Question about Engine/Inverter Fluid & Other Maintenance at 135K Miles

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Tonyc1075, Oct 17, 2012.

  1. Tonyc1075

    Tonyc1075 New Member

    Joined:
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    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Hey everyone,

    I was reading the sticky at the top of the page regarding basic maintenance, and I have a quick question about replacing the engine/inverter fluid. I have never had any problems with my car, and the other day the check engine light came on. After taking it to the dealer, they said that the hybrid water pump had failed, and even though I'm at 5 years old and 135,000 miles, it's still covered under warranty.

    I hadn't had any real preventative maintenance done since I bought the car new, mainly because lack of money, but now I have some free cash. He suggested that I get the main belt replaced as there were some cracks in it, and also to do the main water pump while he was in there. Obviously, all of this would involve adding new coolant back into the car, but did he also replace the engine/inverter fluid? I called him today to ask him, and he said that had to be refilled due to replacing the water pumps, but I just wanted to confirm that sounds accurate with you guys.

    I'm also going to get a bunch of little things done since the car is probably in need including :
    PCV Valve Replacement
    Alignment
    New Spark Plugs
    Throttle Plate Cleaning
    Transaxle Fluid Replacement
    Brake Fluid Flush
    Clean and Adjust Rear Drums

    Total quoted for everything is $575 which I think is pretty fair. Any advice on that is appreciated as well. Thanks in advance!
     
    #1 Tonyc1075, Oct 17, 2012
  2. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
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    There was a TSB for the Inverter coolant pump and this is the reason that it was covered under warranty. Also they would have replaced the Inverter coolant during the pump replacement. Also the belt replacement is recommended at 100k miles and the engine water pump replacement is a good idea with your mileage.

    I agree with your additional list. Some on here may question the last two as to their necessity.
     
    #2 jdcollins5, Oct 17, 2012
  3. Tonyc1075

    Tonyc1075 New Member

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    2007 Prius
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    IV
    Thank you for the quick response. I checked the brake fluid myself, and it definitely doesn't look new. That's not to say that it's not still within spec, but given the super little maintenance I have done to this point, I don't mind spending money to get it done. The rear drums have never been adjusted in 135K miles even though I know they are auto-adjusting. I'm sure a quick look couldn't hurt. :)
     
    #3 Tonyc1075, Oct 17, 2012
    jdcollins5 likes this.
  4. Joe 26

    Joe 26 Member

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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
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    III
    As to your list, unless the car is pulling to one side or another, or wearing tires unevenly, an alignment is probably not necessary. Clean and adjust rear brakes is almost always unnecessary. Throttle plate cleaning may be a good idea if done properly, but is usually way overpriced at the dealership level, and not always properly performed. There are DIY instructions available on this site for that.

    The other items are probably a good idea at this point, as well as changing the 12v battery.
    The engine water pump is probably leaking slightly at this point, so changing it along with the engine coolant is not a bad idea, but it's not connected in any way to the inverter coolant pump, in fact they are completely separate systems.

    For future reference, there is a pretty informative sticky note at the top of this page with a post from a Toyota mechanic that pretty much lists the necessary maintenance along with what is only good for lining the stealership's pockets.l

    Hope this helps
     
    #4 Joe 26, Oct 17, 2012
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