely instrumental thanks a lot great job
Glad to help!
You have to also pull your intake and clean the 4 egr inlet holes that flow into the intake really good... You can instal brand new egr valve and cooler but if those 4 holes are blocked car will still not run correct
Yep, that was my issue, 2 out of 4 of the holes were completely clogged..car did the clack clack at idle, i thought it was a blown head gasket, whew! Car runs like a champ except just a little stumble on idle now, but I didnt clean the egr cooler yet, so thats next.
THANK YOU for the video... I feel comfortable doing this and saving a ton (preventive, no error code, 2014 with 156k - cooler pretty clogged up, could barely see light through)
Why do they have a Torx shaft (which can be stripped) + nut (easy to drop) instead of just a bolt ? I don't get why the double things to take out. Why not replace them ?
Update: I just did this last night.
1) Skip the brake cleaner (I think I used 6 bottles between this and the intake!) and use Purple Power or other de-greaser where you can let it soak for couple hours, then pressure wash it. The cooler is small enough to fit in a large ziplog bag, and just one 40oz bottom (1/10h the cost) will do a easier job on it's own, especially if you have a pressure washer too.
2) I drained 1gal of coolant thinking the 4 hoses would be empty - but still got a bit of spill (much less than video) - should have moved the hoses around to help drain I suppose.
3) I recommend you do spark plugs, clean that intake manifold correctly at the same time, change PCV, and install oil catch can (did that later - have to take intake out again) so you don't have to do this ever again! big job but so worth it.
Great DIY video! My local mechanic (not a dealership) wants to charge me $450 to clean the egr and egr cooler on my 2011 Prius
My toyota dealer charged $700 for "taking care of" EGR issue and two weeks after that head gasket blew. Upon taking out EGR/EGR cooler myself, I found it hadn't been touched and was completely blocked with soot.
@@springer-qb4dv dealers are a scam job. I got told once that a mouse had eaten up my air filter. i approved it and then when they returned the car to me, I asked if i could see the eaten up one, they somehow all of a sudden couldnt find it anymore. Pretty sure I got scammed.
My wife just bought a Prius with 130k miles so I plan to do this soon, thanks! 👍
I flushed my 2010 Tacoma transmission a few months ago. It was a fairly advanced job for the average person, good training for the Prius EGR nightmare.
*****IMPORTANT******
Anyone that owns this generation of the Prius needs to get their EGR cleaned. Be careful never to overheat this generation. If you blow your head gasket it will end of screwing up. The EGR and filling the intake manifold by mixing water, steam and it forms a gooey type glob. It will be drive but your car will run like shit. You will need to fix the head gasket first and then the EGR, EGR Cooler, spark plugs.
Thank you NutzAboutBolts for the demo. Just completed this cleanup in my 120K miles Prius without any hitch. Tip: The elusive bottom nut of the EGR cooler can be easily accessed from the bottom of the engine when you jack up the car and remove the plastic engine bay flooring. My cooler was partially clogged and I used pressure washer + intake cleaning spray to unclog it.
Carb cleaner might be a more effective solvent for cleaning.
Probably same ingredients....
@@abd098 and more expensive. A soak in purple power might be best for the cooler since its got a lot of small spots you cant reach to scrub..
Many thanks, did my 2010 with 209k….approach from the rear is best…toughest part was rear studs were rusted, lots of penetrating oil to get free….my hands are pretty scraped up but it is done…..:-)
Sure glad Toyota made the EGR/cooler so easily accessible, lol.
Lol 😅
Master ASE tech who works for Toyota. We just replace the cooler in the shop because this is too time consuming. In my real life where I don’t want to pay for a new one, I take off the cooler, and soak it in Purple Power in a heavy weight bag, then spray it out with carb or brake cleaner and allow to dry.
Yeah I’ve read people just buy an extra cooler to swap out with the clean one and soak the old one in oven cleaner overnight to break down the carbon inside of the old cooler lol. It is time consuming if you don’t have an extra cooler. 👍🏼
Great video and tips! But, Jesus, Joseph, Mary! What a PITA! I just replaced the EGR cooler due to a coolant leak and, well, blood makes a good lubricant on your tools.
