What services you need and what you don't

[rusty houndog]

Originally Posted by bknd2rc

My 2005 Prius just passed 100K. the dealer recommended changing the inverter fluid at $289.00 and spark plugs at $150.00 plus. I drive freeway early in the am an late at night 90% of the time. Are these repairs necessary?

The good Doctor has correctly diagnosed the situation.

If you can change a spark plug you can inspect yours and see if they need replacement, ie. eroded electrodes, open gap that is uncorrectable, etc. If your Prius has not been stumbling or knocking then odds are you do not need new plugs just yet. Guaranteed, time detectors are not one of the parts put into modern heavy duty spark plugs.

As to the inverter fluid, find a more wallet friendly site for that job; fluids wear out far more than parts in this vehicle. Even so, consider getting high mileage propylene glycol coolant; ask your local OTR owner/driver about which has the longest life and strongest additive package which is easily available where you are. When using high quality fluid in this application, plan on a minimum of 150K service life over what a diesel traction engine gets.

You can also do some web searching for the good stuff.

[k8sbeautifulprius]

Thanks for the information. I have a question about extended warranties. My Prius will be out of the dealer warranty pretty soon, so I started looking at prices for extended warranties through companies like Warranty Direct. I have 31,000 miles and am nervous about being without a warranty. What are your thoughts? Are there companies offering this service that are more reputable than others? Should I look at purchasing from the dealer? Is there a rule of thumb about the cost/benefit? Or, is it a bad idea as a whole?

thanks,
Kate

[rusty houndog]

Originally Posted by k8sbeautifulprius

Thanks for the information. I have a question about extended warranties. My Prius will be out of the dealer warranty pretty soon, so I started looking at prices for extended warranties through companies like Warranty Direct. I have 31,000 miles and am nervous about being without a warranty. What are your thoughts? Are there companies offering this service that are more reputable than others? Should I look at purchasing from the dealer? Is there a rule of thumb about the cost/benefit? Or, is it a bad idea as a whole?

thanks,
Kate

So, you have somewhere over three years on this car. Have you needed anything fixed so far? Would that thing be covered in the normal 60 months or eight year part of the Toyota warranty?

Extended warranties start from the first use date when the car was first purchased so if you buy the eight year extended you will really have four or five years to go on it when you first buy it.

Think about the cost-benefit ratios involved in now paying something between $1,000 and $3,000 for a few extra years coverage. Better to put that grand or three into a savings account or a CD or such.

IF you need to pay for some repair that isn't part of the sixty month 60,000 mile drive train and rust through warranties or the eight year 100,000 mile emissions warranty you will have enough to cover it.

After the repair just refill the pot. Remember, your regular car insurance can cover a whole host of things you might think of as "warranty" stuff.

Toyota Warranty and Coverage

Instances of things not covered in a Prius extended warranty: the main battery, the multi-display unit, non-emissions controllers and most electronics. As with most modern insurance, the exclusions are pricey stuff you really need covered.

Now you have announced your contemplation you will be harassed by "really good deals" from any number of warranty sellers; lots of money in that warranty game. There's an extensive list of non-covered items available at the Toyota Finance site on the web.

Needing repair is always a crap shoot even with a brand new car.

[turtlebud]

When I brought my 06 prius in for the 45k service, the advisor recommended doing a parking brake tightening (I think that's what he called it). When I asked what happens if I don't do that he said that the parking brake may not engage properly and/or wear (something along those lines). I declined and said that I would look into it for next time.

Is this a commonly done service or just something that he's just trying to sell me on?

Thanks!

[Patrick Wong]

I suggest that you see whether the parking brake will hold your car stationary, on the steepest hill in your area (while the gear selector is in N). If yes, then no worries.

If the parking brake does not hold your car, then you would have reason to have the rear drum brakes adjusted.

[CharlesJ]

Originally Posted by turtlebud

When I brought my 06 prius in for the 45k service, the advisor recommended doing a parking brake tightening (I think that's what he called it). When I asked what happens if I don't do that he said that the parking brake may not engage properly and/or wear (something along those lines). I declined and said that I would look into it for next time.

