What services you need and what you don't

[jaw444]

i got my 2007 Prius on January 2 this year, with 28,800 miles on it.
A few days ago, it rolled over to 30,000 miles, now it's at about 30,200.
I need to get the 30K mile service, my first. According to a dealer print
out i got when i had the car checked over before i got it, maintenance
services were reported at 20,000 and 25,000 miles, no previous services
were reported. The print out tells what service was done.

I have a few questions about what is needed now, based on what has or
has not been done before. Here is what has been done according to
available records:

11/2006 6 miles on the odometer
Pre-delivery inspection

5/2008
20,252 miles
Lube oil filter rotate tires, vehicle inspection
Adjusted brakes/battery
Replaced engine air filter
Resecured console backing

9/2008
25,500 miles
Lube Oil filter Rotate tires
Inspect drive shaft
Service EFI system flush
Tech replaced air filter
Tech replaced cabin filter

1/2/2009
28,830 miles
Triple A Vehicle inspection program
pre-purchase evaluation
All satisfactory except air filter, marginal
(At another toyota dealership, a few days later,
a service manager looked at the filter and said
it looked fine)(?)
recommended rotate tires and air filter

1/10/09
29,356 miles
Replaced tires at non Toyota shop
(Discount Tires)
replaced original tires with
Goodyear Triple Tread 195-60-15
no mention of alignment on invoce, i assume it was checked?

Here are my questions:

The brakes were adjusted at 20K miles
Do they need to be adjusted now, routinely?
(They work great)

The tires don't need to be rotated, right?

Does using a size tire different from dealer recommended
void the warranty for certain things? (i was reading the
user manual, something was mentioned about this)

In the Scheduled Maintenance Guide, it says that for the 30K
service, it needs engine oil filter and oil filter, air filter, cabin filter,
rotate tires, and inspection of 13 things. Is the inspection
necessary if another Toyota dealership did the AAA inspection
less than a month before?

At 20K miles, the report says "resecured console backing."
where is the console backing? Is that related to the dashboard?
There are some noises that sound like something is loose in the two
front corners of the dashboard, intermittent, but you can see that
the plastic pieces are kind of loose, you can wiggle them. And on the right
corner, there is a piece of clear plastic wrapping sticking out between where
the two pieces meet. It was just a little bit, i thought it was a discoloration
but when i looked closer, i could see it was a piece of clear plastic. I pulled
on it and more came out, i didn't pull it all the way out, i didn't want to mess
something up that i couldn't put back together. Is this related to the console?
Would repairing loose pieces that make noise when they rub against each other
be covered under the warranty, or is that normal wear and tear?
(my 93 Accord has not one rattle at 166K).

I have documentation of these services, including the tires i had installed.
I went into the Maintenance section on the MFD where you can enter service
info, but i found it wouldn't allow me to enter anything from the past. Is this
correct? On the day i had the tires installed, i tried to enter this in the Maintenance
section but it gave me a message saying the date was past and wouldn't let me enter
anything. It turned out i had the wrong time zone on my GPS settings, and it was after
midnight East coast time, and im on the west coast, so it wouldn't let me enter the new
tire installation. But after i corrected the setting, it was no longer the same day that i got
the tires, and it will not let me enter the information. Will the Toyota service people enter
this stuff?

A couple of days ago, i started getting a Maint.Rqd light on the dashboard which flashed
a few times and then went out, i think because it hit 30,000 miles. But i think it wasn't
coming on today.

Last question: a couple of weeks ago, a service manager raised the hood of the car to
check something i was asking about. I was shocked at how dirty the engine was.
My Accord's engine always looked clean, for the 85,000 miles that i've driven it, same
conditions as the Prius. It has a clean engine when i got it. Is there something about
the way the car is built that dirt can get to the engine?

I'm wanting to have the engine steam cleaned when i take it in for maintenance.
Will that hurt the battery? Is it expensive?

[Patrick Wong]

There's no need to adjust the brakes unless you note a braking problem.

The point of rotating tires is to promote even tire wear so that you will buy 4 tires at once instead of 2 at a time. This is optional, if you choose not to rotate that's OK. If you have to pay for rotation, I suggest the first rotation 5K miles after new tires are installed, then subsequent rotations at 10K mile intervals.

The 195 tires that you installed should be OK from a warranty perspective, but ask your dealer if you want reassurance on this point.

If in fact the air filters were replaced at 25K miles there should be no need to replace them now. It is really easy to remove both the engine and cabin air filters for inspection, I suggest you learn how to do this yourself to save some $$ in the future. Hold the engine air filter up to the sun. If you can see sunlight coming through, the filter is OK. If the filter is dark due to dirt, then replace it. Regarding the cabin air filter, if your interior fogs up more than usual or if you get disgusted with the idea of breathing through the dirty filter, then replace it.