Perry Ford, maybe next time STOP using JESUS name like that! Be thankful you didn't lose a finger, GOD is also a revengeful GOD.
@@terrytorres7075 hahaha, you are a tool
Car was running rough at 205k miles, cleaned this, all better!
Mines at 240k and shakes while accelerating. I hope all this EGR cleaning, and new PCV valve helps.
XTheJenovaProjectX It should. My 2012 was shaking very bad (and loud!) at low RPMs. My friend cleaned EGR valve and cooler, and it’s been 99% smooth since. I’m thinking soon I’ll clean the Intake Manifold and replace the PCV valve to make it 100%.
Apocalypse I’m in the middle of doing PCV, oil catch can, manifold cleaning, EGR pipe cleaning, and now I’m thinking about going the extra mile and cleaning out the cooler too.
@@XTheJenovaProjectX The EGR pipe was bad... but no where near as bad as the cooler. The cooler was completely clogged, nothing would pass through. A pressure washer cleaned it out easy.
@@XTheJenovaProjectX did the shaking go away after cleaning???
I just got the cooler out yesterday. That underside nut took me 2 hours to figure out how to get out, but its done and never going back into the car again! Dont think my EGR cooler will fall off if its missing that one nut.
Hell l cut off that entire lower bracket. It's totally unnecessary.
Just did this, this week, in the middle of a head gasket job.
My EGR cooling tank was clogged SOLID. Ended up clearing it with a bicycle wheel spoke while it was submerged in a gallon can of carburetor cleaner for a couple of hours. I'd say I got it about 90-95% clean.
FYI... It turns out my Prius didn't need a head gasket after all, it was the clogged EGR system causing my car over heat 😠😠😠
Rich Cast how many miles were on your Prius?
@@jamesharkness1058 if you look above he said 458k in another post...
@@jamesharkness1058 just now seeing this, but yes, i was at 458k at the time.
Car got T-boned and totaled at 467k ☹️
Oh man, another good video. I want to get to this EGR but then I DON'T WANT TO. looks like a headache to get to.
no one wants to do this, but it'll help in the long run, do it every 120k miles or so with all your other services, such as spark plugs, coolant, intake manifold, pcv valve and such.
I'll do it in the spring of '18. My arms and hands are not small. might have to disconnect some of those brake lines to the m.cylinder just to get to them nuts and studs.
I have a 2014 prius with 136K miles.... i need to do this. Great vid.... thanks.
You're the man! I've followed many of your videos to service my girlfriends Prius and it's saved me a ton of money and a lot of time, thanks!
thank you! we're glad you're saving yourself some $$ by doing it yourself :)
NutzAboutBolts I've got an issue. I cleaned the intake manifold, the EGR valve + EGR cooler, the EGR pipe, AND changed the spark plugs, but the Prius is still shaking around 20mph (135k miles)
So, I purchased an EGR valve + cooler assembly with only 16k miles, cleaned it before swapping it in (looked literally brand new) and I swapped it out, the shaking is STILL there. Any idea what I should do next?!
Also, if I unplug the EGR harness, the car runs perfectly - no shaking. It's very frustrating at this point!
any check engine light?
NutzAboutBolts unfortunately not. Is there any chance of carbon build up under the black cap on the EGR valve (held in by the impact Philip's screws) or do I just leave that alone? I'm really not sure what else I can take apart and clean, maybe the exhaust is the issue?
Another great video from NutzAB. These guys really know their stuff. Keep them coming. CR from Mich. and Fla.
I am surprised that mechanics haven't figured out to use an ultrasonic cleaner with parts cleaner fluid to clean parts like new again .
EGR cooler can be cleaned without removing it from the engine,you just need to take out the EGR valve and pipe,then with a drill and a hard steel wire about 8 inches long you poke the tiny holes on the cooler and then blow it up with compressed air,I have done around 100 of them already
Sounds good, but will the compressed air shoot out all the carbon particles and gunk left after? Do you do it dry or do u use any cleaning agent?
