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Do I "really" need these things done?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Freedom, Mar 18, 2019.

  1. Freedom

    Freedom Active Member

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    2008 Prius, 78829 miles. In today for oil and filter change, which I get twice a year. As usual, tech came out with a list of things that "need" to be done. I said thanks, just the oil change today. First 3 he said were due at 'this mileage." But I'm not seeing them in my Owner's Manual or the Maintenance monitoring list (both of which came with the car when I bought it). So I would appreciate input from you folks.

    1. Spark plugs No issues w/ car starting, sounds fine when engine is running. I realize some things we do BEFORE we have problems . . . like oil and filter changes. But I honestly don't know enough about cars, which is why I come here for guidance. Is this perhaps one of those things you get done ALONG WITH something else, as they are already in there anyway? $281

    2. Rear brakes - he said they need to be "cleaned." Huh? That's a new one to me, never heard that before, in all the years I've owned cars!

    3. Air fan service for the hybrid system. This was a $135 item?

    4. New oil pan. They said this was the only thing not related to mileage. It has "dents" in it and he showed me a photo. (see attached) It is not leaking, and when I asked he said it may be fine for another 5 years. Well then, why would I care about a few dents at this time?! I don't plan to do this for some time, but feel free to comment on it as well. I can always learn!

    Thank you for ideas, suggestions.

    And as always, thank you to the folks who set up run and maintain this forum. I continue to get so much benefit from the folks here.
     

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    #1 Freedom, Mar 18, 2019
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2019
  2. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    1) No - The OE plugs are super high quality. I replaced mine around 120k miles and the gap looked so good I saved them and plan to put them back in when I get to 300K miles or so. This is similar to most people's experiences.

    2) Being in the salty winter states this is possible. The Prius brakes rarely get used because you are always using regen braking unless you love slamming on the brakes all the time. This can mean they never grab unless below 7mph and very lightly. Couple this with salty roads and you have a good combination to start rusting out your rotors. Happens on the front and back. That's why it is recommended to every now and then go nice and fast and make a good controlled fast brake. If you slap it in neutral before braking, even better as that will completely disengage the regen braking and it's all friction. I try to do that once a month or so just to exercise them. So if "cleaned" means "be machined because of rust", then possible. Do they look rusty?

    3) Do you transport hair balls like dogs in your car? If so, then yes it should be cleaned but it is easy to do yourself. For $135, I'd be inclined to spend the 10 minutes myself and do it. Good to know this is starting to become a maintenance thing. It's something we just learned over the years to have to do and every dealer would just look at you like you're crazy. "But that service isn't in the shop manual...."

    4) I'd be more concerned why it's dented. You keep running over things? We have some very steep driveways that make a wedge and will easily dent and scrape any vehicle, even SUV if driven straight over. You have to go slowly and at a very weird angle to get the car to walk over it with enough suspension clearance. If it's dented and weak, then the next time it gets dented it could very possibly shatter and then you're stranded. Hopefully you would have pulled over IMMEDIATELY after this happened. We destroyed an oil pan on an old american made van we took into the woods to drop our canoes off. Hit a small center-high-point rock on old logging roads deep in the woods and with a fully loaded van (7 large guys plus 6 canoes ontop plus 2 weeks of supplies) it was a bang then oil just everywhere. It had been hit a few times before as there was more than 1 dent but the pan actually shattered where we hit it. All the oil came out in less than a couple seconds.
     
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  3. Freedom

    Freedom Active Member

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    Um, sorry. I don't know where to look? Or what I am looking at?

    I have bichons, hair not fur. Yes, we go out to parks and beaches regularly for walks, so they are in the car a LOT. Almost as much as I am. Sounds like I can search online to find what to do? I can give that a shot.

    I run over things, I come down off frost heaves onto a not so flat road, I swerve to try and miss a pothole and . . . yeah, that darn pothole, it MOVED! So would this be best replaced at an oil change? That would be half the work right there, I think?

    Thanks for the info!
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    there's a youtube video for cleaning the fan, pretty easy, and a good way to learn some diy.

    skip everything else. the front calipers should be cleaned, inspected and lubed if necessary every 30k.

    have you considered tranny fluid?

    80k is only tire rotation and oil/filter. you get oil change twice a year?
     
  5. William Redoubt

    William Redoubt Senior Member

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    Bisco. He's a smart fella. I agree with his assessment.

