What services you need and what you don't

[Patrick Wong]

Hi footprintx,

Regarding the Toyota of Riverside special, note that this will probably not apply to your Prius for the following reasons:

1. Prius uses Toyota ATF WS fluid which is "special" compared to Dexron ATF.
2. Prius uses iridium spark plugs, not regular plugs.
3. The special does not include inverter coolant.

I have wondered why the 2G CA spark plug change interval is 150K miles while the rest of the country is at 120K miles. The spark plugs are the same model...

My guess is that the longer CA interval is due to regulatory issues rather than engineering differences. I plan to change the plugs at around 100K miles (my 2004 is currently at 57K).

The engine and inverter coolants are supposed to be replaced at 100K miles, so at this point you are past-due. Although the PCV valve and transaxle fluid are not on the schedule, both should also be replaced. The PCV valve only costs ~$6, but it is buried under the wiring harness that runs on top of the engine valve cover.

Regarding the brakes, it is simple enough to inspect both front and rear to see how much lining remains.

[rusty houndog]

There is a blow-by-blow for Prius maintenance and repair just published by the excellent firm of Haynes.
The ISBN is " ISBN 1 56392 680 6 " available at most rational parts houses and from Haynes on the web.

There is also a new Prius book from Bentley Publishers at The Motor Bookstore : [ Toyota Prius Hybrid Repair, Service Manual 2004-2008 - Bentley Publishers ISBN: 9780837615530 ]

[rusty houndog]

Originally Posted by Ichabod

1. Hit "Odo/Trip" button until the display says "ODO" and shows odometer (even if you started on odometer, you have to do this).
2. Power down the car.
3. Press and hold the ODO button.
4. Power on and wait while the ODO display does a little dance.
5. When it's back to showing your odometer, release the ODO button.

After much searching and reading I found "(j) Engine Oil Replacement Reminder Light (for vehicles sold in the U.S.A)" on pages 130-131 in my 2007 Owner's Manual. The directions are somewhat vague but the only missing direction is to keep one's feet off the brake pedal to establish "IG-ON." Otherwise, if you press the brake at all the system does not reset.

[jayman]

Originally Posted by Patrick Wong

I have wondered why the 2G CA spark plug change interval is 150K miles while the rest of the country is at 120K miles. The spark plugs are the same model...

Patrick

Perhaps the CA spec fuel burns cleaner? The fuel up here still has some MMT in it, though that level has really dropped over the past couple of years.

Especially in the 1980's, it was common to pull out spark plugs and find them coated with a tan/orange deposit, which was the MMT after the combustion process

One thing I have noticed with Husky/Mohawk fuel, it burns very cleanly. It's ethanol fuel, so a bit less fuel economy. However, due to the subsidies offered, it's very cost effective compared to fuel from other stations that have additives like MMT

One thing I noticed with my FJ Cruiser. The sticker on the fuel door tates to use premium, but a TSB from 2007 states that regular is ok too. I tried a few tanks of Shell V Power, from two different Shell stations, and noticed my FJ always had a strong rotten egg smell after I backed into the garage

That tells me a lot of sulfer in that "Top Tier" gas. I tried regular Shell fuel, and the rotten egg smell was worse. Maybe 1 mpg less with regular, in the FJ. I don't drive it much, a tank lasts at least a week if I'm driving it out to the hobby farm, the last tank lasted over a month due to all the business travel

So I switched to the Husky/Mohawk premium last fillup. No more rotten egg smell. My FJ uses regular NGK with fairly frequent change intervals, I'll see how the plugs have held up when I change them again this fall

jay

[snowbird]

Originally Posted by jayman

I use a high quality synthetic, and perform used oil analysis. I change the oil and filter once a year or every 10,000 miles. That exceeds the Toyota recommended interval by a factor of X2

Tires I like to rotate every 5,000 miles

Which oil is a high quality synthetic oil. I need to start taking me own oil in.

[rusty houndog]

Originally Posted by snowbird

Which oil is a high quality synthetic oil. I need to start taking me own oil in.

If you have a Walmart close there may be some Valvoline or Quakerstate full synthetic oil in stock. Look for full synthetic and cheap; choose that combination. Mobil, Pennzoil, Shell and Texaco are all out of my range of acceptable; it's a hate the crooks thing.
You can do a web search for Amsoil. The only problem with Amsoil is the cost. It is premium quality. When the time comes for coolant replacement their's is the one to get. It's propyl based, safe for kids and dogs, and has a very strong protection additive mix.

[jayman]

Originally Posted by snowbird

Which oil is a high quality synthetic oil. I need to start taking me own oil in.

