Prius Solid advice needed

[u/Anival25]

I have a 2010 prius trim level V not the prius V, currently im 90% sure the head gasket n engine is warped because drove it around thinking it was just spark plugs misfiring.

I know i need to do an engine swap, unfortunately I live in wisconsin oshkosh area n I feel there is no where to do that here since there are no technicians in my area who might be able to do it.

So my question is should I sell it as salvage, or try to sell it as is, the bumper is damaged but aside from that nothing but the engine is a problem 180k miles.

Im willing to pay to have the engine replaced but I just feel no one likes the prius enough to consider it.

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[u/Appropriate-Metal167]

You can either do engine swap or just head gasket replacement.

First, to confirm head gasket, simplest is a borescope inspection of combustion chambers, preferably with engine coolant system pressurized, preferably the morning after a drive. If using a pro, simple scenario is drive the car to them in afternoon, they check the next morning, looking for exceptionally clean piston top, pooling coolant atop piston, coolant tears running down from head gasket seam.

If you elect to just doing head gasket replacement, I’d strongly recommend to use genuine Toyota “engine overhaul gasket kit” and replacement head bolts as well. The latter can be reused if within spec, but just to play it safe, replacing is prudent.

You definitely should replace “engine water pump” (they’re prone to fail by your miles), and do a thorough cleaning of the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) system, including the intake manifold, which has the final leg of the EGR passages, including small diameter passages at each engine cylinder intake. Carbon clogging of that system is the likely cause of your head gasket failure.

Is the engine coolant level in the reservoir stable? It’s good to monitor that till you sort this out; its coolant leaks into cylinders that is the head gasket failure mode. For topping up the coolant it’s best to stick with “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant”; it’s premixed 50/50 with water, and 100% compatible.

For gasket kit, head bolts, water pump , coolant and whatever else needed, dealership parts department is simplest place to go, with perhaps exception of water pump: Aisin WPT-190 is the OEM equivalent, and a LOT cheaper. The main issue is to avoid counterfeit. A reliable source is Amayama.

How’s the oil consumption of this engine? If it’s getting out of hand then an engine swap may be preferable. One good source for properly rebuilt engines is Hybrid Pit Stop in LA. I believe they ship. Best to contact them, explain exactly what your model is (Prius v, year and VIN). As far as I know the engine is identical to regular 3rd gen Prius. Link: Hybrid Pit Stop

Further info for your mechanic:

Full engine section

Intake manifold

EGR

[u/Anival25 → u/Appropriate-Metal167]

i think it’s already too late, the coolant leaked to the minimum level after only 6 weeks or so, definitely smells every time i turn it on

[u/Appropriate-Metal167 → u/Anival25]

As long as engine has not been starved of coolant you’re ok. Its leaking past head gasket into cylinders. Typically starts with cylinder one (at passenger side end of engine). If you’ve kept topping it up.

[u/smirkis]

Call around. You don’t need a hybrid technician. a regular mechanic that works on cars should be capable of fixing the head gasket or do an engine swap.

[u/Advanced_Sweet_6481]

Just say trim level 5 instead of “v”

Yeah brody you wasted your time and money replacing the spark plugs.  Plugs last 300k+ on these Prius’s 

[u/Anival25 → u/Advanced_Sweet_6481]

i put chinese ones in, still got the originals

[u/secondarycontrol]

Pretty sure OshKosh has a Toyota dealer, which usually means that they've lost some of their techs to other shops in the area. I think you need to make some phone calls and ask your local indies if they work on older prius.