spiral

There are quite a bit of threads relating to the infamous EGR/Intake Manifold clogging leading to Headgasket/Engine failure of the 2ZR Toyota Hybrid Engine. This includes 2010-2015 Prius (Gen3) and Lexus CT200h models. It was suggested to make a collection of all the main threads and links to the videos. I will do my darnedest to keep relevant information at the top as people respond with additional information. Most threads either have detailed repair information or decent discussions on replacement solutions.
Some peeps contributing a lot of their time include: DanLatu, Mendel Leisk, TheRob, The Critic, cnc97, Raidin, E46CT, and Raytheeagle. Thanks for all you have done and continue to do!
Additional thanks to NutzaboutBolts, GasketMasters, and Ragingfit (FixthatPrius) for your contribution with well thought-out detailed youtube vids!

Symptoms: Hard or shutter start (These symptoms will most likely, but not always, occur with cold starts and/or during takeoff from a stoplight), cylinder misfire (generally #1), sudden loss of coolant, dark exhaust. Additional causes to look for: Valve Gasket leaking (generally near cylinder #1) & oil pooling on in the throttle body. These symptoms may start appearing around 130k miles (though a few have happened earlier) with a larger population occurring at 180-220k miles. Since this is an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) issue, the more the ICE is used, the greater the chance of earlier failure.

Causes: Clogged EGR "Cooler" Pipe, Clogged EGR Valve, Dirty EGR Tube (more of a sign than a cause), Dirty Intake Manifold, pooling of oil below throttle body. Another thing to note is the consumption of oil, so keep a close eye on your oil levels between services.

Results: If EGR/Intake is not checked and cleaned regularly, ongoing hard starts will most likely lead to a head gasket failure or engine failure (generally on cylinder #1). Be careful if you suspect HG failure, if coolant drops quickly you run the risk of bent rods. Low oil levels can lead to other engine failures.

Solutions: EGR/Intake cleaning yearly or 50k mile intervals, some just opt for replacement. If other symptoms are present: Head Gasket replacement, Gen3 Salvaged Engine Swap, or Gen4 Salvaged Engine upgrade (requires some modifications). If you have a good valve head, a NEW short block assembly may be a less expensive alternative. Replace valve gasket if it’s leaking. Oil Catch Can installation (highly debated topic, those that have done it ARE seeing a cleaner EGR system). Keep oil levels topped off between services. Some shops my opt for engine swap over HG replacement due to the time it takes to disassemble the head, the miles on the lower end, or other early signs of rod/bearing failure. Some are opting to upgrade to the Gen4 engine (some changes made by Toyota) to help alleviate future EGR problems. Prices for repair can range from $1000-$7000 due to the extent of damage, shop labor rates, etc.
**DIY EGR cleaning options: Oxyclean soaking bath, EZ Off Oven Cleaner, 22 gauge wire on a drill to poke between the fins, Pressure Washer, and Ultrasonic Cleaner (had this done and did an absolutely fantastic job with very little effort)

Parts (these are one dealer's prices, you may find less expensive or used parts elsewhere):
• EGR "Cooler" Pipe (25601-37010) $249.48
• EGR Valve (25620-37120) $220.34
• EGR Tube (25610-37011) $45.79
• Intake Manifold (17120-37054) $201.90
• Short Block Assembly (if head and valves are good, but have bent rods) $1724.06

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Please note that even though there has been a TSB on this issue for quite a while, the replacement of parts will not generally warrantied by a dealer until the computer throws a code illuminating the Check Engine Light (CEL), and will mostly start with an intake manifold replacement first. However, I have not heard a case where an out of manufacturer warranty has covered damaged engines from this issue.

