CVT fuild change.....

[satwood]

Wal-Mart. I drop off oil and ATF fluid there all the time. They take it.

[morpheusx]

I'm also pretty sure that you can dump ATF at the collection bin at both Autozone and Advance Auto Parts.

[Paul R. Haller]

I did the CVT oil change Sunday and with tax the fluid was 34$. I took the old to Autozone although it was so black you couldn't tell it was ATF. 35,055 miles on the odo. 4 quarts was a little too much. Maybe 6 oz too much. I can't figure how this stuff is lifetime given it's color at 35,000. What about brake fluid and the long life coolant? I know on other cars I have owned we did a brake fluid change every 2 years but on a Prius it's not as simple. I think a scan tool is need for both the long life coolant change and brake fluid change.
-Paul R. Haller-

[Patrick Wong]

Originally Posted by Paul R. Haller

... I took the old to Autozone although it was so black you couldn't tell it was ATF. 35,055 miles on the odo. 4 quarts was a little too much. Maybe 6 oz too much. I can't figure how this stuff is lifetime given it's color at 35,000. What about brake fluid and the long life coolant? I know on other cars I have owned we did a brake fluid change every 2 years but on a Prius it's not as simple. I think a scan tool is need for both the long life coolant change and brake fluid change.

Hi Paul,

I agree with your observations regarding the ATF, so I change that at 30K mile intervals. Further, my used fluid testing showed that the viscosity had declined almost 15% after that amount of usage.

Regarding the coolant change, that is a DIY project but it is not easy to get all of the air out of the engine coolant loop if you drain the coolant heat recovery canister. So plan to spend lots of time on that if/when you decide to tackle that job.

[tochatihu]

Hydraulic brake fluid life is controversial in some circles. In Prius this fluid is not worked so hard as in other vehicles, so a small amount o fwater might not lead to heating, boiling and brake fade. However, in any vehicle, water absorption will eventually corrode system components. Thus both water and %copper increase over time.

Most brake shops have test strips that measure one or the other of those. If your fluid tests high, it's time for a fluid change. With NHW11 Prius it's (apparently) DIY, but with newer versions one has to command valves to open and close via the DLC. Still could be DIY if you have the equired equipment.

[jdenenberg]

Originally Posted by Patrick Wong

Hi Paul,Regarding the coolant change, that is a DIY project but it is not easy to get all of the air out of the engine coolant loop if you drain the coolant heat recovery canister. So plan to spend lots of time on that if/when you decide to tackle that job.

Pat,

I just had both coolant loops done at the dealer at 150,000 miles in my 2004 Prius (along with new water pumps(2), serpentine belt and thermostat as preventative maintenance ~$1000). The dealer failed to get all the air out in the engine coolant loop causing a P1121 code (check engine light, over temp warning with "!"). After a tow back to the dealer, he corrected the problem on the second try (I passed on him replacing the "Coolant Flow Valve" per TSB EG001-08 which replaces TSB EG024-05 for $300). As you said, getting the air out can be tricky.

JeffD

[Patrick Wong]

Originally Posted by jdenenberg

...As you said, getting the air out can be tricky.

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for relating your experience. Its interesting to hear that even the dealer techs with access to the correct diagnostic laptop are not achieving perfect outcomes on this procedure.

For DIYers who are not confident they can successfully refill the CHRS canister (or don't like my approach of repeatedly shorting the CHRS relay terminal contacts for brief periods to force the CHRS pump to run when the car is IG-OFF), an alternative would be to just open the engine block and radiator drains and leave the CHRS canister drain closed. Then only the radiator and engine will need to be refilled.

This alternative is not a great one because even with all three drains open, only around 2/3 of the old coolant will be drained (as some coolant in the cabin heater core loop remains.) Therefore, if a DIYer is going to follow this simpler procedure, I'd suggest doing the first engine coolant change sooner than 100K miles, maybe at 60K or 70K (as even more old fluid will be left in the system); and the subsequent change should definitely be no later than 50K miles after the first change.

Also, DIYers should not forget to squeeze the radiator hoses and open the vent on top of the radiator while working to purge air out of the system. You'll need a small hex key wrench to open that valve.

[Don Rossetti]

Hello from sunny, nutty Tucson,AZ: Greatly appreciate your posts. I've done the oil changes on my Gen II 2005 pkg 5 about every 3000 to 3500 miles since it was new and have followed the discussion on the transaxle fluid with great interest. I'm one who believes that frequent changing of an auto's fluids is generally good policy. There are two dealers here, both of which originally recommended changing this fluid at 90K to 100K. Later they changed it to 60K. As a person with some leftover mechanical ability from the hot rod days of old, I'd be happy to do it myself every 30K but wonder exactly where the two drain plugs are. So could you possibly describe their location in relation to, say, the engine oil pan or filter. I've not looked for them yet, but it sounds like it is possible for a rookie to mistake them for something else. Also am wondering about the need to change the serpentine belt and the PCV valve. I bought a PCV the other day thinking I could do it myself, but one guy on here says it takes two hours. Wonder just where they put the damned thing and what it takes to get to it. This car has 63,500 absolutely trouble-free miles and anything I can do to reward it with TLC I will happily do. TIA.

Originally Posted by Patrick Wong

Yes, this is an example of how it is possible for reasonable people to disagree on a particular subject. I have participated in used transaxle fluid testing and have come to the conclusion that it makes sense to periodically drain and replace the fluid to get excess iron, aluminum, and silicon particles out of the transaxle. This especially makes sense since it only costs me <$25 each time I do the fluid change on my 2004 (at 30K mile intervals).

Some owners are content to believe that the factory-fill transaxle fluid will do a good job for 100K miles; to those owners I say "peace".

[jayman]

Originally Posted by Don Rossetti

I'd be happy to do it myself every 30K but wonder exactly where the two drain plugs are. So could you possibly describe their location in relation to, say, the engine oil pan or filter.

Forum member Hobbit took this photo, I added the arrows to illustrate the location of the drain and fill plugs



You will need a hex socket on the drain plug. Don't touch the regular looking drain plug near it, that's the inverter coolant drain

You live in a hot climate that rarely has cold temps. I don't think I would worry too much about the PCV valve. Living in a climate like mine, with -40 winter temps, there is a lot of moisture and vapor in the engine, and the PCV valve will gum up sooner

Rather than replace the PCV valve, in other vehicles I've just taken them off every Spring, given a blast of carb cleaner, and they're good as new again

[jayman]

Originally Posted by Paul R. Haller

What about brake fluid and the long life coolant? I know on other cars I have owned we did a brake fluid change every 2 years but on a Prius it's not as simple. I think a scan tool is need for both the long life coolant change and brake fluid change.
-Paul R. Haller-

Flushing out the brake fluid on a Prius is absolutely NOT a DIY procedure. I've posted the relavent shop manual section on this, you absolutely need the dealership scan tool to command solenoids and pumps.

Problem with rear brakes...No pressure when bleeding

When I had my Prius, every 2 years I had the dealership flush out the brakes. They charged me $80 to do the work, and thought it was a good idea. I'm a bit anal about how I look after my vehicles

With my FJ, unless the master cylinder runs dry, I can bleed the brakes as DIY. However, it's still a different procedure compared to older vehicles

As the FJ also has electric assist brakes, during bleeding the key must be on. The rear brakes, the helper has reported that when I open the bleeder, the brake pedal doesn't move, but the pump keeps pumping brake fluid. Actually makes bleeding a lot easier