@manuel Diaz, do you mean remove the EGR black valve (2 Philip screws) and the pipe that goes to the air intake manifold ? can you push a wire into most holes of the cooler and wiggle with a drill, how to you suck the parts out (strong vacuum cleaner ?). If you blow with compressed (from front I suppose) wouldn't all the dirt be put right in the input pipe and possible fall to catalytic converted, which would be worse ? then get sucked back as large particles ???
Please explain as current steps look very tedious and difficult without all the right tools...
I don’t remember if this was mentioned but it’s a lot less stressful if you buy an already clogged EGR cooler (used) for cheap to clean. When the times comes, just swap it out.
You won’t have much downtime cleaning it with the car torn apart if you don’t take forever cleaning it since you’ll have a clean spare. Afterwards, just clean the one you took out for next time.
Other tips:
-You can do the same with the intake manifold as well.
-A lot of people recommend soaking it in oven cleaner, wrapped in a trash bag, and tied off to let sit for hours or days.
-If the oven cleaner still left some residue and the garden hose won’t get the gunk out. Try a pressure washer from a car wash. Move the nozzle around to get all the crevices in the cooler. Keep doing it until the water runs clean.
-On the EGR cooler, leave the very bottom bolt out. It’s a PAIN getting to it. The other bolts will hold just fine without it. Use your personal judgement with this one.
EGR kit is about $150 and clean the intake manifold and pipes should be enough.
This was very helpful, thank you!
Agreed
I guess you should do this when you change your spark plugs
@drew michael "Blown head gasket" might want to change the water pump and do this EGR cooler + intake cleaning to prevent overheating ?
@drew michael "I’m not a preventative maintenance kind of guy"
yeah no kidding. A blown head gasket is not a small repair, must have cost a bunch... and not fixing the root cause will likely make it happen again or blow your engine (are you loosing coolant?). just saying...
Alain Dumesny I did not have the head gasket replaced. Problem solved with a $25.00 can of Bar’s Head Gasket Leak Seal. This problem is common on the 2010 Prius. Car runs fine. Drew michael
Just replaced mine. Had the check engine code.egr flow . I would just drop the coolant rather then joggle hose clamps . The long nose pliers are a must . I blasted mine with my karcher pressure washer with the patio cleaner attachment . Got it clean in no time then ran brake clean though it . 3 mpg improvement....
I did replace the egr valve with a new one tho I think the old one would of cleaned up . Pain in the ass to do but it's just bolts nuts and pipes fiddly but do able.
Good work
Wondering if it fixed your Check engine light ?
Soaked mine in pure acetone, It was like brand new afterwards
How long did you soak it?
@@michaelborrego2886 Acetone is very strong and can crack some plastics and rubber parts. It is safer if you use non acetone base brake cleaner or oven cleaner instead.
@@rondhole cooler is all metal, no plastics or rubber
@@RichRotorhead I know, the intake and EGR cover are plastics tough. Most brake cleaner contains acetone but some don't
Great video Thank you! The next fix for me is the master break cilinder. Can you do a video on replacing it?
What ratcheting tool did you use to remove the studs at 8:58? You don't have it on the list of tools links. Thanks
its called a finger ratchet amzn.to/3swZGzZ
I went 135K before I knew that EGR needs to be cleaned at 60K intervals. It was clogged. I am using purple power to clean it out. It is taking a lot of soakings but it seems to be working.
This is why I'm afraid of messing with mine... hope you get yours fixed.
I soaked it in baking soda and CLEANING vinegar (way more acidic) for 3 days and most of the carbon blew out when I blasted the cooler with the hose.
I then sprayed brake cleaner after that, but honestly nothing came out because most of it already came out with the baking soda / vinegar soak
I think there is no need to remove studs at the end of cooler attachment.
I think it would be a great idea, to be using that brake cleaner spray, a bit further away, from the car. It might just do some damage to the paint on the car.
Question: I'm about to tackle this project. Wouldn't it be smart to drain out the inverter coolant instead of clamping all these coolant hoses? By adding all these clamps it reduces the amount of room to work and pull out the EGR cooler. Just a thought. If anyone can share their advice it would be greatly appreciated.
NAB, much love to u bro. What helped the most, was using an extra reach 12 mm racheting wrench for the three Nuts in the back and it took a while to reach the 4th hidden 12 mm Nut underneath the EGR cooler. We used a Torx E8 socket 1/4 in. finger rachet, for the two Bolts in the back, to finally free up the EGR assembly. If you take it to a mech shop, they are charging around $250-$300. Cheers!