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Start here to learn everything you want to know about the 2zr engine. There are currently 27 pages of discussion, pictures, and video links of an engine swap encompassing the EGR and head gasket. Seriously, read through this first! Dan has laid this out wonderfully with pics and detailed explanations. "Blown head gasket repair leading to an engine swap (Gen3 to Gen3)".

another excellent writeup by The Critic. (or at Bobtheoilguy)


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Gen 4 engine swap (Many part series embedded in a thread)

TSB for engine knock at startup
Toyota Warranty Enhancement Program Notice
Toyota Engine Oil Consumption Test Procedure
Toyota Engine Oil Consumption Repair


Toyota Repair Manuals (first two are online versions, last one downloadable PDF):
All Models
Prius/CT Link
Downloadable HTML versions (200+ MB download)
PDF version (200+ MB download)


Other Threads discussing the EGR system (there are so many, i think you get the picture from the list below):
https://priuschat.com/threads/2011-p...engine.204512/
https://priuschat.com/threads/cylind...e-help.177098/
https://priuschat.com/threads/is-my-...-toast.181918/
https://priuschat.com/threads/blown-head-gasket.203547/
https://priuschat.com/threads/head-g...stions.205688/
https://priuschat.com/threads/egr-pe...adings.205524/
https://priuschat.com/threads/dont-b...t-233k.203755/
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ct-...gr-cooler.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ct-...ttle-body.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ct-...ew-issues.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ct-...nt-issues.html
https://priuschat.com/threads/egr-cooler-help.205622/
https://priuschat.com/threads/blown-engine.205471/
https://priuschat.com/threads/2010-o...ng-fix.202406/
https://priuschat.com/threads/engine...estion.197101/
https://priuschat.com/threads/preven...oubles.200841/
https://priuschat.com/threads/2013-1...cement.203016/
https://priuschat.com/threads/egr-in...esults.180662/
https://priuschat.com/threads/excess...toyota.165903/



Videos:
UPDATED TO INCLUDE THIS VIDEO:

The Car Care Nut EGR explaination.

He has a different take on the EGR issue for consideration.

All NutzaboutBolts Prius vids embedded in one thread. for many common Prius service items. Most importantly EGR, Pipe, Intake Manifold Cleaning


Oil Change:

Inverter Fluid Change:


Full List of YT vids for 2010-2015 Prius:
https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...010-2015+prius

I hope this post will help you get some answers to your EGR/Head gasket issues!

-Spiral

TheRob

Sweet! Thanks Spiral! This is exactly the thread we need. If we can get a mod to sticky this thread, that would be great. This thread provides a lot good information on these issues that are common with the CT200H, all in one post. This can help prevent others from running into these issues and make them aware of it.

E46CT

Thank you for the informative post. (and the shout out even though I'm really new to the CT) but I hope to contribute where I can.

If I may suggest, add paragraph spacing between your bullet points (symptoms, causes, results, solutions), for easier reading =)

Also maybe list all the parts involved along w/ their respective part #s and current prices.

Example format:

EGR pipe: #xxxx-xxxx, $129
EGR cooler: #xxxx-xxxx, $250
EGR valve: #xxxx-xxxx, $250
Intake manifold: #xxxx-xxxx, $x
Intake manifold gasket:#xxxx-xxxx, $x
EGR pipe gasket: #xxxx-xxxx, $x
etc
etc

Also intake manifold after 2014 uses a different part #

spiral

spacing...DONE!

I thought about parts and pricing. What I was struggling with is what to use. Use dealer pricing, find the lowest price, etc? Also, the back and forth between which parts to install i couldn't wrap my head around last night. Just EGR, do the HG, do an engine swap, do an engine upgrade, etc...

I'll see what i can do though to add all the components and maybe just go with dealer pricing so the cost can come down from there.

TheRob

Finally got my EGR system cleaned out on Thursday for $250.00 and also did a induction cleaning service for an extra $110.00. No ultra sonic machine was used to clean the parts. The mechanic says they just use chemical solutions.

I asked the mechanic about head gaskets blowing and what can be done to avoid it. He said nothing can really be done to avoid the head gasket blowing and that head gaskets deteriorate over time. They charge $1,800.00 to replace the head gasket.

spiral

Another cleaning option is to find a shop that can clean using an Ultrasonic bath. Even after many hours of soaking in oxyclean, ez-off, and using a pressure washer; a friend put all my EGR parts in and ultrasonic bath and in one washing all the parts except the cooler came out clean. The cooler took 7 washings before no more crude would come out. Thankfully, it wasn't too much work, just a little bit of time to rinse and solution replacement between each bath.

