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2012 toyota prius hybrid

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by berabera, Aug 27, 2016.

  1. berabera

    berabera New Member

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    Im going to Arizona from Texas and i want to make sure my pruis is in good shape .Any idea where to take my pruis? Like to firestone ,jiffy lobe .....etc.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i don't trust any of those places. if you don't know a good mech, i would take it to the dealer. you don't likely need anything if you have been servicing correctly. tyre pressure, oil level, air filter, check fluid levels, etc.
    how many miles on her?
     
  3. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    Those franchise shops are usually very poor quality. The best is to find an independent mechanic who has a good reputation in your community. Prius usually needs an oil and filter change with synthetic 0W20 oil every 10,000 miles. So checking the oil is the most important thing. Next comes replacing the engine filter every 30,000 miles.
    How many miles do you have on the car, and when was the last service, and what was done?
     
  4. berabera

    berabera New Member

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    My pruis has 89,907 miles on it , i didnt get her from a Toyota dealer. I got her from another dealer place , do you think they would have records of what they have done to the pruis ?

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  5. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    You might be able to find records at My Toyota: Toyota Owners Official Web Site
    If not, any Toyota dealer should be able to do the good old synthetic 0W20 oil and filter change plus multipoint inspection, and you're fine for a trip anywhere.
    Toyota dealers are often notorious for overcharging on maintenance items. When you take the car in for the oil change, they will recommend all sorts of service items. Ask them to print out the items and just report back here, and there are plenty of experts who can tell you if the items and costs are reasonable or not.

    In general, a Prius can make it to 90,000 miles with nothing but oil changes, and a tire replacement. There's an engine air filter which should have been replaced (takes no tools to do; dealers should really do this for free). But it's otherwise maintenance free up to 90K.

    If the car was driven well, the brake pads will last 200,000 miles, but the multipoint inspection will reveal brake pad thickness.

    There is a long list of maintenance items that should be done at around 90,000 miles, in order to make your car last longer. The oil change and multipoint inspection covers all the basic stuff (inspect tires for wear, brake pad thickness, and all fluid levels). But as time allows, if you can find a reliable independent mechanic, here's the full list:
    1. Oil and Filter Change (every 10K miles)
    2. Transaxle Fluid Change
    3. Engine Air Filter Replace (every 30K miles)
    4. Cabin Air Filter Replace (every 30K miles)
    5. Inverter Coolant Change (every 100K miles)
    6. Engine Coolant Change (every 100K miles)
    7. Brake Fluid Flush
    8. Brake Pin lube
    9. HV Battery Fan Clean (if you had hair pets in the car)
    10. Spark Plug Replacement (every 120 K miles)
    I began doing these as my car reached 80,000 miles and not I have 95,000 miles and I'm just about done with them. There are some items with no mileage attached, because Toyota doesn't mention these maintenance items, but it's the consensus here at PriusChat that these are pretty good maintenance items to do. The dealer's basic oil change + multipoint inspection will reveal any serious problems such as worn tires/brakes.
     
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