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I've had my Prius C Two for almost 3 years. Here's some tips for maintenance/surprise issues

Discussion in 'Prius c Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by ShoesmithJ, Dec 5, 2015.

  1. ShoesmithJ

    ShoesmithJ Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    I had to get new windshield wipers today for the front. I ended up getting the Bosch Icon 28A for the Driver and 13A for the passenger. I LOVE THEM. I live in the Pacific Northwest (Portland Area). I can't wait for the big storm we are going to get. I also noticed my rear wiper was not going back to the complete position under the lowest heater bar thing (red line). I needed to get new wiper for that even though the dealer said I didn't (I can’t' deal with the slightest streaking with my OCD about caring for my little car). They said that it just needed a tiny bit of tightening but that it's expected. I tested it and it went back almost but not perfectly. I asked him if the guy was sure and he said yes that they have a lot of people wondering about that. He said it has to do with weather changing and it will go back to normal in the summer. We've had a very cold snap here.

    Keeping Car Clean: Don't park under a pine tree. The sap can get on the windshield wiper blades causing them to crack when it freezes and stick/make sound when wiping due to gummy consistency.

    Windows: You may need to get your window motors checked out. Mine started squeaking and sticking. I ended up having a ton of dust and dirt in the stuff. I don't drive in the dusty areas but Portland has more pollution than you think. The dirt from rain was getting in there. It should be covered under Toyota Care like mine was. Don't use your windows up and down to get rain off of them. It can damage the stuff on the inside, learned that from getting them replaced. Use a car safe squeegee to before you drive. Put Rain-X on your side mirrors. It helps when it's really raining out.
    MyRide Flex Squeegee Drying Blade : Target
    Rain-X 2-in-1 Glass Cleaner + Rain Repellent : Target

    Winter Awareness/crusing range/shaking under hood: Your winter cruising range drops significantly. Normally in the summer I get 420 +/-. In the winter I get closer to 398+/-.
    When you first have a very cold snap your car might shake pretty firmly in a seemingly alarming way. I took to dealer and they said I had poor fuel quality (yeah I did) and that I needed to make sure that I had proper coolant/anti-freeze in (I needed it topped off). Don't take it up into high elevations when there just has been a cold snap. It can have the same effect. (I thought there was a squirrel in there). NEVER pour water on an icy windshield. You'll be really upset when you see it crack (I never have but I know folks who have).

    Check for Recalls: It's important to. You won't always get a piece in the mail.

    Tires: If you need to get new tires go for the higher end. Your car will thank you for it in icy conditions as will your passengers. I have the Ultra Z900 from Les Schwab. They are great and make the car feel sporty and smoother. To note that they are so great you can pick up small pebbles that sound like you have a nail, you usually don't. Just pull over after driving over a gravely area and pop them out. Your car is so quiet that you can hear it like it is loud unlike loud non-hybrids. You may get a pebble behind your hubcap or some disk thing. It will sound like a rock in a polisher/tumbler. Go right away to your local Les Schwab or tire store/dealer. They should spin the tire at high speed. It can be erratic so they might not hear it and insist they do that. I went back 4 times till they took me seriously. There was a piece of asphalt the first time and a small pea sized pebble the second time.
    All Season Car Tires - Les Schwab Tire Centers
    For Prius C the warranty is 80,000 miles from installation.

    Air System: Make sure to get your air system sanitized at least 1x a year. Your cabin filter will thank you and your car will not get a musty smell that you may not notice until you come back from a week-long trip.

    Winter Chains: When you get chains you have to get the ladder looking kind and the coordinating tightener (won’t work without tightener). They have to be low clearance as well. There is a part in your manual very specific even to the diameter of the links and thickness. Ask/buy them from your dealer or Les Schwab if you have one near you.



    Load carrying: Your car can't have a heavy load due to low clearance. For example, I loaded up 10 bags of fertilizer and couldn't drive it due to that. I had to go back to Home Depot 4x to get what I bought.

    Seating: Your tall friends may not like how short your car is, make sure to offer the front seat (can be a bit better for them - my bf is 6'4". I don't recommend offering the middle seat. It's about as wide as a plastic coke bottle.

    Your Keys (traditional type): If you have a traditional style key it may get bent and stuck in your ignition if you are a pocket key person. Don't do that! Your key can't be duplicated, even the valet key, at local lock places. It is a dealer only key. If you are going to put a key holder under your car make sure it's a valet key since it's not easy for water/moisture to get in.


