One of the most irritating concerns that can show up on a Toyota Prius is to watch its temperature gauge increasing. Actually, a gauge that rises above 90/100° is usually an indicator that your Toyota Prius is heating up. If you are in this case, you have done well to check out this link because we will help you to locate the source and understand the motive. To do this, firstly, we will look into the explanations for engine overheating and the hazards you run, and secondly, what possibilities are available to you to stop this phenomenon.

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Why is my Toyota Prius overheating? What are the risks?

A Toyota Prius that heats up is an indicator of a critical problem. You should not think that you will take care of it later on because, if you do, you risk irreversibly damaging the engine of your car. In actual fact, if your Toyota Prius heats up, and you keep driving, you simply risk the breakage of your car engine. An internal combustion engine works through combustion, which causes heat. This heat must be regulated because it can affect the engine parts. If you see white smoke starting to emerge out of your engine and you undergo a loss of power, your Toyota Prius is heating up and you are damaging your engine, you must stop.

What are the causes of an heating up Toyota Prius ?

  • A leak in the cooling system

    If you on a regular basis run out of coolant and refill your system on a regular basis, you could have a leak, so have your system examined for leaks. It is also plausible that it is your cylinder head gasket that is faulty, in which particular case you should detect “mayonnaise” in the area of your engine oil cap.
  • A dead calorstat
    The role of this component is to switch on the engine cooling only when the engine is at optimum temperature, if it is damaged, the coolant will never reach the engine and your Toyota Prius will heat up. Check its condition.
  • A blocked radiator
    Although this situation is not so common, if your radiator is very dirty, or clogged with impurities, its cooling fins will no longer achieve their task and on hot days your Toyota Prius might overheat.
  • A fan that no longer functions
    Make sure to examine the state and performance of your fan, additionally to the air produced by the speed of your Toyota Prius, it has a decisive purpose in cooling your engine when it has to be the relay when you drive slower. In the eventuality of a breakdown and travelling at low speed, your car will inescapably heat up.
  • A damaged water pump
    To conclude, it is plausible that your water pump is at the end of its life. In actual fact, its job is to circulate the coolant throughout the circuit, in the event of failure this action stops and your Toyota Prius heats up. This might be due to a defective belt that has damaged your pump. If this is your case, go to your service garage.

How can I solve the problem of an heating up Toyota Prius?

In addition to having examined all the parts that may be causing your Toyota Prius to heat up, you will have to make the right moves to limit the risks in case your vehicle gets hot and you have no other alternative than to go home, or to go to your auto mechanic.
Here are a few tips if your car is overheating:

  • Lower your engine speed but not your speed:
    Reducing your engine speed will allow you to limit the heat released by the engine. In contrast, try to stay in 5th gear at 70/80 km/h in order to have a large natural airflow to control the heating of your Toyota Prius.
  • Stop the engine of your Toyota Prius if you meet or exceed 100°:
    Don’t be in a rush, in a case of overheating, it is better to take breaks and let the engine cool down rather than pushing it and risking breakage.
  • Turn on your heater:
    Turning on the heater will allow you to evacuate some of the heat from the engine block, it is an effective answer. And conversely, turn off your air conditioner which produces heat.

If you need more tutorials on the Toyota Prius, go to our Toyota Prius category.