Cabin Air Filter and "Cabin Service" (?)

[gbbari]

Here's a new one (at least for me). Went to local dealer where I bought my 2005 Prius for oil/filter/wiper blades/tire rotation & pressure check, and to check out the radio/antenna for problems with AM reception (but the radio problem will be on another thread).

The service writer (yes I now he's on commission) came out 1 hr later and sat down to show me a laundry list of recommeded services that they "discovered" my car needed. BTW, my car has 42K miles (mostly easy highway commute, 60 miles RT per weekday) since new in March 2005. Runs great, 49 mpg in warm weather, about 43-45 mpg in winter.

The "list" included:

1. injector service [cause="dirty"] Parts 42.99 labor 1.0 hr total $160
2. induction service [cause="carbon buildup"] Parts 89.95 labor=1.0 hr total $198.00
3. PCV Valve [cause="due @ 30,000 miles", this despite paying over $500 for the 30K service last year] Part=$17.00 labor=1.0 hr total $126.00
4. Inverter Flush [cause="protect inverter - low"] Parts=$24.95 labor=1.0 hr total $135.00
5. clean Mass Airflow Sensor [cause="dirty"] labor 2.0 hrs total $210.00
6. cabin air filter [cause="dirty"] part $24.99 labor 0.3 hr total $65.00
7. cabin service [cause="clean equip mold"] parts $69.95 labor 0.8 hr total "160.00
8. Adjust drive belt [cause="loose"] labor 0.5 hr total $64.00

Despite some of the more obvious attempts here to lighten my wallet , the "Cabin Service" was of interest. Service writer told me they hook up and inject some sort of foaming cleaner into the air fan box assy that cleans out all the dust and mold. I never heard of this; Toyota manual doesn't mention it in the service schedule; writer guy said the cleaner "just came out last year". Anyone here know about this? I have not noticed any odor in the cabin.

Comments on the rest of the list? (I have read about the cabin air filter and downloaded John1701A's How-to-replace article, and I read about replacing the PVC valve -although pictures would give me a bit more confidence. I can tighten the serpentine belt unless the tension idler is inaccessible for an arthritic 60 year old. I am not a shade tree mechanic but these prices are forcing some do-it-myself efforts...

AL

[efusco]

Originally Posted by gbbari

Here's a new one (at least for me). Went to local dealer where I bought my 2005 Prius for oil/filter/wiper blades/tire rotation & pressure check, and to check out the radio/antenna for problems with AM reception (but the radio problem will be on another thread).

The service writer (yes I now he's on commission) came out 1 hr later and sat down to show me a laundry list of recommeded services that they "discovered" my car needed. BTW, my car has 42K miles (mostly easy highway commute, 60 miles RT per weekday) since new in March 2005. Runs great, 49 mpg in warm weather, about 43-45 mpg in winter.

The "list" included:

1. injector service [cause="dirty"] Parts 42.99 labor 1.0 hr total $160
2. induction service [cause="carbon buildup"] Parts 89.95 labor=1.0 hr total $198.00
3. PCV Valve [cause="due @ 30,000 miles", this despite paying over $500 for the 30K service last year] Part=$17.00 labor=1.0 hr total $126.00
4. Inverter Flush [cause="protect inverter - low"] Parts=$24.95 labor=1.0 hr total $135.00
5. clean Mass Airflow Sensor [cause="dirty"] labor 2.0 hrs total $210.00
6. cabin air filter [cause="dirty"] part $24.99 labor 0.3 hr total $65.00
7. cabin service [cause="clean equip mold"] parts $69.95 labor 0.8 hr total "160.00
8. Adjust drive belt [cause="loose"] labor 0.5 hr total $64.00

Despite some of the more obvious attempts here to lighten my wallet , the "Cabin Service" was of interest. Service writer told me they hook up and inject some sort of foaming cleaner into the air fan box assy that cleans out all the dust and mold. I never heard of this; Toyota manual doesn't mention it in the service schedule; writer guy said the cleaner "just came out last year". Anyone here know about this? I have not noticed any odor in the cabin.

Comments on the rest of the list? (I have read about the cabin air filter and downloaded John1701A's How-to-replace article, and I read about replacing the PVC valve -although pictures would give me a bit more confidence. I can tighten the serpentine belt unless the tension idler is inaccessible for an arthritic 60 year old. I am not a shade tree mechanic but these prices are forcing some do-it-myself efforts...