I use Mobil 1 0W-20 in the Prius year round. I have great used oil analysis reports up to 16,000 km

In the FJ, I run Mobil 1 0W-40. This oil meets tougher EU specs for Mercedes, BMW, and GM LL service. The 4.0 V6 in my FJ is quite a bit harder on oil, I was experiencing a bit of shearing and nitration buildup

[jwazmt]

Originally Posted by galaxee

another public service announcement from your friendly tech and translator

just a list of commonly recommended services, whether they're needed and if so, when, and other useful info.

1. brake flush
may be a good idea after 100k miles/10 years. completely cleaning out the whole system is near impossible with standard brake flush equipment (mainly because the prius has almost 1 gal of brake fluid in it!) possible complications include air in brake system, damage to actuator or solenoid valves. (PS to those of you worried about rusting... the calipers are aluminum body construction with a composite plastic piston.)

2. clean/adjust rear brakes
only if you have drums (obviously in the prius, we do). ideally, for optimal brake life and performance, this is probably a good idea every 30k miles. for other cars, 15k a better idea. when you hear a tone out of the rear brakes, it's either time to change the brakes or have them cleaned/adjusted. if it's not done, you can see an increased brake wear rate (front and rear). possible complications are problems due to technician error- adjustment extremely tight can overheat a bearing. otherwise noise, brake chatter, or increased wear rate and glazing if not properly adjusted.

3. transaxle fluid
there is no way to "flush" the trans on a prius. if someone tries to sell you this, run. they can drain and fill, however. the fluid is expensive and is supposed to go 100k, but you can never go wrong changing it early. in most cases it isn't necessary. this is the same fluid that goes into a tundra for 100k under towing conditions. the only complication you might see is again due to tech error- using the wrong fluid or not filling all the way.

4. engine and inverter fluid
drain/fill is OK, but NO flushes. it's not even possible on the inverter and the engine is difficult but not impossible, however NOT recommended as it can cause serious damage to the electric water pump and switching valves. you do not need the drain/fill until your car hits 100k. if the coolant is still nice and pink, don't do it then either. again, the coolant is said to go 100k. while you're not going to do any wrong by changing it early, again it is expensive like the trans fluid. possible complications include more tech error- bleeding these systems is a PITA and getting all the air out is hard. an incomplete fill, use of the wrong coolant, can damage your car.

5. EFI or fuel injector cleaning
really not necessary until you see 100k, if you have a bad tank of gas, or if you start seeing misfires (and you'll see a check engine light when that happens.) possible problems include damage to fuel lines or connectors while disconnecting/reconnecting the adapter equipment to the system. the fuel line that you would access to hook up the adapter is directly above the exhaust manifold... NOT a place you want a leak. other possible problems could include seal failures due to pressure (rare but possible.) since it doesn't idle, most techs will get in and stomp on the gas pedal until the EFI cleaner runs its course. this leads to a condition called "blinky check engine light" which means that you have overheated your catalyst and are in serious danger of melting the insides of your catalytic converter.

6. three-part service, fuel induction service, throttle plate cleaning
these are all different names for essentially the same service. (the "three part" also includes a top engine cleaner aka fuel induction service and fuel additive.) this is really only needed if the throttle plate starts to stick. a good idea after 100k, but just the throttle plate cleaning. there is no accessible port to feed the top engine cleaner through, and fuel system additives are not recommended with the bladder fuel tank. possible complications from doing various parts of the service: fuel tank additive can possibly damage the fuel system- unlikely but still possible. biggest issue with this is deposits on the spark plugs, causing reduced power and fuel economy. for the throttle plate cleaning, using too much of the cleaner can cause the car to run funny for a few minutes but that's about it.

7. PCV valve replacement
a good idea at a 60k interval just to be on the safe side. if this fails, it will either stick closed (rare) and blow oil seals, or stick open and allow oil to enter the intake. most people forget this valve because it's hidden. but it's a simple replacement and damn hard to screw up.

8. alignment
depends on your driving style. aggressive drivers should have it checked every 10k. otherwise every 15-20k just to make sure it's right. a MUST when replacing tires and if you notice uneven tire wear.

*if you have a question about something that's not listed here, please do ask.

Good info, but what is the best engine oil to use & or ,if different than manufacturer
Thank, jwazmt

[rusty houndog]

Originally Posted by jwazmt

Good info, but what is the best engine oil to use & or ,if different than manufacturer
Thank, jwazmt

Synthetic oil of a viscosity suitable for the conditions in which you drive. Any 0W30 weight synthetic oil will work almost everywhere, 5W30 for hotter areas like the extreme southern tier of states and the Mohave desert region. Be sensible.

[J.Wilkie]

Great sticky thanks for the information!