I am brand new to the forum. Just got a 2008 prius from a small father-son dealership and am getting used to the new sounds (or lack thereof) under the hood. I am getting a " winding down" kind of noise from in front of the driver after I turn the car off. it does not happen unless I have driven at least a short distance: i cant just run it in the driveway and then shut down and hear it. Is this normal, and what might it be?
only 73K. i am responsible for about 2500 of them. dont remember the sound when we first bought it. not sure when it started though. have owned it about 3 weeks.
Welcome to PC! Its probably the heat recovery thermos motor. CHRS. Coolant heat recovery system. Btw, you are due for trans fluid change. Very easy if your into DIY. Keep reading on the forum as there hundreds of posts about it.
Did a search for CHRS. On top of this page on the left in the header says "Search Forums" . Click that and enter keyword CHRS. here's the results: Search Results for Query: chrs | PriusChat
Agree with Ed the fox. Sounds like the coolant recovery system. A lot of first time Prius drivers ask this question. The system stores hot coolant and then injects it into the engine when it is cold to help speed up the warm up time on the engine. This system is only found on the US models. The thermos bottle is hidden behind the wheel well on the driver's side of the Prius in front of the tire. It does make a little racket and is noisier on some units than other's. If you every find yourself draining the coolant out of your Prius to do the maintenance on it, you will need to drain the thermos also. Be aware that servicing the coolant is not like the traditional car. You simply can't drain and refill. You also have to purge all air from the system, otherwise the Prius will overheat. All of this is documented here on Prius Chat. So don't fret about it. Do some Google searches and keep learning. Above that, enjoy your new to you Prius and the MPG that come along with it. Finally "Welcome to Prius Chat"! Ron (dorunron)
Thanks everybody. Sounds like something I don't need to worry about. I'll keep an ear out for any change. Will also look into changing the transmission fluid.
