What services you need and what you don't

Re: What services you need and what you don't

i got my 2007 Prius on January 2 this year, with 28,800 miles on it.
A few days ago, it rolled over to 30,000 miles, now it's at about 30,200.
I need to get the 30K mile service, my first. According to a dealer print
out i got when i had the car checked over before i got it, maintenance
services were reported at 20,000 and 25,000 miles, no previous services
were reported. The print out tells what service was done.

I have a few questions about what is needed now, based on what has or
has not been done before. Here is what has been done according to
available records:

11/2006 6 miles on the odometer
Pre-delivery inspection

5/2008
20,252 miles
Lube oil filter rotate tires, vehicle inspection
Adjusted brakes/battery
Replaced engine air filter
Resecured console backing

9/2008
25,500 miles
Lube Oil filter Rotate tires
Inspect drive shaft
Service EFI system flush
Tech replaced air filter
Tech replaced cabin filter

1/2/2009
28,830 miles
Triple A Vehicle inspection program
pre-purchase evaluation
All satisfactory except air filter, marginal
(At another toyota dealership, a few days later,
a service manager looked at the filter and said
it looked fine)(?)
recommended rotate tires and air filter

1/10/09
29,356 miles
Replaced tires at non Toyota shop
(Discount Tires)
replaced original tires with
Goodyear Triple Tread 195-60-15
no mention of alignment on invoce, i assume it was checked?

Here are my questions:

The brakes were adjusted at 20K miles
Do they need to be adjusted now, routinely?
(They work great)

The tires don't need to be rotated, right?

Does using a size tire different from dealer recommended
void the warranty for certain things? (i was reading the
user manual, something was mentioned about this)

In the Scheduled Maintenance Guide, it says that for the 30K
service, it needs engine oil filter and oil filter, air filter, cabin filter,
rotate tires, and inspection of 13 things. Is the inspection
necessary if another Toyota dealership did the AAA inspection
less than a month before?

At 20K miles, the report says "resecured console backing."
where is the console backing? Is that related to the dashboard?
There are some noises that sound like something is loose in the two
front corners of the dashboard, intermittent, but you can see that
the plastic pieces are kind of loose, you can wiggle them. And on the right
corner, there is a piece of clear plastic wrapping sticking out between where
the two pieces meet. It was just a little bit, i thought it was a discoloration
but when i looked closer, i could see it was a piece of clear plastic. I pulled
on it and more came out, i didn't pull it all the way out, i didn't want to mess
something up that i couldn't put back together. Is this related to the console?
Would repairing loose pieces that make noise when they rub against each other
be covered under the warranty, or is that normal wear and tear?
(my 93 Accord has not one rattle at 166K).

I have documentation of these services, including the tires i had installed.
I went into the Maintenance section on the MFD where you can enter service
info, but i found it wouldn't allow me to enter anything from the past. Is this
correct? On the day i had the tires installed, i tried to enter this in the Maintenance
section but it gave me a message saying the date was past and wouldn't let me enter
anything. It turned out i had the wrong time zone on my GPS settings, and it was after
midnight East coast time, and im on the west coast, so it wouldn't let me enter the new
tire installation. But after i corrected the setting, it was no longer the same day that i got
the tires, and it will not let me enter the information. Will the Toyota service people enter
this stuff?

A couple of days ago, i started getting a Maint.Rqd light on the dashboard which flashed
a few times and then went out, i think because it hit 30,000 miles. But i think it wasn't
coming on today.

Last question: a couple of weeks ago, a service manager raised the hood of the car to
check something i was asking about. I was shocked at how dirty the engine was.
My Accord's engine always looked clean, for the 85,000 miles that i've driven it, same
conditions as the Prius. It has a clean engine when i got it. Is there something about
the way the car is built that dirt can get to the engine?

I'm wanting to have the engine steam cleaned when i take it in for maintenance.
Will that hurt the battery? Is it expensive?

 

There's no need to adjust the brakes unless you note a braking problem.