    Front Windshield Wipers: If you need wipers go for the Bosch Icons. They come in the smallest as 13 but no 14s. The 13s work great. The models you need are: 13A and 28A. If you go to Carquest, they install them for free. I bought mine from Advance Auto Parts online and had store pick up at Carquest. I spent $24 on the front set.
    Bosch Icon Beam Wiper Blade, 13" 13A: Advance Auto Parts
    Bosch Icon Beam Wiper Blade, 28" 28A: Advance Auto Parts

    Gasoline: Make sure you go to Chevron. My dealer said it's way better for your car. I used to go to Costco and found that my car runs much smoother and quieter. When you fill your tank (my dealer said that's the best way to) don't fill if over 3/4 full or with a 320ish cruising range your range will not recalculate but your tank bars will. It won't recalculate for the next 20 fills give or take. There is no dealer fix for that. Really worried me last year till it fixed itself (had no idea - thought it was random and it might be).


    Car Seat Cleaning Info: If you get car seat covers make sure to get Airbag COMPATIBLE ones. I ordered some from Amazon and my dealer installed them for free during a service appointment. They are life savers. I recommend getting head rest covers for those that have wet hair while driving. If you want to make your car seats more water resistant use the rain-x stuff.

    Rain-X Upholstery Repel Guard : Target

    Audio System: Put a screen cover on it. I bought a cheap gloss one from the Dollar Tree and cut to size from an iPad one. I got a small scratch/chip in it and it smoothed it out and makes the display crisper too as a bonus. Your Bluetooth may not connect at first or disconnect while driving. Put in park and turn on and off. That will fix it.
    Bulk Screen Protectors for iPads at DollarTree.com

    Cup holders: Don't use the one in the middle arm rest thing. It breaks easily. JUST DON'T DO IT!

    Engine light: Your check engine light will go off of your gas cap isn't on tight (three clicks) and you'll find out at the dealer about that while looking like an idiot.


    Accessories; Get the deer whistle. I’ve been saved so many times. They are low profile and work amazing!
     
    #1 ShoesmithJ, Dec 5, 2015
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2015
    sarandi, CR94, TC400 and 2 others like this.
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    Plug-in Base
    great write up, thanks! i love bosch wipers as well.(y)
     
    Paradox likes this.
  3. ShoesmithJ

    ShoesmithJ Junior Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Your welcome. Just edited with info about gas cap.
     
  4. ColdCase

    ColdCase Junior Member

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    Location:
    New England USA
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius c
    Model:
    One
    I've had poor luck with bosch icons especially when the weather gets cold (so have most of my friends). They are big waste of money in my experience. They are just not flexible enough and are damaged easily. No name brands changed often are better in the long run. We've all moved onto better performers.
     
  5. ShoesmithJ

    ShoesmithJ Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    I just drove in this awful storm here in Portland where the streets are flooding on the East Side and folks in canoes. I can't believe how well these Bosch Icons performed! I'm in love with these guys!!!! I'll try to take a video when it's not night so you can see how effective they are.
     
  6. Boojoo007

    Boojoo007 Junior Member

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    Great advice! thanks I need new tires soon.
     
  7. Mr Incredible

    Mr Incredible Chance favors the prepared mind.

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    I've been filling my car to the first click for three years. No problems. I've never heard of only filling 3/4 full. If that came from your dealer, I'd take everything else he's ever said with a grain of salt. We don't have much of a problem with bad gas around here, so couldn't say about your choice of gas station. But, I will say I've seen no difference between the grades. They all work the same in my car, and I've chased that pixie for years. It does matter in my higher-compression Camaro. It runs better and gets better mileage with premium, and lesser with regular. The difference in $$ is a wash.

    As for parking under trees, don't park under any trees. Sap will drop and it's hard to get off. I change my wiper blades before spring and before winter with W-Mart Michelin blades. I'm not worried about getting the best since they'll be changed soon anyway. About the same $$ as getting expensive ones once per year or so.
     
  8. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    That wins most entertaining post of the day!

    I'm guessing she meant don't bother filling up if the gauge is showing over 3/4. (Right, ShoesmithJ?)
     
  9. Mr Incredible

    Mr Incredible Chance favors the prepared mind.

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    And if you're right I'd say about the same thing. It would be a matter of opinion and worth what opinions are generally worth. Fill it up when you need to fill it up. No more, no less. I have not experienced anything like described from the dealer.
     
  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Model:
    Touring
    And the trees that aren't dripping sap are likely populated by incontinent birds.

    @Danny Oy veh, please fix these endlessly scrolling ads at bottom of page.
     
  11. tgpii

    tgpii Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Tapier Lake/Orland Park, Ilinois
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    I have a 2012 Prius C two. I think 2012 is the first year for the C. I have about 55k miles. I replaced the tires, head lights and tail lights. I change the oil whenever the dash light comes on. Any other maintenance I should do? Should I replace the brakes? It does tend to burn out the tail lights.



    I seen a 2016 Prius C. Main difference is there is a switch to turn off the traction control.