Is this a commonly done service or just something that he's just trying to sell me on?

Thanks!

Yes, be very careful and leery of 'dealer recommended' extra service. They are notorious for padding. After all, they do have a financial interest in their recommendations.

[CharlesJ]

Originally Posted by Patrick Wong

If the parking brake does not hold your car, then you would have reason to have the rear drum brakes adjusted.

The Bentley manual indicates that the rear brakes are 'auto-adjusting' along with the front breaks. The manual also has instructions to adjust the parking break but it is by removing the center console.

[Mike Dimmick]

The parking brake is a separate cable-operated system. 'Auto-adjustment' refers only to how the shoes respond to the hydraulic brakes (they automatically advance to reduce the shoe-to-drum travel).

Cables stretch in use. That's why they need manual adjustment. And yes, you do have to remove the centre console to get at the adjuster.

Service manual section PB, Parking Brake.

Anecdotal reports are that it's common to adjust the parking brake in North America so that it just barely stops the car rolling. Shifting into gear is enough to make the car pull away with the brake still on. In the UK, at least, it's more common to adjust it so that the car cannot move unless a significant amount of power is applied - the handbrake is used as part of the hill start procedure to prevent the car rolling back.

With my previous car, a 2001 Ford Focus, adjusting the handbrake was a standard part of every yearly service. On the European service plan for the Prius, it's down as 'inspect' every two years/18,000 miles.

[rusty houndog]

Originally Posted by turtlebud

When I brought my 06 prius in for the 45k service, the advisor recommended doing a parking brake tightening (I think that's what he called it). When I asked what happens if I don't do that he said that the parking brake may not engage properly and/or wear (something along those lines). I declined and said that I would look into it for next time.

Is this a commonly done service or just something that he's just trying to sell me on?

Thanks!

The self adjusters on the rear brakes are very reliable. The parking brake cable, although subject to stretch like all cables, stops it's initial stretch early and maintains length for a very long time; that is one large, heavy duty cable.

Regular services do not include parking brake adjustments. There are regular brake inspections for pad and lining wear. Even the "big" services do not include parking brake adjustment. Pretty much, if you don't need rear brake replacement you don't need parking brake cable adjustments.

If the parking brake pedal feels the same as always and has not gone to the "floor", or if it goes low a time or two and then comes back up, you are good to go for a long time.

The time or two low thing is just the rear brake adjusters finally working after a long time of very light application of the normal brakes. You know, those times when you glide to a stop or lightly apply the pedal and don't stomp the brakes. Ain't regenerative braking great?

And don't be tempted to press extra hard on the parking brake. This is probably a sales ploy. You don't need extra stress on that cable to get the parking brake to hold. Easy does it, that's the ticket.

[CharlesJ]

Originally Posted by Mike Dimmick

The parking brake is a separate cable-operated system. 'Auto-adjustment' refers only to how the shoes respond to the hydraulic brakes (they automatically advance to reduce the shoe-to-drum travel).

Cables stretch in use. That's why they need manual adjustment. And yes, you do have to remove the centre console to get at the adjuster.

Service manual section PB, Parking Brake.

Anecdotal reports are that it's common to adjust the parking brake in North America so that it just barely stops the car rolling. Shifting into gear is enough to make the car pull away with the brake still on. In the UK, at least, it's more common to adjust it so that the car cannot move unless a significant amount of power is applied - the handbrake is used as part of the hill start procedure to prevent the car rolling back.

With my previous car, a 2001 Ford Focus, adjusting the handbrake was a standard part of every yearly service. On the European service plan for the Prius, it's down as 'inspect' every two years/18,000 miles.

Thanks for the service manual pages, saved to hard drive
As Rusty indicated, and that is all I was trying to say is that the rear breaks adjust automatically for shoe wear; another post indicated it is only a manual adjustment. Manual adjusted breaks went out a long time ago

Yes, cables do stretch, to a point though.