Also you buy oil valve from the manifold fix the problem too ...I replace the EGR and the cooling pipe brand new no recommending to clean ..also I did the oil catch can too.....and everything go well I know people have the same problem maybe help.......thank you for the video
Warning, the nut under the EGR canister( @ 10:35 ) is the hardest part. I'm struggling with it. He makes it look pretty easy. I'm doing it on a 2010 and the shield is bent around the bolt and there's not much room to work in.
A few people have recommended the purple power cleaning solution and that stuff does work pretty good.
@@itsmeforsure5475 What does that have to do with a hard-to-access nut? LOL
I couldn't remove the 2 rear exhaust studs so i pried the tank off by pushing it out of the way with a large screw driver. Once out, i grinded off that lower bracket. Still very secure without it. Totally unnecessary if you ask me.
Is it possible to close the pipe between the exhaustmanifold and the EGR?
Hi! . I just bought a 2010 prius with 147 000 miles on it yesterday. The guy told me that he doesn't think the erg / egr cooler or manifold haven ever been replaced. Is it bad? Should I clean / change them or should I do only when I have the symptoms? I have heard the 2010 toyota prius had a lot of head gasket issues caused by dirty egr systems. Thank you so much for the video your help!!
It doesn’t hurt doing the clean, since you want to replace your pcv valve as well. Soak the cooler and egr with oven cleaner over night
@@NutzAboutBolts thanks! You didn't use brake cleaners to clean the interior of the egr and egr cooler on your video? Which method is the best?
@@DrumPeearl we did use brake clean, it cleaned ok, but if you want the whole thing clean, soak the parts over night in oven cleaner, it’ll brake down the rest of the carbon inside
@@NutzAboutBolts how long did it take to take down/clean and reassemble everything ? I want to know if i can do in half a day ...
@@DrumPeearl I’d say removing is 45 mins or so, and installing the same, but I’d recommend soaking it. If you don’t have time, some people just buy a spare egr cooler to replace the oem and have the oem soak overnight and use it as a back up Incase it clogs again.
The problem is the source of "crud". Placed an oil catch can to catch the "crud" from the pcv valve (30cc every 5000 miles). Next...diverting the egr valve tube and directing that "crud" into a egr "catch can" then back to intake manifold. Better to discard the "crud" then to burn it.
Off I go to get a oil catch can.
I understand the PCV valve catch can (saw the video) but can't picture how to setup the EGR catch can.
Any help in this would be greatly appreciated.
Easiest way I found to clean out the cooler without all the harsh chemicals is stick a power washer in it blow out all the dirt or take the part to the self serve car wash and stick the spray wand inside and blow out all the dirt
I want to say thank you for your help but ever since I cleaned the EGR pipe ,cooler ,it started making the noise but there was no noise at all before cleaning( no doubt there was a lot of dirt in Pipe ,cooler and valve they were literally stuck) but I decided to clean it .I don't know what to do.Thanks
Thank a lot
After the cleaning should i let the engine run without a cap on the cooling reservoir? To let the air escape from the system?
The problem I'm having is that the nut at 10:08 attached to the stud on the intake underneath is literally welded on and nothing I have tried can get it loose. I'm going to have to try to split that nut with a nut splitter. I have grabbed it with deep socket 1/2 drive with 3/8 ratchet flex head adapter and doesn't do anything. I have tried with a ratchet wrench, doesn't budge. Ton of WD-40. Its literally the worse nut in the history of nuts that is the most inaccessable and difficult to deal with.
use an impact with extensions swivel and a 90 degree to get that hard to get to bolt.
The main Dirt in a Prius Mk 3 is in the EGR tube and *in the tiny channels within the intake manifold* .
TO EVERYONE!! be aware that those exhaust torx studs will break off at the ends EASY!! I dont know how these youtube mechanics always seem to never have any rust whatsoever...I live in the south away from beaches and i had rusted bolts on every car ever owned
at209k just got the light. factory plugs. EGR probably needs to be cleaned. I run the car very hard daily but do highway cruising. as well. I think the flogging helps keep it clear longer. I go WOT at least 50 times a day LOL. never skipped a beat. maybe I'll do the plugs same time.
