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Transmission fluid / shop in Sacramento, CA??

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by mig1980, Apr 19, 2012.

  1. mig1980

    mig1980 Junior Member

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    Good day everyone. I am looking for a good but less expensive place to have my transmission fluid changed on my 2005 Prius in the Sacramento area. I know there is a how-to guide to get this done but I would feel more comfortable if a professional handled it.

    Does anyone know of a place?
     
    #1 mig1980, Apr 19, 2012
  2. dianeinreno

    dianeinreno Member

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    #2 dianeinreno, Apr 20, 2012
  3. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    It's not that expensive to have it done. The fluid is going to cost you about $40 and labor at a deal is approx. 1/2hr. So the total is about $90-$100 to have a dealer do it. Magnussen Toyota in Auburn charged me $120 to do the transaxle fluid and a regular oil change. Just don't let any other dealer tell you it is more. Most of the other Sac area dealers tried to tell me it was $280+! They didn't realize the Prius was so easy and they were quoting the labor rates for the Tacoma pickup up which is expensive to service.
     
    #3 F8L, Apr 20, 2012
  4. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Elk Grove Toyota quoted me $100. Ask to speak with the service manager.

    MB860 ? 2
     
    #4 The Critic, Apr 21, 2012
  5. mig1980

    mig1980 Junior Member

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    Thanks for the heads up guys. I will contact Elk Grove Toyota since it is near my work.
     
    #5 mig1980, Apr 30, 2012
  6. mig1980

    mig1980 Junior Member

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    So, I just called Elk Grove Toyota and they mentioned to me that there are several different ways to change the oil. Remove the trans pan and change filter, do a complete flush and refill, and do a simple drain and refill.

    He recommended to do a full flush for $189.95. What are your guys' thoughts on this?
     
    #6 mig1980, Apr 30, 2012
  7. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    There is no Pan! there is no way for them to do a flush! There is ONLY a drain and refill with Toyota type WS ATF. It should cost about $100 at a dealer.

    JeffD
     
    #7 jdenenberg, Apr 30, 2012
  8. mig1980

    mig1980 Junior Member

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    Well, that has me concerned. Should I run from this dealer? The drain and refill he quoted me (service manager) was $75. He mentioned that with a drain and refill they would only be able to get about a third of the oil out since a bit of it is in the converter.
     
    #8 mig1980, Apr 30, 2012
  9. justlurkin

    justlurkin Señor Member

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    What converter? The Prius transaxle has no torque converter!

    Wow, looks like that dealer tech is one of those ignoramuses when it comes to hybrid cars that they are supposed to service. :p
     
    #9 justlurkin, Apr 30, 2012
  10. mig1980

    mig1980 Junior Member

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    So, I called another Toyota dealer and this service writer told me they only offer one price and it is $159.95 for a "flush" application. What should I do in this case? I don't want to do it myself but want to make sure it gets done right.
     
    #10 mig1980, Apr 30, 2012
  11. kevin3

    kevin3 Junior Member

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    If you want it done right do it yourself :)

    I just got done doing mine after reading up on it. It is one easy to access bolt to drain (Hex insert alan key type) and one bolt to refill (24 mm). - If you plan to do it yourself get a picture of the bolts - since there is also a 24mm bolt for the inverter coolant right near by.

    The only option I sawother than just refilling it, is to force refill with a pump. However after reading up, it seems the prius transaxle doesnt require this - the fluid will all come out w/o a pump and you are able to refill all without forcing with pump.

    Indeed when I did itmyself I was able to fill about 3.8 Q, with 4.0 is the capacity. Although I admit it took a long time since it slowly seeps into the refill.
     
    #11 kevin3, Apr 30, 2012
  12. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

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    That's the dealer's short name for it, the full name is "wallet flush application".
     
    #12 xs650, Apr 30, 2012
  13. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Most of the service writers do not know what they are talking about.

    What you need is a drain and refill with 4 qt of WS only. The computer is not required in this application for the fluid level check.

    I will post the level check instructions tonight. Bring them with you so they understand what needs to be done.

    MB860 ? 2
     
    #13 The Critic, Apr 30, 2012
  14. mig1980

    mig1980 Junior Member

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    Appreciate the insight.
     
    #14 mig1980, Apr 30, 2012
  15. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    See the first page of the attachment; it has all of the info they will need - location of drain plug, fill plug, refill quantity & fluid type, as well as how to check the fluid level.

    There is obviously a misunderstanding on the proper service procedure. I would bring the print-out to the service manager and discuss directly with him. The labor this is no different than for servicing a differential on a truck. The cost should not be more than $125.
     

    Attached Files:

    #15 The Critic, Apr 30, 2012
  16. kochusan

    kochusan New Member

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    I've had good experiences with:

    TOS (Toyotas Only Service)
    5656 Auburn Blvd, Sacramento
    (916) 348-1696


    They have worked on my Accord (they work on Hondas too) and my Toyotas and have always been straight shooters. Every new place I go to, I test them out. I'm pretty good with cars, been working on them for over 20 years and will do everything from fluid changes, struts, etc.

    Each time I've presented them with a problem, they've been upfront with the estimate and need for work. The labor prices are fair and the parts are not over inflated. May be worth it to give them a ring.:)
     
    #16 kochusan, May 1, 2012
  17. mig1980

    mig1980 Junior Member

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    So, I ended up taking the car to Elk Grove Toyota. I was able to talk them down to $80 for the drain and fill. It took about 30 minutes and i was on my happy. I was a happy camper. Thanks everyone.
     
    #17 mig1980, May 10, 2012
  18. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Excellent, care to share the details on how the conversation went in-person, as well as who you talked with? $80 is a great price since the fluid can cost as much as $11/qt.

    I have an email from them from a couple months back, but I may need to go have mine done soon for the sake of documentation.

    Thanks.
     
    #18 The Critic, May 10, 2012
  19. mig1980

    mig1980 Junior Member

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    So I initially called in and talked to the service manager. He explained that they could do a full flush for $179 or a drain and fill for $75. A week later I called in and this time spoke to a service writer that seems to know what he was talking about because I asked for transmission fluid change and he told me that with the Prius they would not be able to flush...only drain and fill and quoted me $90.

    When I arrived to the dealer I spoke to another tech that was writing up my paperwork and mentioned to him that I had spoke to their service manager and he had quoted me $75 a week ago. He said "Oh...No problem, I will do that for you."

    Total with taxes was about $80. Didn't think that was bad at all.
     
    #19 mig1980, May 16, 2012
  20. HaroldW

    HaroldW Active Member

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    This sounds like what Honda does when they have a CVT with burn't fluid or banished fluid. They drain fill run for a few miles the drain again and fill. They do this three times and I guess the idea behind this is to remove as much old oil as possible! I believe this is the procedure used for anything that cannot be totally drained. Japan does this allot with gear boxes. It is not a bad idea as you can never loss all the fluid? H
     
    #20 HaroldW, May 16, 2012
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