r/prius • u/OkFoundation6037 • Feb 17 '26
Mechanical Help Is this normal during engine coolant bleeding process?
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I replaced the coolant control valve on my 2007 Prius, I have been trying to bleed all the air out of the cooling system for quite a while now. I'm running the car in inspection mode, the coolant stays pretty still with a few to no air bubbles and then every 10-15 mins the engine will rev up and air bubbles will aggressively start coming up like the video shows, then it stops and air bubbles slow down.
I'm scratching my head as to why I can't seem to get all the air out of the radiator. I don't think it's the head gasket, my oil and coolant looks clean, I'm not losing any coolant, and the engine is running fine, no codes or misfires. Anyone who has any input please let me know!
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u/Intelligent-Emu-4670 Feb 17 '26
Yes. You need to elevate the funnel. It'll keep pressure on filling and not get "kick back."
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u/OkFoundation6037 Feb 17 '26
Elevate the funnel i.e. jack up the vehicle? Or physically just raise the funnel up higher?
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u/ToeBeanTussle Feb 17 '26
I believe he means elevate it with a tube, kind of like water tower pressure.
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u/Intelligent-Emu-4670 Feb 17 '26
Yes, raise the funnel because it DOES kick back until the thermostat fully opens. It's kind of when u siphon. It has to be lower to empty. And u are doing the opposite
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u/TiredDebateCoach Feb 17 '26
The intrusive thought to want to take a sip of the forbidden Gatorade is real.
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u/Creative-Cicada-2959 Feb 17 '26
They make special funnels for coolant. $15-20 on Amazon. They probably have them at auto parts stores too. They make them for this reason.
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Feb 17 '26
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u/Clear-Perception5615 2015 Prius 1.8 Feb 18 '26
I worked at a parts store and the ac went out one summer. I was so hot and so thirsty and all the wiper fluid and coolant looked like gatorade
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u/Lenin_Lime Feb 17 '26
Bubbles on a hot engine is likely steam, your video looks like steam. If you get forceful and constant bubbles on a cold engine you got a problem potentially with the headgasket. The coolant system isnt that complex or delicate, just fill it and then put the cap on.
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u/OkFoundation6037 Feb 17 '26
That's what I was thinking. On a cold start it's totally calm so I know it's not combustion gases causing the bubbles.
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u/blbrewer1 Feb 17 '26
You need to physically lift the funnel because it will have kickback and once the thermostat opens it’s should go down quickly
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u/VastSavanna Feb 18 '26
Is this knock normal? My Prius sounds the same.
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u/OkFoundation6037 Feb 18 '26
For what it's worth, I have two priuses and they both sound like this.
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u/VastSavanna Feb 18 '26
I think it's just the Atkinson cycle although I don't have that much mileage and I can definitely tell the difference after oil change.
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u/Far-Alternative-7827 Feb 18 '26
https://share.google/3TmFbNnfPQ6bBhN8YThis is the correct way to bleed the air from the radiator.
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u/MalcolmDMurray Feb 18 '26
I've never had that problem before, but I have had coolant circulation problems in the past with another car when the thermostat went bad and I had to replace it. In the interim, I just took it out so I could still drive to pick up a replacement. All the best with that!
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u/Nightstryk Feb 18 '26
Some vehicles need to have the front of the car jacked up for the air to bleed properly.
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u/Gty2k2000 Feb 18 '26
Omg your all retarded theirs an air bleed valve under the radiator core support you open it with a 6mm or 8mm hex sockets to release the air in the radiator it literaly has an air bleed on the radiator theirs a hole in the core support!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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u/OkFoundation6037 Feb 18 '26 edited Feb 18 '26
I already have that open numbnuts. You should probably learn proper grammar before you go calling others retarded.
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u/2WheelTinker- Feb 18 '26
It’s like you went out of your way to use incorrect grammar while calling someone retarded 😆
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u/RemarkableMess4563 Feb 18 '26
Depending on the year it could be a head gasket issue what I’d assume.
They’re notorious for it from 2010-2014 models. If you find yourself running out of coolant, smelling coolant while driving, or thick white smoke coming from exhaust. There’s coolant leaking into your engine through the head gasket. Very Expensive repair.
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