The point of rotating tires is to promote even tire wear so that you will buy 4 tires at once instead of 2 at a time. This is optional, if you choose not to rotate that's OK. If you have to pay for rotation, I suggest the first rotation 5K miles after new tires are installed, then subsequent rotations at 10K mile intervals.

The 195 tires that you installed should be OK from a warranty perspective, but ask your dealer if you want reassurance on this point.

If in fact the air filters were replaced at 25K miles there should be no need to replace them now. It is really easy to remove both the engine and cabin air filters for inspection, I suggest you learn how to do this yourself to save some $$ in the future. Hold the engine air filter up to the sun. If you can see sunlight coming through, the filter is OK. If the filter is dark due to dirt, then replace it. Regarding the cabin air filter, if your interior fogs up more than usual or if you get disgusted with the idea of breathing through the dirty filter, then replace it.

Given your recent prior service history, at 30K miles, I think that all you need is to change the engine oil and oil filter. You can omit everything else unless you feel like paying for more service.

Its OK to have your engine cleaned by the dealer, and this has no effect on the batteries since both are located in the hatch area. I'm sure that they know how to do this safely since they clean all used car engine compartments before offering the vehicles for sale. Ask your service writer what the price will be - my guess is that this may be $100 or so.

I advise caution if you DIY, not to get water in the engine valve cover area (since the O-rings sealing the spark igniters can leak) and to keep water away from the many electrical connectors.

 

Re: What services you need and what you don't

The plastic sheeting is probably a remnant of the sheeting covering the dash during shipping. The dealer is supposed to remove it all at delivery.

 

Re: What services you need and what you don't

The dirty engine compartment might be related to the missing service records; *was there a wreck? Ask any reputable Toyota dealer for a complete repair and service record.

The "brake adjustment" is the parking brake cable; brake adjusters are only rear and are reliable and automatic. That would account for "Resecured console backing" at the same time. The parking brake adjustment is under the center console. A better question is why? That cable is bullet proof. *It follows the missing services. Just saying.

My tires are 175-65 R15 on steel rims. There was no objection from the local dealer when I proposed the changes. There is no problem choosing tires that fit the rims and the wheel wells. In my opinion, those wide tires on alloy rims are a style thing and handle abominably.

The blinking Maint Reqd is easily stopped. there are complete directions elsewhere on this site. Do a search.

Back to the dirty engine compartment. take the car to a reputable Toyota agency and ask for a solution to the unusual dirt problem. Plastic covers all over the car and sealing gaskets around the engine compartment pretty much rule out any dirt under ordinary conditions. The air flows are such that a dirty engine can only come through the combined grill, radiator, oil cooler and AC condenser. Get them to check all the body gaskets, seals and covers for missing or loose pieces. If you're still under 36,000 miles everything is covered.

The batteries are in the trunk. Steam is NEVER good for any automotive engine compartment. Go to a manual car wash that has an engine cleaner selection or use a water-rinse spray-on cleaner. The usual caveats about fuse blocks and such still hold.

RTFM! [read that fine manual]

 

Re: What services you need and what you don't

i think i did get one of those print outs from Thousand Oaks Toyota, that's where it was taken for a pre-purchase inspection, they're the Toyota dealer in that area. I was talking to the service manager on the phone while the car was there, asking some questions, and i was asking if it had certain features because i didn't fully understand the packages then, and he said he was going to get me this print out that only the dealers can get, that shows all options the came with, and all the reported service and repair records, that's what i was copying from when i wrote this post and listed the reported services. There was also a clean CarFax, but these are just reported services/repairs from the Toyota dealership; it doesn't mean there couldn't be repairs somewhere else. I asked the guy to pay particular attention to any sign the car had been in an accident, he said that's part of the inspection. He said, at the end, that the car had not been in an accident.

But i'm not used to seeing an engine look dirty. I was shocked but the service manager didn't think it was a big deal. Thanks for the suggestions about what to ask them to do, to prevent all that dirt from collecting.

yes--i want to get an answer to that question. I could easily go to the Toyota agency that originally sold the car and did all the listed services, it's near where i work. I'll do that tomorrow if i can.