At 26:57 I cannot get this. The threads are fine and I have everything loosened to allow maneuverability and lining up. This stud will not catch on the other side, I’m lined up perfectly and I keep maneuvering around and it still won’t catch. Any ideas?
Thanks for making these videos, will be useful to me later.
Not sure if this is pointless or brilliant:
At the outset, open the engine coolant vent tap at the top, drain about a quart of engine coolant at the radiator drain.
Then do the procedure, removing the EGR valve/cooler, and HOPEFULLY the coolant level has dropped, below those components, nothing spills. Plug the tubes anyways.
Then after everything's reassembled, push a tube extension on a small funnel onto the vent tap, crack it open, and pour the drained coolant back in. Might take a bit of hose squeezing to burp it in.
If for some reason it wont go, say due to air pockets, pour it in at the reservoir, and cross your fingers, lol. Or do that and do the maintenance mode warm up.
Very likely overthinking this, lol.
My 2010 has the vent cap, btw, but I believe it was deleted by 2012? I that case, just dump back into the reservoir, but I'm thinking the vent cap is right above the EGR, direct connection.
yeah the 2012 don't have that vent, I've checked lol probably an updated design, they like to do that.
I did that - actually drained a gallon out but still had a bit of spill when removing the hoses - should have wiggled them to empty them. You can lift car on ramp and access it all without taking anything underside, pour it back in reservoir and to the maintenance mode warm up (see their other video).
Very good video! Thank you! How many hoses totals should I clap?
Great vid well presented and described. Many thanks.
update: The random idle issue has gone away after around 2k miles, everything continues to run great since the clean.
This normally won't or shouldn't happen but in my case I got a few pending codes after successful cleaning step by step, but I cleared them with torque pro and good thing is they have NOT come back in 1,000 miles so far. The pending codes were: P0441 Evap emission control system incorrect purge flow. and P1421 (google: EVAP Canister Gross Leak?). I rechecked connections, used a little can of air on the connectors of throttle body sensor and the two near the EGR cooler top. After cleaning everything, once in a while prius will idle at a stop. (maybe 1 to 4 times each 100 miles i drive) (at random times when the engine is already way passed the warm up cycle, no reason why it should turn on as this did not happen before the cleaning, 74 deg F outside). Idles at 1,000 RPM and then it'll turn off in 5-10+/- seconds about and once it stayed idleing at 1,000rpm when I put prius in park.
I re tightened air filter box, if it was a vacuum leak i don't know. I can try taking negative battery cable off for 10 minutes if i continue to have idle issue. Gas cap seems too easy to remove, I will ask toyota if they recommend me to replace, possible smoke test if issue continues. I have NOT cleaned the MAF sensor. I DID change the manifold gasket. My other concern was that since EGR cooler was notably plugged up maybe it would have been better, definitely easier in my case to replace it. Engine coolant temps max go to 196 deg F on freeway so that seems normal compared to before.
Prius 2013 127K. Replaced PCV valve, Completed EGR system and the manifold cleaning and replaced spark plugs. EGR cooler was very clogged and pipe. I cleaned EGR assembly with 2 cans brake cleaner and 1 can carb/throttle cleaner, and 6 one hour soaks of hot water oxiclean plus shaking EGR cooler with hot oxiclean and a little white vinegar about 6 more times. After the soaks since it had still been dirty clogged but eventually got to about 90%+/- clean. My mpg's did not seem to improve after everything so I guess it wasn't bad enough to effect but I did notice the engine runs smoother, more efficient acceleration, and quieter on accelerating and glad I am preventing future problems.
Thank you so much for informative videos step by step it was fun!
At 301K now. Car wash water pressure was absolutely necessary and made it so much easier to clean. Some oxyclean/brake cleaner before after is probably good idea. Installing oil catch can now. Update: At 302K successful install of oil catch can using 3/8 x 3/8 barbed to barbed elbow/90deg connector and 3/8 5 foot hose, 2.5 feet each way worked. 2 second stutter on cold start up is gone which I believe was due to needing to clean out the small port holes on intake with pipe brushes. The pending codes come up every time I clean the intake but they do go away after 100 miles.
