2013 Gen 3 Prius – Hose keeps popping off immediately at startup (POP/smoke)

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Viraj 86, Aug 12, 2026 at 11:28 PM.

  1. Viraj 86

    Viraj 86 New Member

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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
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    Touring
    Hi everyone,
    I have a 2013 Prius Gen 3 (2ZR-FXE), ~297,000 km.
    I have a strange problem that started after an engine tune-up. The old PCV valve was removed, cleaned with carb/injector cleaner and reinstalled. Before this service, I had driven about 80,000 km without this problem.
    Now, occasionally when I:
    Press brake → press POWER → POP/pressure sound → smoke/vapour appears around the intake/throttle-body area → a hose pops off.
    It happens right at startup, sometimes before the engine has properly started.
    The hoses that have come off at different times are:
    PCV hose
    small EVAP/purge-related hose
    recently, the same small hose repeatedly
    After reconnecting the hose, the car runs completely normally.
    There is no misfire, no Check Engine Light, EV mode works normally, A/C works normally and fuel economy is good.
    Scan data shows LTFT around +11–13%, with no current DTCs.
    I also noticed a slightly oily/slippery film around the throttle-body/hose area, but I'm not sure if it is oil or coolant.
    My main questions:
    What could cause a hose to pop off immediately when pressing POWER, before normal engine operation?
    Could a PCV valve that was cleaned and reused cause this?
    Could the EVAP purge VSV cause pressure to build up?
    Could this simply be a bad/loose hose connection or missing clamp?
    What should I test first?
    I have attached photos of the hose and connection.
    Any advice from experienced Gen 3 owners would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
     
  2. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    Are you hearing a backfire?
     
  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    You probably need the service described ➡here⬅.

    For anybody with a car of the affected years, where that hasn't happened yet, you may ask a dealer to apply the firmware update mentioned in that thread preventively, to avoid the risk of damaging the valve at some unpredictable later time and having to apply the update and replace the valve then.