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When should the air filter for ICE be changed? How about transaxle fluid?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Huan, Jun 28, 2013.

  1. Huan

    Huan New Member

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    When to change the air filter for ICE? 10,000 mile?
    Does the Gen III need to change the transaxle fluid? if so, what is the service interval?
    I am putting a lot of miles on my new Prius. Really want it to serve a long time.
    Thank you.
     
  2. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    15k for cabin air filter
    30k engine air filter
    30k-60k for trans fluid, depending on your preference.
     
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  3. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    My Gen 2 specified every 30,000 miles for the air filter, as does my v.

    Toyota never says to change the ATF, common wisdom here is first change at 30,000 miles then every 60,000 miles thereafter.
     
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  4. dustoff003

    dustoff003 Blizzard Brigade #003

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    I will usually change my engine air filter when I change my oil, air filters are cheap and it is easy to do. I try to change the engine oil in 10k mile increments.


    Posted from my iPhone via the Tapatalk app.
     
  5. Bill Norton

    Bill Norton Senior Member

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  6. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Read The Delightful Manual. (Feel free to insert other D words as they occur to you)
     
  7. Huan

    Huan New Member

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    Thank you very much for the input.

    I read the chapter 4, maintenance, of the owner's manual. It doesn't even mention air filter for ICE and trans fluid. Toyota only expects us to check fluid levels and change bulbs and fuses. Do you guys mean a service manual? Where can I find one for Gen III?

    I have a version of service manual for Gen II as pdf. Can I use it as a reference? or it is too outdated for Gen III?
     
  8. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    It's in the Maintenance Guide, not the Owner's Manual.
     
  9. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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  10. michinnom

    michinnom Member

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    I love how "common wisdom" trumps Toyota's billion dollar R&D efforts over the years...lots of common wisdom does not apply to the Prius. You should know that as an owner yourself.
     
  11. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    It will work just fine without changing it for hundreds of thousands of miles. If you want it to go even longer, treat it nicely.

    People on here have tested the fluid (like sending samples out to labs for full analysis) and they show high copper deposits and other metals in the oil for the first change. This makes sense since you have lots of machined parts grinding together for the first time, they aren't fully "meshed" yet. So you make lots of shavings in the first few thousand miles. You can leave those in there forever collecting on the drain plug, or change the ATF and keep it nice and clean for a long time.
     
  12. Bill Norton

    Bill Norton Senior Member

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    Toaster,
    How can you make the statement: "will work just fine for hundreds of thousands of miles" when that has not been done. This is just an opinion, no?

    And it's not 'high copper' in the oil analysis. It's a nasty brew of steel, aluminum, etc, all in damaging high concentrations. Also, there is not a magnetic drain plug, so it is always in solution.

    I started this scientific look at ATF changes here: ATF fluid changes ARE Required. | PriusChat

    I like to think it is not an opinion piece.


    Regardless of what you think of Toyota's All Knowing Plan for Maintenance, leaving that nasty brew in your transaxle is not a good way of handling any machinery.

    Life time fluid??? What exactly is that life time?
    You guys follow the official word and check back when you "have hundreds of thousands of miles" on your transaxle.
     
  13. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    I think this varies by Generation.
    In Gen 1 there is a magnet in the oil pan, which is removable.
    Gen 2 does not have a removable oil pan for the transaxle, but has a magnetic plug.
    Gen 3 (and v) do not even have a magnetic plug.
     
  14. ImeanGreen

    ImeanGreen Prius v Five BP Brigade #236

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    Ask my local Toyota dealer during my 10K service about the transaxle fluid change and service advisor said that they do it every 100K. After looking at the tranny oil some members posted after 30 to 40k, I had to change it myself. What's interesting is that, I did not see a transaxle magnetic drain plug that I have seen in my previous vehicles.
     
  15. BruceInOKC

    BruceInOKC Member

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    Not everyone grasps reality. Toyota sells cars for profit. They didn't go into business to provide you with a "lifetime vehicle," nor to fill your life with bouquets of flowers and love and hope. They are not your friend forever. Toyota wants their new vehicles to have an acceptably low percentage of warranty claims under their maintenance schedule, which means a "lifetime fluid" only needs to protect the CVT until the warranty expires. The powertrain warranty expires at 60,000 miles, but they recommend changing the ATF at 100,000 miles? Yes, the transmission might survive that long or even longer untouched, but how much wear will it experience? How much longer will it last? Toyota wants to sell you a new vehicle sooner rather than later.
     
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  16. eliteconcept

    eliteconcept 700 mile club, top tank mpg 69.5

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    i got 39K+ out of my stock air filter so far, i check it regularly and it still looks good. I will likely replace here in the coming weeks with my 40 k service. 95% of my miles are interstate miles
     
  17. MPGnutcase

    MPGnutcase Active Member

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    Air filters are cheap I look at it durning oil changes if you can't see light though it replace it, I would say 15-20k