Hello, i have 2011 toyota prius, my car burns oil but there isn't any smoke coming from exhaust so can a clogged EGR cause engine to run at high temps and burn oil?? mechanic said that my piston rings and valve seals are in good condition.
Thank you so much for all your videos! They are an incredible resource.
After completing this, along with intake manifold clean, pcv replacement, all fluid replacement (except brake), the engine sounds rough and I have a check engine light. I have not gone to have it tested yet.
Several questions, can the EGR valve be removed without taking out the cooler again? I could not clean the stem of the valve inside like yours, it still had deposits on it after 216 000 miles. I tried removing the black cap but stripped the screw heads so cant check valve function.
I also cleaned throttle body off the car (along with MAP sensor). I have read that electronic TB may need relearning. Is this something I can do and would that affect my rough idle?
Every hose and plug is where it should be.
I ran car in maintenance mode for 20 minute waiting for fans to turn on to complete engine coolant bleed but they never turned on. Heater on full, fan low, ac off.
Thank you for any advice! I will get code read today if I'm brave enough to drive car...
I think honestly your issue might just be the stem on the valve. I had the same issue after cleaning and had to take everything back apart just to find out the stem wasn't seating correctly due to the carbon build up on the inside edge of the stem. You have to find a way to get those stripped screws out and disassemble further so you can clean the whole thing. Mine went right back to running great after that
Hi, can you tell us the method of cleaning the catalytic system of the prius ? using liqui-moly cleaner
N&B. We just got our 2005 Prius back from our granddaughter. We let her use it for a year as her life settled. She would drive it until the dash lit up, then add oil.
So we've had it back 3 days and drove to a local restaurant. 6 blocks, maybe. It chugged and drug itself up the hill and wouldn't even hit 20 mph. Had dinner, headed home - same thing. CEL both ways. Codes listed 300, 301, 303, 304. (Cylinder misfire). I Googled it and it sounds like the EGR issue. BTW 211,xxx miles. But you mention a code 401 for the EGR. Am I barking up the wrong tree? I'm hoping it's not the head gasket. Oh, an no complaints from the g-daughter.
I hope to start the EGR cleaning tonight.
Thanks for any guidance.
It sounds bad. Has the vehicle had the spark plugs changed in it? All those codes are due to misfire on cylinder 1, 3 and 4. I would check the spark plugs first and see if the coolant is low or not to make sure there’s not blown headgasket issue. Egr is the least of your worry right now.
@@NutzAboutBolts I'll check the plugs tonight. 50k on these. Other readings have led me to think egr and cooler plugged. High mileage, (well, maybe not for a Prius.) Costantly ignored oil sump. It was night, but I don't think my coolant is low. Will check tonight. Thanks!
I noticed There is a hose coming from the valve cover feeding into the intake can that possibly feed oil into the intake also? if so do we need to add a second catch can to pick up that extra oil or maybe a second PCV valve? what do you think
Will an 1/8" drill bit get through those enclosed passages? I am setting up for this job and doing over the weekend. HF sells a 12" long 1/8th and would be perfect, if it fits. (also will be soaking cooler in acetone over night...i've heard this makes it perfect)
Will be soaking intake in concentrated purple power at the same time.
I’m not sure the size, but I’ve heard people soak them in oven cleaner over night and it’s clean.
How much to just replace this whole part? If it’s totally clogged / dirty. Maybe that’s just simply the better path? Car is at 95k but getting 40mpg. Thinking about doing this + spark plugs. Have already done transmission fluid.
I'm planning to do this for my 2012 ct200h with 159k. I have cylinder 1 & 2 misfire codes. Dealer diagnosed previous owner with blown head gasket ( probably the reason why they traded in ). I haven't seen signs of blown head gasket like blue smoke, overheating, oil in the coolant, etc. I did notice very little brown/black sludge in the oil dipstick even after oil change. Do you think the EGR clugging issue can cause the misfires instead of head gasket?
i decided to remove EGR and Cooler. At 8:24'" you suggest using a Torx E8 socket for removing the two rear studs holding the EGR cooler on the back side, A E8 Torx was too small and a E10 was too large. I ended up using a 6mm socket. The stud does look like a Torx though. Do they make an E10 Torx socket? my new set didnt have that size. Your thoughts? Thanks. Drew
Calvary Assembly of God Southington CT everyone’s being using the E8 torx without issues and even the repair manual recommended it. So I’m not too sure... maybe once the bolt is removed, you can test it on the bolt and see if it still fits, if not then I’m not too sure.