Very interesting. I got those tires after reading two or three long threads on PriusChat about tires, and what people liked or recommended, and a lot of people were happy with the wider tires, in rain and such especially. I didn't hear any reports of negative experiences until now. What improvement do you notice in handling with the 175s compared to wider tires? Holding the road better?

I was kind of glad it was trying to get my attention. But thanks. It's good to know how to customize things. So far, it's only flashing for maybe 5 seconds. it would be different if it stayed on. My friend's Corolla has one that stays on all the time. I was borrowing the car one day and it came on, scaring me plenty. I stopped at a mechanic and was told it was nothing to worry about it. It was a little picture of an oil can.

Thanks. That's VERY helpful.

 

Re: What services you need and what you don't

thanks. That sums it up. The service manager i talked to about the upcoming service had said that this was an 'intermediate service,' and he said it cost something like $260 i think. Can't remember now, but it wasn't cheap, might've even been $320 or something. Still, less than an intermediate service on an Accord, i think. Anyway, thanks to what i've heard on these forums, i know i don't need that much stuff. It shouldn't be more than $150?

I am big on cabin air though. i commute/drive a lot on congested freeways. Is the cabin air filter the same as the air filter?

 

Re: What services you need and what you don't

That sounds harmless. But it's on the side where the worst rattle comes from. I don't hear it very often, that's the saving grace. Maybe pulling the plastic the rest of the way out will help with the rattle.

 

Re: What services you need and what you don't

My local Toyota dealer charges ~$30 for an engine oil and oil filter change. Since you want your engine compartment cleaned, that will be an additional charge.

There are two Prius air filters. One is the engine air filter, located in a large rectangular black plastic housing in the engine compartment.

The other is the cabin air filter, located behind the glove compartment. When the glove box is dropped down and removed, then you can see an off-white rectangular access door. When that door is removed, the air filter can be pulled out. It sits in a reusable plastic frame.

 

Re: What services you need and what you don't

Rather than trying that yourself, if the original dealer is so close to where you work, take it to him and ask what gives with this piece of plastic. Better to be safe than sorry, and if they flubbed up they should fix it.

Remember the 36K miles, and the rapid fix Toyota does on low mileage cars. Loose plastic of any kind is an embarrassment for them.

For the engine air filter instructions, pages 29 and 30:
http://john1701a.com/prius/documents/Prius_User-Guide_iconic.pdf

For the "cabin" air filter:
http://john1701a.com/prius/documents/Prius_Maintenance_Air-Conditioner-Filter.pdf

 

Re: What services you need and what you don't

Re: What services you need and what you don't

Quote: rusty houndog
My tires are 175-65 R15 on steel rims. There was no objection from the local dealer when I proposed the changes. There is no problem choosing tires that fit the rims and the wheel wells. In my opinion, those wide tires on alloy rims are a style thing and handle abominably.

Quote: jaw444
Very interesting. I got those tires after reading two or three long threads on PriusChat about tires, and what people liked or recommended, and a lot of people were happy with the wider tires, in rain and such especially. I didn't hear any reports of negative experiences until now. What improvement do you notice in handling with the 175s compared to wider tires? Holding the road better?



Any "marbles" on the road are handled much better. In the snow there is much less slip and slide. It handles dirt roads like it was running on rails. This is one snappy car with the right tires.
I particularly like the fact the top recommended pressure is 51 PSI on these Mini Cooper tires. That makes running at 46/44 and getting lower road resistance nice and easy.

 

Re: What services you need and what you don't

You and me both. I really don't get this low profile bulls***. I can see needing a certain size rim to clear a brake rotor, but otherwise, it's all show

Have you seen the new Venza? It has 19 or 20 inch wheels, I bet that handles washboardy gravel roads and potholes very well. It looks like a 16 inch rim would fit the Venza just fine

Of course, we're really spoiled with our modern roads, even the poor quality ones here in Manitoba. An uncle on my mom's side was a mechanic at a cold war radar base near Grand Prairie, AB, in the late 1950's. It was called Beaverlodge, around 80km west of Grand Prairie.

Here is a photo of the main drag back then. A modern car would instantly get stuck, and if forced to drive in such conditions, would probably fall completely apart in under two years

 

Re: What services you need and what you don't

Periodically, these directions to remove the "Maint Reqd" light need repeated.

