Shipping my Prius overseas - 12v battery, transaxle fluid...

1. Whether the 12V battery is new or old, it probably will not remain sufficiently charged to make the Prius READY after two months. I suggest you determine the price of a suitable 12V battery in your new location so that you won't be surprised if the price is quite high.
Would it be possible to buy a new 12V battery in the US but leave it uninstalled, just sitting in the car? The idea would be that you could install the battery after you've picked up the car.
2. Yes, the transaxle ATF should be replaced now, using Toyota ATF WS. This can be done in the US more cheaply than in many foreign countries.
3. No issue, and a good idea to have that done now for the same reason as #2.
4. I've shipped three Prius from Honolulu to Long Beach, but that only covers a distance of 2,600 miles and the elapsed time is less than two weeks. The only tip that I can recall is that the fuel tank is supposed to be mostly empty (reading 3 bars or less) prior to dropping the car off.

 

Gotta ask:
Have you really studied the alternatives so that you are SURE this is a good idea ?

Even if someone else is paying for the shipment, it still might be a much better idea to sell your car here
and buy another there. Sometimes even Toyota shops are reluctant to work on "imported" cars.

If the "company" is footing the bill, maybe they would contribute some (the cost of shipping) toward the purchase of a different car at the far end.

Try not to let emotions cloud your judgment.

 

The US Government is an example of an employer that might fund relocation of a privately owned vehicle when the employee accepts an international assignment, but would not contribute to the employee's purchase of a new vehicle.

 

How do you figure that ?

You now have a ~6 year old car that you will be schlepping around the world.
No telling what might happen to it in transit.
What if the Toyota dealers at your destination refuse to work on an "Imported" version ??

If you got a similar used car there, I don't see how you figure you would be "throwing away lots of money".

Have you ASKED your employer if they would cover part or all of the loss in trading cars ??
You might be surprised at the answer. MANY employers refuse to move things like cars.

Probably too late to change paths now anyway.
Good luck; hope it turns out OK.

 

That seems like a fair price since the SLLC alone will be around $70 if you are charged for three gallons of fluid.

 

OK fine. I accept what you say at face value but part with a second caution against
ASSuming things that aren't specifically stated.

EVERYTHING except death and taxes is open for discussion under the right circumstances.
(Unless it is your wife we are talking about and then almost nothing she says is open for discussion......EVER).

Why wouldn't they; they might save themselves a ton of money.

I once worked for a big company with a similar policy.
3 of us were going 1,000 miles away for a 3 week training class.
The company was ready to pay for 3 plane tickets as was the norm.

We wanted to drive and take some vacation time along the way.
The standard driving mileage allowance turned out to be less that ONE plane ticket.
So they made an exception to the policy that "was not open for discussion".

Point IS......if you haven't specifically asked, you don't REALLY know for sure.

 

you just need to disconnect the 12V battery. it won't last two months. No big deal. a good shiping company may do that for you one the car is in the container. Upon taking it out, they just pop the connector back on and off it goes. It is very common to disconnect the battery when cars are shipped as moving goods. To be safem you may already remove the right panel in the boot to make the battery visible.


iPad ?

 

to which country do you reloate? Prius is sold in most 1st world places. Maintenance wise the Prius is nothing special either,. as very lite goes wrong, I'd not worry.


iPad ?

 

You have gotten all the advice you need re what to do already


I would buy a New 12v and store safely in car and install when arrive


As already stated, Toyota are sold in nearly every country so should be no problem getting someone to work on it. If the garage refuses to work on an import, tell them where to go and get a garage that does want your hard earned

 

the OEM Toyota battery is an AGM type and rather expensive. Folks have used cheap normal batteries with success.


iPad ?

 

I shudder to think what might happen when that modified Prius with a cheap normal battery gets rear ended and the battery is crushed. Thinking about where the acid could go. What about a roll over situation. Pretty scary to think about. There is a reason Toyota chose the type of battery they did. Safety. And yes I am aware that the OLD VW vans had those kind of batteries under the rear seat inside the van.

 

I assume that you ate joking?

The Exide battery that I replaced my OEM battery with is identical, just different stickers.

If my car turned over, the last thing that I would be worried about would be an aftermarket battery located in the rear.

I have 1969 Mini with the battery under my arse and don't really think about it tbh

 

Is your Exide a AGM type battery or a flooded type battery? There is a big difference in the construction thereof of the two different types of battery. And NO, I was not joking. I am not the first person to make comments about the practice of putting "flooded" batteries in a Prius to replace the OEM battery to save a buck.

I would be more comfortable sitting on top of the battery like you said in the mini than I would having that battery at the tail end of the car where the rear end gets smashed by that huge SUV or pick up truck behind you. We are only talking inches, not several feet like your mini.

 

Mines an AGM battery. I didn't think that many bought wet cell batteries these days tbh, thought most would use sealed/maintenance free batteries

But it's the same for any car with a battery in the boot. My Jag XJ also has it in the boot. Come to think about it, three of the 4 cars that I have, have them not under the bonnet! lol

Alot of modern cars have them in the boot, Jaguars, BMWs, Audis etc etc. Do they all worry about having the battery there or did the manufacturers forget about being rear ended? I assume that most use AGM batteries to reduce the possibility of damage due to rear-ending