    How do you know these are photos of your oil pan? Just sayin' because ya gotta watch yur vallet.
     
  6. Freedom

    Freedom Active Member

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    Actually 60+ y o gal, but thanks.
    Cool!

    Good point. Guess I'll have to figure out something on that too. Thank you.
     
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  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Here's a chart format translation of the (US) 2nd gen schedule, as outlined in the Toyota USA Scheduled Maintenance Guide:

    Screenshot

    upload_2019-3-18_17-9-51.png

    Spreadsheet and pdf attached.
     

    Attached Files:

  8. Freedom

    Freedom Active Member

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    I think transmission fluid was changed last year when I had that Massachusetts warranty work done. Can't recall what the work was, I'll either have to check my posts on here or my car folder in the file cabinet.

    As you can see from the mileage (2008 vehicle, 78892 miles) yes, I change oil and filter twice a year. Oil and filter change every x miles or 6 months, I NEVER have that much mileage. So it is done every 6 months. Funny, the tech will ALWAYS find stuff that HAS to be done. Ah, but I'm on to them, thanks to the training from you guys on here! lol
     
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  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    smaht ;)

    i drive about 6,000 miles a year, change the oil every spring. but that's just me.

    you can plug your vin into the toyota owners website for all dealer service history
     
  10. Freedom

    Freedom Active Member

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  11. Freedom

    Freedom Active Member

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    Hey @bisco putting together your comment with Mendel's chart . . . when you said tranny fluid, did you mean transmission or transaxle? I thought transmission. But looking at Mendel's chart, now I wonder. Got my file folder out, neither has been done (yet). I wonder why they didn't suggest that work?

    The Massachusetts warranty work was the water valve assembly, and at that time I had the coolant for both systems done. No, never had any tranny fluid work done. So now I have a list to follow up, get some things done.
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    there is only one. ecvt is the prius transaxle/transmission. toyota calls it lifetime, but if you intend to keep your car, many experts here recommend a change. usually around $100.
     
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  13. Freedom

    Freedom Active Member

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    Got it thank you. Yes, I do not plan to buy another car in this lifetime.
     
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  14. VFerdman

    VFerdman Senior Member

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    * Forget the plugs until well after 100K miles. And then DIY for under $30 and 30 minutes of your time (with coffee brakes).
    * Rear brakes are drums and you can't inspect them without taking apart (a little). Probably no problems there, but follow the good advice of shifting to neutral and giving a good old brake once in a while (be careful doing this, LOL).
    * battery fan cleaning is simple to do (google it). Really nothing to have someone else do for you. Bichons will not clog it up (I had a bichon for 16 years), but still good to check and clean if needed. Clogged up fan will not be good for your hybrid battery.
    * Forget the oil pan unless it's actually broken and is not containing oil. Try not to hit it, though as that really does no good to anything in the car (including yourself).
     
  15. Freedom

    Freedom Active Member

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  16. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Good for you.

    1. There is no need until your odometer reaches 120K miles or you find the engine is starting to misfire.
    2. No need if you do not hear any squeaking back there when braking.
    3. No need if your pets do not shed excessive hair.

    Well, you could get under the car and look at the engine oil pan to confirm the photo is of your vehicle. It doesn't look that bad from the photo, however you would do well to avoid hitting it further. One dent is very close to the engine oil drain plug and it would not be good if you hit that plug and caused a leak.

    Since you are not interested in buying another vehicle in the near (or even far) future, it would be good to avoid beating up the Prius.
     
  17. Freedom

    Freedom Active Member

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    Ahahaaaa, @Patrick Wong , I do not INTENTIONALLY bang it up! These things just sort of happen. Yes the comment from the tech mentions the oil pan is crushed near the drain plug. Guessing it makes his job a bit more difficult.

    Thanks for all the info!
     
  18. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    @Freedom Toyota specs no interval for transaxle fluid change, it is a good idea though. First change even at the one year mark, say around 10~20K miles, then maybe every 60K miles from then on.
     
  19. George W

    George W Active Member

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    The only thing I would do, which is not on your list, is have the alignment checked when replacing tires.
     
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  20. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I would only consider alignment check if there was a noticeable issue, and/or you'd recently hit a curb or something like that. There's not much that's adjustable, just front toe?