AL

Walk away from all of it...
Buy a filter online for about $6...heck buy 3 or 4 so you save on shipping..and change it yourself. Labor cost ~5 min. @ $0.
The entire rest of the list is complete BS.

[gbbari]

Originally Posted by efusco

Walk away from all of it...
Buy a filter online for about $6...heck buy 3 or 4 so you save on shipping..and change it yourself. Labor cost ~5 min. @ $0.
The entire rest of the list is complete BS.

Evan that approach suits my wallet just fine . I take you see nothing here that raises any red flags (like the inverter fluid which he claimed was low - but how could they tell?) for possible warranty issues later on (I bought the extended warranty). I do realize we're talking probabilities here since it's via internet and no one here has seen my actual car.

BTW - where is the source for $6 cabin air filters?

Al

[statultra]

wow 210 dolllars to clean a mass airflow sensor, might as well buy a new one. 0.3 hour to change cabin air filter is pretty long, usually it takes me a minute. Your PCV valve shouldnt need changing so quick, usually i would take it out and shake it to make sure the valve is working, but if the dealer over filled the oil it would crud it up real bad

i love auto shops, overcharge on labor

[gbbari]

Originally Posted by statultra

wow 210 dolllars to clean a mass airflow sensor, might as well buy a new one. 0.3 hour to change cabin air filter is pretty long, usually it takes me a minute. Your PCV valve shouldnt need changing so quick, usually i would take it out and shake it to make sure the valve is working, but if the dealer over filled the oil it would crud it up real bad

i love auto shops, overcharge on labor

Statultra...what the heck is a mass airflow sensor and where is it located?

I'd take out the PCV valve too except I get the impression it's pretty well buried - by the time I'd get to it to shake it, I may as well replace it anyway ($17 part from Toyota). Not sure about the "PCV connecting hose cleaning" part. THAT may be a "hose job"

They charge $105 per hour. Big shop, lots of writers, "helpers", and admin people around; someone has to pay for all that overhead...

AL

[efusco]

Originally Posted by gbbari

Evan that approach suits my wallet just fine . I take you see nothing here that raises any red flags (like the inverter fluid which he claimed was low - but how could they tell?) for possible warranty issues later on (I bought the extended warranty). I do realize we're talking probabilities here since it's via internet and no one here has seen my actual car.

BTW - where is the source for $6 cabin air filters?

Al

I would say to them that "if the inverter fluid is low then I'd like you to search for the source of the leak, under my hybrid warranty, since it's a sealed unit and the inverter fluid shouldn't require servicing until 100k miles according to Toyota."

PCV valve should be changed at 60k.

If there is serious carbon build up then I'd ask for that to be repaired under the 3/60k warranty as that shouldn't be happening either.

Likewise the 'loose drive belt'...it's a chain (if they mean the timing belt) and there's only one other rubber belt that should be perfectly fine at this stage.

This is pure and simple legalized rape.

There's just nothing there that should be necessary.

[richard schumacher]

One thing certainly needs changing: you need a new dealer.

[tochatihu]

Added all that up to $1118. Your service writer must have a pretty nice boat!

Anyway, Evan's right that if some of those things are really needed, they ought to be N/C warranty.

I do think there is value to fuel system cleaning (when it's needed), but those labor hours are silly.

The Mass air flow sensor is the thing sticking in from the side inside the airbox. If a feller didn't know where it was, he might be able to spend 2 hrs looking for it. But cleaning it? Um, no.

Pass on most of this fluff, and think about changing the transaxle fluid instead. A gallon of WS should be $20 (or is it $40?). They could probably find the fill-hole in a couple of hours

[efusco]

Originally Posted by tochatihu

think about changing the transaxle fluid instead. A gallon of WS should be $20 (or is it $40?). They could probably find the fill-hole in a couple of hours

I'd wait until 60k, still, for the transaxle fluid...and that's not even recommended by Toyota until 100k...but do it at 60k...gotta throw that service writer a small bone!

[galaxee]

wow. that's ridiculous. we have the same year, bought in the same month, with approximately the same mileage. nowhere near needing any of that.

read this and be prepared for the next time with a snappy comeback
What services you need and what you don't