ATF fluid changes ARE Required.

buy a jack and 4 jack stands, dump the old oil at any autostore, they take them.

 

I am at 30k

I have just called three dealarship and got quoted 299.00 289,99 (this changed to 149.99 after I said this is a drain and fill only ...) 199.99
for the transaxel fluid change ... I heard stuff about toyota computer ... blah blah.. and was told it is NOT recommended ....

I really think this is stupid .. I know it would benefit the car and also it is simple to do in a shop (with right equipment and lift etc...)

Please I know I could do it, but I do not have a jack, posts, drain pan wrench tourque meter etc ... so I do not want to do it myself. I am willing to pay for the service a reasonable price ... which I think would be pair with an oil change which I was quite 79.99 with tire rotation which IS reasonable.

Anyone know a place in Long Island NY I can get this done at a reasonable price ... the fluid is about $8x4 = $32 plus tax OK max $40 ... even cheaper than the 0w20 oil per quart ... two washer 1 buck a piece top.... half an hour work (much less if the car lifted already for oil-change).

Any advice OTHER THEN DIY.....???

 

Call or contact these folks:

ACDC Offices
10 Tower Street, Suite 100
Worcester, MA 01606
Phone: 508-852-5857
Toll Free: 800-939-7909
Fax: 508-856-9280

Contact Us | Auto Career Development Center

Explain what you are seeking and they'll let you know who is in the area and trained.

Bob Wilson

 

Thanks Bob,

I did searched for a qualified/listed tech from them .. .only one within 20 miles from me. The service rep seemed more knowledgeable than Toyota ... telling met that "you know there is no transmission in the prius per say..." so I got my hope up...

Then they called back and quoted me even a higher price than the Dealership .... for the 30k Service plus Tansaxel fluid change 579.99 !!!! MAN WHAT THE HELL ... I had to say thanks that is too high ...

I will see if I can get this in person for under $100 (which is still high!!) ...

 

The amount of time you spent posting and researching this could have been put into doing it. It would have been done already.

BTW, it's doubtful you'll find it for under $100 unless you're just talking about labor. The fluid alone costs $50.

 

Some members have reported Canadian dealerships offering Prius transaxle fluid change for $79.95, It's very straightforward, easy DIY, with the right equipment, and a decent area, ie: garage or carport with a level slab.

If you get the fluid and washers yourself, and enlist the help of an independent mechanic, or competent DIY friend, you'll do ok.

Do be sure to get the right fluid:

Toyota ATF-WS
(On my last invoice it was $9.32 per liter. The effing washers were $3.95 apiece, two required.)

 

Since you don't want to be self sufficient and acquire the tools (which would be close to the cost of a one time dealer transaxle fluid change), try calling chain auto repair stores/tires stores (Firestone, Midas, PepBoys, Meineke).

Call the shops and ask what is the labor rate to do a drain and fill on a rear differential on a pick-up truck. When they ask for the make/model/year of the truck, tell them you have a Prius and the transaxle drain&fill is the same process and same amount of work. You will supply the fluid, crush washer, and gear pump or hoses & funnel, and will require to be in the service bay to oversee the procedure. Highly doubtful they will tighten the drain and fill bolt to the manufactures specified torque value.

Edit: Are you sure the price of genuine Toyota ATF-WS was $8/quart? That's insanely cheap.

 

Up here I can get liters of Toyota 0W-20 for $5.63 (Canadian). The aftermarket oils, Mobil etc, are crazy expensive..., guess which I buy?

 

I am actually thinking to get this done in PepBoys

The whole point is that in a shop they lift the car up take the plastic off (I assume) for the oil change .... they have the funnels buckets etc. for the engine oil change. That is quoted as $79.99 (including the tire rotation by the way) ... How much higher the transaxel fluid change should be ?? That is why I said $100 bucks would be reasonable for me ..... but all that nonsense about the toyota computer needs to be hooked up and one "service writer" said it is expensive because 14.5 quart will be needed ...

This is nothing to do with self sufficiency ... I do not bake my bread either, although I could, I even have ALL the necessary tools.