Given your recent prior service history, at 30K miles, I think that all you need is to change the engine oil and oil filter. You can omit everything else unless you feel like paying for more service.

Its OK to have your engine cleaned by the dealer, and this has no effect on the batteries since both are located in the hatch area. I'm sure that they know how to do this safely since they clean all used car engine compartments before offering the vehicles for sale. Ask your service writer what the price will be - my guess is that this may be $100 or so.

I advise caution if you DIY, not to get water in the engine valve cover area (since the O-rings sealing the spark igniters can leak) and to keep water away from the many electrical connectors.

[alanh]

The plastic sheeting is probably a remnant of the sheeting covering the dash during shipping. The dealer is supposed to remove it all at delivery.

[rusty houndog]

Originally Posted by jaw444

i got my 2007 Prius on January 2 this year, with 28,800 miles on it.
< deletions >
5/2008
20,252 miles
Lube oil filter rotate tires, vehicle inspection
Adjusted brakes/battery
Replaced engine air filter
Resecured console backing

< deletions >

Here are my questions:

The brakes were adjusted at 20K miles
Do they need to be adjusted now, routinely?
(They work great)

The tires don't need to be rotated, right?

Does using a size tire different from dealer recommended
void the warranty for certain things? (i was reading the
user manual, something was mentioned about this)

At 20K miles, the report says "resecured console backing."
where is the console backing? Is that related to the dashboard?

< deletions >

A couple of days ago, i started getting a Maint.Rqd light on the dashboard which flashed
a few times and then went out, i think because it hit 30,000 miles. But i think it wasn't
coming on today.

Last question: a couple of weeks ago, a service manager raised the hood of the car to
check something i was asking about. I was shocked at how dirty the engine was.
My Accord's engine always looked clean, for the 85,000 miles that i've driven it, same
conditions as the Prius. It has a clean engine when i got it. Is there something about
the way the car is built that dirt can get to the engine?

I'm wanting to have the engine steam cleaned when i take it in for maintenance.
Will that hurt the battery? Is it expensive?

The dirty engine compartment might be related to the missing service records; *was there a wreck? Ask any reputable Toyota dealer for a complete repair and service record.

The "brake adjustment" is the parking brake cable; brake adjusters are only rear and are reliable and automatic. That would account for "Resecured console backing" at the same time. The parking brake adjustment is under the center console. A better question is why? That cable is bullet proof. *It follows the missing services. Just saying.

My tires are 175-65 R15 on steel rims. There was no objection from the local dealer when I proposed the changes. There is no problem choosing tires that fit the rims and the wheel wells. In my opinion, those wide tires on alloy rims are a style thing and handle abominably.

The blinking Maint Reqd is easily stopped. there are complete directions elsewhere on this site. Do a search.

Back to the dirty engine compartment. take the car to a reputable Toyota agency and ask for a solution to the unusual dirt problem. Plastic covers all over the car and sealing gaskets around the engine compartment pretty much rule out any dirt under ordinary conditions. The air flows are such that a dirty engine can only come through the combined grill, radiator, oil cooler and AC condenser. Get them to check all the body gaskets, seals and covers for missing or loose pieces. If you're still under 36,000 miles everything is covered.

The batteries are in the trunk. Steam is NEVER good for any automotive engine compartment. Go to a manual car wash that has an engine cleaner selection or use a water-rinse spray-on cleaner. The usual caveats about fuse blocks and such still hold.

RTFM! [read that fine manual]

[jaw444]

Originally Posted by rusty houndog

The dirty engine compartment might be related to the missing service records; *was there a wreck? Ask any reputable Toyota dealer for a complete repair and service record.

i think i did get one of those print outs from Thousand Oaks Toyota, that's where it was taken for a pre-purchase inspection, they're the Toyota dealer in that area. I was talking to the service manager on the phone while the car was there, asking some questions, and i was asking if it had certain features because i didn't fully understand the packages then, and he said he was going to get me this print out that only the dealers can get, that shows all options the came with, and all the reported service and repair records, that's what i was copying from when i wrote this post and listed the reported services. There was also a clean CarFax, but these are just reported services/repairs from the Toyota dealership; it doesn't mean there couldn't be repairs somewhere else. I asked the guy to pay particular attention to any sign the car had been in an accident, he said that's part of the inspection. He said, at the end, that the car had not been in an accident.

But i'm not used to seeing an engine look dirty. I was shocked but the service manager didn't think it was a big deal. Thanks for the suggestions about what to ask them to do, to prevent all that dirt from collecting.

