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Can/Should I do my own maintenance? 130K miles.

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by icewater, Apr 19, 2019.

  1. icewater

    icewater Junior Member

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    Aside from oil changes, my 2011 Prius has not had periodic maintenance in about 4 years. It currently has about 130K miles.

    I called a dealer who read off a long list of factory recommended maintenance with a cost of about $550.

    What do I really need to have done, and is this maintenance I might do, or should I have the dealer do it? Or a little of both?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    that sounds like a great price, depending on what's involved. you should have gotten a maintenance schedule booklet. if not, you can get it at toyota owners website.

    the big things at your mileage are fluid changes and spark plugs.

    other than oil and filter, the other regulars are air and cabin filters, tire rotations and brake inspection and slide pin lube.
    also, you should open the egr circuit and check for clogging. that can lead to a blown head gasket.

    all these things are available to view on youtube on the @NutzAboutBolts channel
     
  3. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    Without a list of actual items need to be done to gauge pricing, we're just gonna make wild guesses like we always do here :D
     
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  4. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Doing your own maintenance can (shuffle into the right order of importance to you):

    • save you money
    • teach you more about your car
    • keep you better informed of the condition of your car
    • shield you from mistakes by careless shop techs
    • increase your confidence that your car is dependable.

    It can also:

    • cost you money for tools
    • make you anxious about messing up
    • be frustrating and/or dangerous if you do mess up
    • be messy and take time you'd rather spend on something else.
     
  5. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    Maybe there is someone with a Prius near you that is willing to help you out.
    Where do you live?
    It will always cost less to do it yourself, unless you really screw something up. But with only 130,000 miles, the things
    that need to be done are pretty easy, even for a beginner.
     
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  6. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    In the top of this forum section, there’s a sticky thread with all of the NutzAboutBolts maintenance videos. These videos show you every Prius maintenance task you need, and several you don’t need. :)
     
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  7. Bay Stater

    Bay Stater Senior Member

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    Consider cleaning the EGR System regardless. Avoids major issues ( like head gasket failure) down the road.
     
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  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    That's a question you'll ultimately need to answer yourself. If you're reasonably mechanically "able", have the tools, virtually all the basic maintenance is DIY'able. I like the way you phrase it, especially the last sentence. Don't shut out the dealership, especially for the tough stuff.

    Anyway, I've attached a chart format summary of the US Warranty and Maintenance Booklet. This is just my read of it, nothing official. In addition, I would consider:

    1. More frequent oil/filter changes.
    2. Occasional transaxle fluid change. In particular an early change.
    3. Tri-yearly or 30K brake fluid change.

    Watch also @NutzAboutBolts videos pinned at top of 3rd gen maintenance forum. They're particularly empowering, show how you can do basic stuff with just a regular garage setup.

    2010 Prius Maintenance Schedule (US).jpg
     
    #8 Mendel Leisk, Apr 20, 2019
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2019
  9. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    Without knowing what work will be done, nobody can tell you if it’s a good price or whether it does the needed things. I think it very likely won’t do all you should do.
     
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