NutzAboutBolts should I be disassembling the EGR valve itself? Is there a way to test the plunger mechanically? Thanks
Calvary Assembly of God Southington CT you don’t need to disable the egr itself since behind the black cap is just the valve which I didn’t see any carbon in there
NutzAboutBolts Hello Sir,
I undid the two Philip screws holding the cap to the EGR housing. I spun off the round magnet and large spring and this gave me access to the plunger rod. I was able to manually test the tension on the plunger and it moved freely in and out. There was carbon on the seat of the EGR valve so I cleaned it up. I began reinstalling assembled EGR valve/cooler under hood. Started with two rear studs and nuts and called it a day. I wouldn’t have EVER attempted this without your videos and prompt replies. The EGR cooler was so blocked I could barely blow threw it. A coat hanger and carb cleaner made 100 percent difference. Back at it tomorrow. Thank you 🙏
Calvary Assembly of God Southington CT glad you remove the cap and reinstall it without issues, I’ve read quite a few people who had issues reinstalling it. Good job!
After removing the curved pipe connecting the intake and cooler, would pouring enough gasoline or brake cleaner in the cooler to soak the cooler be effective? That way only the curved pipe would need to be removed?
Some people soak the cooler with oven cleaner over night to break down the carbon inside and drain it out with water and let it dry over night
@@NutzAboutBolts thanks! While it’s attached to the car?
@@-ethan- no, while it’s removed, less of a mess. They submerge it in a bucket
Dude how much weed did you smoke to stay so calm and monotone? I've never fixed anything without a few outbursts of profanity or at least some stress in my voice. Kick ass quality video and while I just did the plugs and coil packs on my car... I think I'll let Toyota do the EGR (i'm throwing a "check hybrid system" warning). I've checked the voltage between all cells and none are off by over .5v so traction battery is good and the 12v battery is showing good. So I'm down to this nightmare looking job. Toyota getting ready to grease me up and bend me over for this job, I'm sure.
He’s the Bob Ross of mechanic work, love it!
Cleaned the egr cooler today on my ct200h today and intake manifold because it had a mix of coolant and oil in the intake manifold causing a p0301 and 302 trouble code.however on first start up idle is rough after clearing the codes. Did you experience the sane
you have head gasket problems
How do you do these videos without CUSSING?
I found the torx sockets in a set of four at Advance Auto Parts for $13.00. Also, I put a big pan under the car and didn't worry about clamping hoses. When refilling, there's a burp opening/valve with a white screw (plastic) you need to let the air out of the coolant system. Highest point of coolant lines.
Thanks for this video! Sorry, I used some foul language; it seemed to help.
I didn't know about that valve. I actually have a bit of air in my coolant system so hopefully that can help me bleed it out
Is it bad if I accidentally opened the black egr cap thing by removing the 2 Philips screws and put it back on?
No, it should be fine
Can you show a video for Gen 4 Prius? I cannot find anyone cleaning egr valve and egr cooler, or intake manifold for 2016 and up.
I don’t own one 😔
I'm sorry. I just thought you were a professional mechanic and come across Gen 4 prius sometimes.
I had 2017 prius and due to head gasket blowing I ended up getting rid of it after 370,000 miles. I bought the exact year and a model at 59000 miles on it and planing to clean the egr valve and the cooler and intake manifold every 100,000 miles hoping to go beyond 500,000. Btw, I am a rideshare driver.
@@afk389 wow, I’m surprised they still have head gasket issues on the gen 4. Sorry to hear about that. Hopefully routine maintenance will help but some of them are just prone to those issues. I have the 2012 and it’s at 250k miles, still original brake rotors and pads, original hv battery and no issues with headgasket.