Transmission fluid change

Yeah, dealer is a huge rip off always... The trick to doing this job is a hose long enough to go from the fill hole and attach to a funnel above the engine. It's a very easy job and takes about an hour, or less if your fill hose is largest possible diameter. No rush on it either. Toyota claims there's no need to replace it and its good for lifespan of car because Prius planetary gear based transmissions are so simple. And yes on using Toyota Trans fluid because no one else has stepped up to assure their fluid is okay to expose to electric motor components inside the transmission.

 

To get exactly the right fill level the car should be level, or at least as close to it as possible. Not sure how exact it really needs to be.

I had to so some calculations ahead of time and found that with the pair of jacks I had and the slope of the driveway the car would be level if aimed downhill and up on two layers of 10x2 boards. Not enough clearance underneath that way though to work though. So it was jack it up, take off both bolts, lower it, let it drain to completion, Jack it back up and put the drain bolt back in and torque it. Put a hose into the fill hole. Lower it again and fill until it dripped. Reach in to put the plug and washer in, jack it up again, torque the fill bolt and wipe off the bits of overflow. Then lower the car back to the ground. A lot of positioning the car up and down - it would have been much easier on a lift!

 

Yep... Because Toyota Stealerships sometimes charge triple the time it takes to do a job.

 

Since you're in Colorado, call your local Christian Brother's Automotive and find out what they charge....I'd bet it closer to $200 than $400! I've gone there for stuff I didn't want to to do and they will only use Toyota OEM parts if you ask....I've had nothing but great service by them.

 

^ That sounds about right. It's actually easier than an oil change - no filter involved. Just a drain plug and a fill plug. The only trick is to make sure the car is level during the filling process.

Good Luck.....

 

Local shops can do this really cheap and as suggested, is easier than oil change. Get the fluid from dealer and take it there. Some of them may be <$100. Also different dealers charge different rates. Here in North Dallas, some of them are half rates compared to others. For eg:, the local dealer wants $800+ for spark plugs for an Avalon and other dealer 40 miles away charges $400+. Same parts, same warranty, just different dealerships.

Chain shops, after having a real bad experience with one of them, i will never go there.

 

I'd buy the fluid (Toyota ATF WS), and the fill/drain bolt washers, and let it slide till your back's improved. A fair price from a professional would be around $125; it's no more complex or involved than an oil change. There's a link in my signature (on a phone turn it landscape to see signatures) for 3rd gen transaxle fluid tips and tricks, but a lot in common with gen 2. Unfortunately there's nothing in the gen 2 repair manual regarding transaxle fluid change, since, well, Toyota says nothing about changing it. I'll attach the level check excerpt, for what it's worth.

BTW, not sure what your source for ATF WS is, dealership? My nearby (Canadian) dealership has it for $11~ CDN per liter, roughly $8 USD.