What services you need and what you don't

[rusty houndog]

Originally Posted by Rafikiro

Ok I tried to search but I seem to have issues with the search. I will look to see if there is a search help in a bit but was wondering if I can get some help. My 2008 Spectra Blue Mockba will reach her 30,000 mile interval on her 11 month birthday this weekend. I do not trust my local dealer for reasons others have stated here. There is another dealer in the town I go to everyday about 70 miles away but I have not come to a decision on them yet! I plan to just do the oil change and tire rotation on my own like always but see the clean/adjust rear brakes listed. There has been talk that one can do this on their own but not any details. What would I look for to see if the brakes are not as they should be and what is involved with cleaning, I know someone said something about spraying something on them. Thanks for the help. When I reach the 100,000 mark I will have to ask who is the best servicer in the nation and take a trip!

The following link might give you some ideas about brake service and it's frequency.

Brake service

The following link is a well-faceted gem.

Prius links

[bruceha_2000]

Originally Posted by Patrick Wong

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.

Note that the cabin filter at Toyota costs ~$20+. My dealer charges 15 minutes ($18) to install it.
1) Change it your self. The only 'hard' part is figuring out that the piston has rotated back up and that is why you can't find the end that pops over the pin on the removable lower glove compartment (right side). It takes 3 minutes after the first time when you have figured out how it is done - If you take a nap between taking the filter frame out and putting it back in.
2) You can wash it! A little Woollite or other gentle soap in the kitchen sink, some water and LIGHT brushing with an old tooth brush. Rinse and let dry. It is 95% new. I read about that here (of course) after I had just purchased new ones for our Prii and tried it. Now I have 2 filters per car. No need to worry if you are changing it too early or waiting too long because you need your money more than Toyota does.

[bruceha_2000]

Originally Posted by rusty houndog

In my opinion, those wide tires on alloy rims are a style thing and handle abominably.

Originally Posted by jayman

You and me both. I really don't get this low profile bulls***. I can see needing a certain size rim to clear a brake rotor, but otherwise, it's all show

I don't think the 195 TTs are in the same class as low profile wide tires you guys are dissing (I do too. Most stupidly on an Escalade!) If the TTs came in a 185, I would have bought them, but the 195 was the closest and fit the stock rims. They handle a LOT better than the OEM Integrity.

[bruceha_2000]

Originally Posted by Drunken_Monk

however, when the car is done warming up the ICE shuts off (normal opperation) however it shuts off very forcfully.

Your profile doesn't list where you live. If you live in an area where it gets cold (no not 50F in Florida or CA!!) the ICE shutoff can be somewhat harsh when it is JUST warm enough to shut off at a red light. Subsequent shutoffs will be less noticeable as the ICE warms. Barely noticeable in the warm weather.

[TreffEdwards]

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.

Dude, Thanks so much! i just hit 119k on my 05 and I totally was thinking about having a tranny flush, but not now I replaced the tires and brakes and spark plugs and had the oil changed. Still getting super great MPG and no complaining!

[rusty houndog]

Originally Posted by bruceha_2000

I don't think the 195 TTs are in the same class as low profile wide tires you guys are dissing (I do too. Most stupidly on an Escalade!) If the TTs came in a 185, I would have bought them, but the 195 was the closest and fit the stock rims. They handle a LOT better than the OEM Integrity.

Wide tires are OK for heavier loads. The Prius is definitely not heavy enough for 195 width tires on all roads. My choice of 175-65 R15 tires for my Touring, with some newer Corolla steel rims, comes because I could not get anything narrower in 16". For snow, the narrower the tire the easier to pass and less likely to slip. For dirt roads, those 175s are like riding on rails; none of the side slip and corner drift I had with the 195-55 R16 monsters this car came with.

It's just a matter of areas and pressures. For a given mass, the smaller the contact area the higher the pressures. The higher the pressures the higher the frictional forces. Frictional forces are what keeps you on the road and out of the ditches, and gets you through the snow better.

[alpineprius]

so my dealer charged me to adjust my rear brakes at 15K. Are they NOT adjustable on 2008? Thanks for any advice.

[Patrick Wong]

The rear brakes are adjustable, but there's no need to adjust them unless:

1) you feel that the parking brake does not hold the car on an incline (while gear selector is in N), or
2) you feel that the braking action is insufficient.

[rusty houndog]

Originally Posted by alpineprius

so my dealer charged me to adjust my rear brakes at 15K. Are they NOT adjustable on 2008? Thanks for any advice.

If you drive regularly in San Diego there would be ZERO reason for you car to need a rear brake adjustment at 15,000 miles. If there was a manufacturing defect that caused the need for a brake adjustment, Toyota is required by their warranty to make the repairs.

Are you absolutely sure the line is not "Clean and Inspect?" Clean and Inspect is a maintenance item not usually charged separately. If the line actually says "Adjust" then contact Toyota customer services and complain.

[alanh]

The point is that self-adjusting drum brakes are, um, self-adjusting. Unless there's something wrong, they do not need routine adjusting.