2010 w/ 140k, never done any maintenance outside oil changes, where do I begin

Well I think a list has been floating around on services needed at around 150k. I'll list a few and people that read this can always add to it.

1. spark plugs
2. pcv valve
3. change all fluids
4. air filter/cabin filter
5. clean egr circuit/intake manifold
6. change strut/shocks, check all suspension parts
7. Check brakes/rotors (you may or may not need this replaced)

If you have extra money, you would start saving up for a HV battery and Brake Booster pump. Those are failure that come after 10 years but you don't have to change them until they actually fail.

 

Hey you haven't fixed anything and nothing's broken If brake pads are worn out replaced them just like tires the consumables no problem You're not going to stop the engine design issues that exist in this system so anytime moving forward things can start happening to the engine that will be more costly than they're worth performing on this particular model 2010 on up 2ZZ engine cars. Are not something you really want to become attached to they're kind of disposable so don't do A lot of personalizing and so on because generally you're going to be out of the car almost as fast as you got in it a good one of these vehicles might make $240,000 It's kind of rare but it does happen and some do go over but generally they don't.

 

Where in the USA are you, Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Wisconsin? Rotors may be fine. Pads yeah, likely due. It’s good to get the calipers off every three years or 30k miles, clean and lube.

See first couple of links in my signature; on a phone turn it landscape to see signature. My 2 cents: 100k is the latest you want to leave initial EGR cleaning (including intake manifold). Get on it ASAP.

 

At 140K miles, just cleaning everything should be eminently doable. Read the links, second one in particular, for cleaning tips, partial coolant drain (if you're not changing coolant.

The EGR cooler (our colloquial name for the first component in the EGR circuit) is the difficult one to clean. Everything else can be addressed with brake cleaner, brushes and rags. For the cooler:

1. Remove it's lower bracket nut (#1) off it's stud, anytime you've got a few hours free. Nothing else needs to come off to get to it. And you can leave this nut off, permanently; everything holds together fine. Reason to do this in advance: it's a royal pain to access, best to get out of the way. I'd recommend to remove the stud at that location as well, because it's useless without the nut, and with it gone it is easier to pull the cooler out, and you don't need to remove the rearmost studs (#3).

2. I would also remove the similar nut (#2), and stud, from the front EGR valve. Put a little anti-seize on the stud, and reinstall stud and nut. That one is relatively easy access, but just as prep. There's also a bolt (#4) securing the cooler at the top, back out, lube and reinstall that one as well. Torque values for all of these are in the EGR specific pdf, linked in top link in my signature.

3. When doing the EGR cleaning for real: make removal of the EGR cooler priority. Once you've got it out, get one end corked, fill with a hot tap water solution with carbon busting ingredients, propped up in a bucket or corner of a laundry sink. My recommendation would be a concentrated solution of powdered Oxi-Clean Versatile Stain Remover. Others will recommend oven cleaner. If you're going that route, I'd say use lye cristals (readily available on amazon), and use extreme caution, it's very caustic. Anyway, with the Oxi solution, let it sit about an hour (while dealing with other EGR components, and/or the intake manifold), then rinse and refill with fresh solution. Repeating this about 5 times, it should come out like new.

Note, do not use caustic chemicals (including Oxi-Clean) on anything other than the cooler, which is stainless steel. For everything else, brake cleaner and elbow grease is sufficient.