The "brake adjustment" is the parking brake cable; brake adjusters are only rear and are reliable and automatic. That would account for "Resecured console backing" at the same time. The parking brake adjustment is under the center console. A better question is why? That cable is bullet proof. *It follows the missing services. Just saying.

yes--i want to get an answer to that question. I could easily go to the Toyota agency that originally sold the car and did all the listed services, it's near where i work. I'll do that tomorrow if i can.

My tires are 175-65 R15 on steel rims. There was no objection from the local dealer when I proposed the changes. There is no problem choosing tires that fit the rims and the wheel wells. In my opinion, those wide tires on alloy rims are a style thing and handle abominably.

Very interesting. I got those tires after reading two or three long threads on PriusChat about tires, and what people liked or recommended, and a lot of people were happy with the wider tires, in rain and such especially. I didn't hear any reports of negative experiences until now. What improvement do you notice in handling with the 175s compared to wider tires? Holding the road better?

The blinking Maint Reqd is easily stopped. there are complete directions elsewhere on this site. Do a search.

I was kind of glad it was trying to get my attention. But thanks. It's good to know how to customize things. So far, it's only flashing for maybe 5 seconds. it would be different if it stayed on. My friend's Corolla has one that stays on all the time. I was borrowing the car one day and it came on, scaring me plenty. I stopped at a mechanic and was told it was nothing to worry about it. It was a little picture of an oil can.

Back to the dirty engine compartment. take the car to a reputable Toyota agency and ask for a solution to the unusual dirt problem. Plastic covers all over the car and sealing gaskets around the engine compartment pretty much rule out any dirt under ordinary conditions. The air flows are such that a dirty engine can only come through the combined grill, radiator, oil cooler and AC condenser. Get them to check all the body gaskets, seals and covers for missing or loose pieces. If you're still under 36,000 miles everything is covered.

Thanks. That's VERY helpful.

[jaw444]

Originally Posted by Patrick Wong

There's no need to adjust the brakes unless you note a braking problem....Given your recent prior service history, at 30K miles, I think that all you need is to change the engine oil and oil filter. You can omit everything else unless you feel like paying for more service.

thanks. That sums it up. The service manager i talked to about the upcoming service had said that this was an 'intermediate service,' and he said it cost something like $260 i think. Can't remember now, but it wasn't cheap, might've even been $320 or something. Still, less than an intermediate service on an Accord, i think. Anyway, thanks to what i've heard on these forums, i know i don't need that much stuff. It shouldn't be more than $150?

I am big on cabin air though. i commute/drive a lot on congested freeways. Is the cabin air filter the same as the air filter?

[jaw444]

Originally Posted by alanh

The plastic sheeting is probably a remnant of the sheeting covering the dash during shipping. The dealer is supposed to remove it all at delivery.

That sounds harmless. But it's on the side where the worst rattle comes from. I don't hear it very often, that's the saving grace. Maybe pulling the plastic the rest of the way out will help with the rattle.

[Patrick Wong]

Originally Posted by jaw444

... Anyway, thanks to what i've heard on these forums, i know i don't need that much stuff. It shouldn't be more than $150?

I am big on cabin air though. i commute/drive a lot on congested freeways. Is the cabin air filter the same as the air filter?

My local Toyota dealer charges ~$30 for an engine oil and oil filter change. Since you want your engine compartment cleaned, that will be an additional charge.

There are two Prius air filters. One is the engine air filter, located in a large rectangular black plastic housing in the engine compartment.

The other is the cabin air filter, located behind the glove compartment. When the glove box is dropped down and removed, then you can see an off-white rectangular access door. When that door is removed, the air filter can be pulled out. It sits in a reusable plastic frame.

[galaxee]

on the discussion of brake self-adjusters- it is good to periodically check and readjust if needed. no, they are not perfect and no, you might not always notice a braking problem if they are a little out of adjustment.

every 30k isn't terribly often, it's not like you should do this with every oil change or something. it's preventive.

we've been meaning to do this on our car for a while (practically 60k miles), but things have been persistently insane for us both for pretty much all of recent memory. maybe one of these weekends.

[rusty houndog]

Originally Posted by jaw444

That sounds harmless. But it's on the side where the worst rattle comes from. I don't hear it very often, that's the saving grace. Maybe pulling the plastic the rest of the way out will help with the rattle.

Rather than trying that yourself, if the original dealer is so close to where you work, take it to him and ask what gives with this piece of plastic. Better to be safe than sorry, and if they flubbed up they should fix it.

Remember the 36K miles, and the rapid fix Toyota does on low mileage cars. Loose plastic of any kind is an embarrassment for them.

For the engine air filter instructions, pages 29 and 30:
http://john1701a.com/prius/documents...ide_iconic.pdf

For the "cabin" air filter:
http://john1701a.com/prius/documents...ner-Filter.pdf