1. Hit "Odo/Trip" button until the display says "ODO" and shows odometer
(even if you started on odometer, you have to do this).
2. Power down the car.
3. Press and hold the ODO button.
4. Keeping your feet OFF the brake, press the Start button twice and wait
while the ODO display does a little dance.
5. When it's back to showing your odometer, release the ODO button.

Simple as that, but follow the directions exactly! You must cycle the ODO display first. You must keep your feet off the brake. You must keep pressing the ODO button continuously.

 

I'm so happy not to have a Maint Reqd reminder on my Prius or my FJ

 

Re: What services you need and what you don't

Let's hear it for technologically advanced "features."

I hope it's missing from the 2010; we have enough of Big Brother in our lives already.

 

Re: What services you need and what you don't

I believe that all new Toyotas sold in the US have that light, my guess is that the motivation for this resulted from recent V6 engine oil sludge litigation.

 

Re: What services you need and what you don't

Thanks everybody for the info and advice. I took the car in for the 30K service today, along with all the documentation of past service. I got a good service advisor, actually a service manager. At first he told me the agency does that extra dealer service, he explained it wasn't what is required in the service book, i forgot what he said, some kind of valve, and the coolant flush or change or something, and one other thing. Because of all the stuff that had already been done, which he said was ahead of the game, and he expressed lots of approval, he said i didn't need anything but oil change and oil filter change, plus that extra stuff that their particular dealership does. He totalled it up to something over $200. I said no thanks to the extra stuff, and he didn't pressure me about it, on the contrary, he seemed to agree. So the whole service was $39.95.

About the rattles in the two front corners, he said the way they do rattles is to have you leave your car there over night and they send a shuttle to get you in the morning and you go out with the mechanic in the car when it's cold. I went somewhat late in the day so i didn't push it today, but my rattles don't only occur when the car is cold. I showed him the plastic coming out of one corner between the two pieces of plastic, but i insisted it not be removed until they were ready to fix the rattles because ever since i pulled that piece of plastic part of the way out, i haven't had the rattle on that side!!

Anyway, that was simple. I had a good experience at the agency. After spending a lot of unhurried time with me, talking about my questions, he then asked if i needed a ride home or if i wanted to wait. I said i needed to go home. I'm only about a mile away, but didn't want to walk it. I was told to go wait in the lobby, it had comfortable seats, and i had my laptop with me and it had wireless internet, so i did that while i waited for the shuttle guy to come. Then when my car was done, they called me at home and said the shuttle would be coming to get me. Cool. A lot easier than the Honda service i'm used to. Appreciated.

Using Intellius people search, for $1.95, i got the phone number of the previous owner of my car and i called him today and asked about the service in 2007 which was not reported in the dealer print out. He said he had the car serviced every 5000 miles at the same agency he bought it at, Santa Monica Toyota, the same one that did the 2008 services that are reported. I believe him. I'm going to try contacting that dealer to see if they have some record of those services, 5K, 10K and 15K, and if they'll stamp my service record book.

I asked about the report of resecuring the console backing. The service guy said he thought that meant part of the material came loose, he didn't think it was related to the brake. He didn't know, bottom line.

 

Re: What services you need and what you don't

We now have a definitive set of instructions, for the Prius, to turn it off.

 

Ok I tried to search but I seem to have issues with the search. I will look to see if there is a search help in a bit but was wondering if I can get some help. My 2008 Spectra Blue Mockba will reach her 30,000 mile interval on her 11 month birthday this weekend. I do not trust my local dealer for reasons others have stated here. There is another dealer in the town I go to everyday about 70 miles away but I have not come to a decision on them yet! I plan to just do the oil change and tire rotation on my own like always but see the clean/adjust rear brakes listed. There has been talk that one can do this on their own but not any details. What would I look for to see if the brakes are not as they should be and what is involved with cleaning, I know someone said something about spraying something on them. Thanks for the help. When I reach the 100,000 mark I will have to ask who is the best servicer in the nation and take a trip!