NudleBoy

I completely brushed over this when creating my last post. This is amazing. Thanks so much for all the info and links!

ddonalds

Interestingly, there was never a EGR recall in New Zealand according to the dealers. Perhaps the fuel quality is different over here.

spiral

Honestly, i don't know how to search for TSBs and i guess technically what's posted above isn't a "recall". It's a warranty replacement IF they determine that it's causing the problem and I believe for them to honor the replacement, the CEL must be on and they have to experience the rough start. I don't believe fuel plays any role or plays very little role in the EGR clogging problem. @ddonalds How many miles do you have on your ct? Most people will pull the EGR tube to verify carbon buildup. If you have a lot there, you will more than likely have waaaaaaay more in the cooler which is where the real problem begins.

ddonalds

only 34000 miles

The Critic

Thanks for putting this together, @spiral .

Here are my threads if you want to add them to the list:

https://priuschat.com/threads/2011-p...ailure.204129/
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forum...t-185k-summary

norcocredo

Lots of great info.
Does the EGR issue apply to 2016's?
It looks like it affects 2011-2015. Not sure if 2016's there was a change. Still reading thru but found no definite answer.
Thanks for any feedback.

spiral

I can not speak for certainty on the CT, but the Prius did get a Piston and Piston Ring update over the 2015-2016 years. That update helped a lot and im not seeing people reporting issues...but i would hold judgement a little longer as the mileage is less likely to be as high as the 11-14 models. I believe they also reconfigured the EGR system which helped. If your mileage is high 80k+, it wouldn't hurt to check and make sure your cooler is clean.

wahabishti

Hi, I am new to forum and came across this thread via intensive search which exactly describes my problem to tiny details. I am really thankful to all wise people who added and contributed so much info on this forum. Invaluable information helps me understand the issue. I have few questions regarding above since my purchase and the diagnosis from Lexus.

History:
I have lexus CT 200h F sports purchased from Auction and has 200k miles on clock done by a company who owned it for 5 years driven by Civil engineer across country on projects. Has all full Lexus 16 services from Lexus. Car is in great condition both in and out, rare red leather interior with mint bodywork.

Issue:
-Shutter on cold start and when pulled from stop under 20mph and then it disappears, on sports mode the shutter is very minor and less noticeable, but eco mode is worse.
- Loosing coolant i.e around 1L in 150-200 miles

Prognosis:
Owing the full service history its like the EGR system causing leak
- there is no decrease or increase in level of oil
-no sludge formation in oil visible from Oil cap
- no engine light or signs of misfire

Diagnosis from Lexus:
Lexus checked the issue 1st time and said its the air in the coolant system so they removed air and topped up coolant. Straight away next day the coolant level dropped on low level.
took it again and talked them about the TSB and they charged £160 for diagnosis and reported leak in the EGR cooler pipe. They quoted just short of £1100 parts and labour. Didn't mention anything about HG as they want to eliminate the EGr first.

Now i am concerned that what if the HG is also leaking? and if the conrods are bent? what are the signs ? how can this be confirmed without opening full head?

any advise will be highly appreciated.

Many Thanks

spiral

Welcome to the club!!

You have every right to be concerned. Not being a mechanic, i don't know their methodology when diagnosing a problem. IMO, they play dumb to the EGR/HG combo because technically Toyota hasn't said there is one, especially when you get to the 100k+ mile range. It's true, that's a lot of miles on any HG, however I am not convinced they are unrelated and people have shown improvement with a good EGR cleaning.

If air is in the system, i can see why the coolant would drop, but given the other symptoms, i'm less likely to believe this. Testing the HG is not difficult for a mechanic to do, they can start with a compression test and/or a leak down test. I don't understand why Lexus chooses to save this as a last resort, after they tell you all the other high priced things wrong that don't fix the problem. {wait, i think i answered my own question} . If those pass, then take care of the EGR. Now, if you are willing to do it yourself you can save some $$, but more than likely the cost they provided is for all new parts. Plenty of used parts on ebay or you can even source them from a toyota dealer for maybe a little less money. Even a HG job is not to terribly difficult if you can devote the time and space for it.

To give direct answers to your questions: HG leaks may result in coolant level drops, black smoke out exhaust, piston head cleaning (using a camera the piston head will appear clean compared to the others), and loss of compression.

Bent connecting rods can be a little more challenging. Usually you will get "rod knock" noises and if you can see all the piston heads at once, the bent rod will have a depressed head. There may be other signs that go with this, but these are the biggies.

I would get the HG ruled out as the problem first, but also think about having the EGR cleaned, not replaced.