I found that price on Amazon ... little over $8/quart for a 4pack.... my guess the dealership gets it for less. So I estimated $40 ($10/bottle). Maybe even higher $12 ??

 

>> This is nothing to do with self sufficiency ... I do not bake my bread either, although I could, I even have ALL the necessary tools.

You're not listening. There's a bunch of people on this thread trying to get you to point the gun away from your foot. But if you insist on shooting yourself in the foot, fire away. Good luck, dude. Out.

 

kinda like the saying goes, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink".

 

Still, it outa be possible to find reasonably priced and knowledgeable pro to do this. I'd put this on Toyota's doorstep, stonewalling on this service in the maintenance schedule.

As it is, DIY is the best route, even if this involves getting a buddy with the tools and location to help out.

 

Until you find a place to do the drain&fill at a price point you find acceptable, you only have three choices:

1) Pay highway robbery prices.
2) Acquire the tools to be able to do this maintenance item yourself. At which point, you will be able to do a lot of other maintenance procedures as well.
3) Do nothing.​

That's fine if you don't like getting your hands dirty, but you are stuck with #1or #3 above.

$100 would be an ideal price at the stealership (parts/labor included), for a transaxle fluid change.

Perhaps goto a different stealership in person, and inquire what the cost of a drain & fill is. If they give you grief:
1) Ask if they know what an oil analysis is?
2) Do they believe a lubricant lasts forever? Engine oil is obviously a lubricant. ATF-WS is a lubricant too.
Print out thread #1 from Bob Wilson: Transaxle oil, recent analysis | PriusChat
The joker service writer will have a hard time refuting the evidence.

To further contradict Toyota maintenance, and challenge the service writer:
1) Ask if they are aware that brake fluid in a vehicle absorbs moisture over time?
2) Ask if they know what happens to braking performance when brake fluid absorbs too much moisture? Essentially the brake fluid boiling point gets lowered and you can have a catastrophic failure of you brakes due to the lowered boiling point, due to excessive moisture, due to the brake fluid not being changed out. Yes, the regenerative braking does most of the braking, but the hydraulic brakes are part of the total braking system too.
2) Ask why Toyota has contradictory maintenance for brake fluid. I verified this info for each model on Toyota.com.

2007 Prius - NO brake flush specified at all.
2007 Highlander Hybrid - NO Brake flush specified at all.
2007 Lexus RX400h- Brake flush specified every 30,000 miles.

A Highlander Hybrid and RX400h are pretty much identical. Major difference is purchase price. Yes, it has been said that Lexus drivers, drive their vehicles harder and demand more, possible. But moisture doesn't discriminate. It is continually being absorbed by the fluid; rate of absorption is unknown, but it is happening.
​

EDIT:
Should you get this done outside of a dealer, its best to supply the funnel and tubing, or a new gear oil pump. Why? To avoid contamination. If they use their funnel/gear oil pump, residual amounts of whatever was last used will get introduced into your transaxle. Will this be critical? Maybe, maybe not. Better safe than sorry. Besides purchasing a funnel/tubing or a gear oil pump is cheap.

 

In a Gen 3 HSD (Prius c, etcetera), the ATF is also employed to cool the two motors through an elaborate system of reservoirs and baffles which maintain and regulate the flow of cooling ATF to those motors.

Obviously, the ATF is also used for conventional lubrication, and the Gen 3 HSD has a LOT more frictionless (ball, needle) bearings than earlier HSDs, and which need a consistent supply of the approved lubricant.

 

I got the run-around from various Toyota dealerships, so I ended up paying my local (trusted) mechanic to do it for my Prius C (I think I paid $100). It's not rocket science.

 

This is promising ... $100 included parts or just labour (if I may ask)

 

Again, several Canadian members, well at least two, report getting this done through a dealership for $79.95, all in, well except sales taxes. Tideland Prius for one.

 

For the Drain and Refill, the Labor cost $50 and the parts was 4.0x$9.12=$36.48 for the Toyota ATF WS at my local trusted mechanic.

 

That is a reasonable price. My CT dealer has always charged me $100 for each of the four times I have had the ATF drained and refilled (now at 273k miles in my 2004 Prius).

JeffD