What services you need and what you don't

[galaxee]

upselling is very common in this business. that's how they make their money- more work to do makes for more paycheck! sometimes this is to your advantage because they will work to catch a problem while it is easily fixed or before it causes a big mess. but when they're arguing air filters and spark plug gapping? ugh. first things first, never go back to them. next, check around for recommendations locally. brakes are best done at a dealer.

i have taken the prius in for service several times without DH- at the dealer, they all knew not to BS me. at the tire shop, i made it clear i knew what i was talking about, they respected my authoritah. at the alignment shop? i literally laughed in the guy's face and told him i apparently knew more about undercar than he did- in front of other customers- to get the message across that there was no trifling with me.

generally, the unscrupulous places will try to sell you everything they can. the best weapon against this is knowledge, hence this thread.

[rusty houndog]

Originally Posted by worrywort

Are all dealers this pushy with female customers? How do I find a "safe" nondealer service professional for a Prius?

The "safe" mechanic???

You could try Car Talk | Mechanics Files. Asking will help hone your skills discerning both car stuff and honesty. You are already asking good questions.

Originally Posted by worrywort

PS--the dealer wanted to charge 100 plus to look at the CV boot--wouldn't they see this anyway when I had the tires done and when they pulled the wheel for the state inspection on the brakes?

Usually a shop that wishes repeat business will present real information about failing parts, things like "While doing WWW we looked at XXX and found YYY." It's called good business practice for a shop to keep their customers informed and happy with their services.

Treating customers like idiots is not a way to keep them happy. Trying to charge for stuff they will see anyhow is definitely idiotic. It looks like you wont be recommending them after that greedy, stupid move.

[jayman]

Originally Posted by worrywort

PS--the dealer wanted to charge 100 plus to look at the CV boot--wouldn't they see this anyway when I had the tires done and when they pulled the wheel for the state inspection on the brakes?

Yes, easy enough to inspect with the wheel off anyway.

If I were you, I'd never return to that dealer. Ever

[gawilson]

Thanks--appreciate the suggestions. I've never changed the sparkplugs on my Prius and I have almost 104,000 miles as I noted. It's running fine and getting pretty good mileage but it has dropped about 5 mpg or so but this always happens during the winter and worst during the cold/dry spells.
Looks like I'm in for some expense if I go on and do all these maintenance items but...since I've done nothing to this point, I guess I should go on and bite the bullet. I didn't see an explicit suggestion on when to change sparkplugs but I assume that I should go on and do that with this amount of mileage, although with a hybrid I wonder if 100,000 miles here is equivalent to that number on a non-hybrid vehicle.

[ETP]

Originally Posted by gawilson

Thanks--appreciate the suggestions. I've never changed the sparkplugs on my Prius and I have almost 104,000 miles as I noted. It's running fine and getting pretty good mileage but it has dropped about 5 mpg or so but this always happens during the winter and worst during the cold/dry spells.
Looks like I'm in for some expense if I go on and do all these maintenance items but...since I've done nothing to this point, I guess I should go on and bite the bullet. I didn't see an explicit suggestion on when to change sparkplugs but I assume that I should go on and do that with this amount of mileage, although with a hybrid I wonder if 100,000 miles here is equivalent to that number on a non-hybrid vehicle.

How hard is it to change the plugs yourself, and what brand would you use? Does it have plug wires?

[Mike Dimmick]

Originally Posted by ETP

How hard is it to change the plugs yourself, and what brand would you use? Does it have plug wires?

Spark plug is Denso SK16R11. The plugs plug directly into the coils ('igniters') on top of the engine, so there are no HT leads - the ignition pulse from the ECU is at 12V. There's a bolt holding the coil in place on the cylinder head cover; once you've removed the coil you need a 16mm plug wrench (long reach) to unscrew the plugs.

[jayman]

It's best to remove the bolt that holds the relay box to the firewall, and swing that out of the way. Makes taking out the igniters much easier

The only issue is that if you leave the plugs in for +100,000 miles, they may be a bit difficult to remove. I removed the plugs for inspection at about 12 months age, and they were slightly stiff.

Put a dab of Loctite Nickel Grade Antiseize on the threads, and when I replaced them last year they were very easy to remove

[rusty houndog]

Originally Posted by gawilson

Thanks--appreciate the suggestions. I've never changed the sparkplugs on my Prius and I have almost 104,000 miles as I noted. It's running fine and getting pretty good mileage but it has dropped about 5 mpg or so but this always happens during the winter and worst during the cold/dry spells.
Looks like I'm in for some expense if I go on and do all these maintenance items but...since I've done nothing to this point, I guess I should go on and bite the bullet. I didn't see an explicit suggestion on when to change sparkplugs but I assume that I should go on and do that with this amount of mileage, although with a hybrid I wonder if 100,000 miles here is equivalent to that number on a non-hybrid vehicle.

The problem you describe is common with all Prius vehicles. Cold weather/air will cause a drop in fuel use efficiency. In answer, the Prius community has developed a few corrections, some of which are very elaborate, some which use "corrections" available from Toyota Canada, and some which are simple.

very elaborate: Prius heat-efficiency mods
"official": Prius heat-efficiency mods
simple: Prius heat-efficiency mods

My solution follows a very simple path. Stuff 1/2 inch foam pipe insulation strips between the horizontal fins of the grills. I would post the proper URL for original details except I printed the page and then forgot to save the bookmark. The fix gives me 52+ MPG during the winter, something long distance travelers can appreciate.

Update: The original I used is hidden deep withing a very large docx file on John's Stuff - Toyota Prius and more which is somewhat difficult to get at.

http://john1701a.com/prius/documents...#_Toc224578800

In any event, heat is critical and high heat essential to proper operation of the Prius ICU as designed. Adding intake air preheater ducting is an expense that would drive production costs higher. So you add your own if you live somewhere it would do some good, like Alaska, Minnesota, or New England, or the Sierras or Cascades. (Hint, Hint, Toyota green designers)

Just as an aside, the radiator fan doesn't come on until the coolant temps get to somewhere near 190F, and looking at your spark plugs will probably convince you they do not need replacing.

[elissacl]

My 2008 Prius is 18 months old. The Maint Reqd light has come on and is staying on. Obviously I'm bringing the car in for regular maintenance soon, but how soon should that be? Does the constant light signal urgency, or is it more of a persistent reminder? We need the car for a road trip this weekend and I am wondering whether I should bring it in ASAP.
Thanks.

[tochatihu]

elissacl, the light you describe indicates that 5000 miles have elapsed since its 'counter' was last reset. If you choose not to get the routine service before the trip, you can search PriusChat for a sequence to make it turn off.