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'08 Bad Owner - 100K maintenance needs

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by nburica, Feb 8, 2012.

  1. nburica

    nburica New Member

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    tinley park, il
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
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    So I'm a terrible car owner. I've driven for 100K and done nothing more then tires, alignment, filters, and oil changes. I was waiting for a yearly bonus to get all the maintenance I've been delinquent on done. So what kind of bill should I be expecting. I'm assuming I'll spend like 300 bucks on brakes but what are the costs for the following and am I missing anything?
    -brake flush (is this included if I was to buy brakes from like Pepboys or something?)
    -clean/adjust rear brakes (is this included if I was to buy brakes from like Pepboys or something?)
    -trans-axle fluid
    -engine & inverter fluid
    -EFI/fuel injector cleaning
    -throttle plate cleaning
    -PCV valve replacement.

    Is the dealer the best place to go or is Midas/Pepboys/something else cheaper or better? Please let me know thoughts on whats missing and/or needed.

    Thanks in advance and I will be going to this forum more often now and will stop being a bad owner.
     
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    If you don't want to be characterized as a "bad owner" then you will please refrain from having your Prius serviced at a place other than a dealership or an independent that specializes in Prius. This is especially true if your car's brakes need servicing since care needs to be taken to avoid logging skid control ECU DTC. It is not possible to flush the brake fluid without following the Toyota service procedure and having access to the Toyota diagnostic laptop.

    I am wondering why you think the brakes require service, have you seen that the front brake pad lining is thin and need to be replaced?

    The engine and inverter coolant changes require the use of Toyota Super Long Life Coolant and knowledge of the service process required. The transaxle ATF requires use of Toyota ATF WS which a generic repair shop likely will not stock.

    Unless your engine has a misfire problem or you've been buying really cheap gasoline, I would avoid the fuel injector cleaning process.

    A very good idea to have the PCV valve replaced, some owners ignore that since it is not listed in the periodic maintenance schedule. It is also good to have the throttle body interior and throttle plate cleaned.
     
  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Two
  4. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    Vehicle:
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    -brake flush (is this included if I was to buy brakes from like Pepboys or something?) Not needed for a long time. The brakes live a quiet life due to regenerative braking. Special equipment is required to bleed Prius brakes

    -clean/adjust rear brakes (is this included if I was to buy brakes from like Pepboys or something?) Can be done by anyone, but they should not touch the hydraulics without Prius specific expertise.

    -trans-axle fluid As stated above use 4 qts of Toyota Type WS ATF about $100 at a reasonable Toyota dealer.

    -engine & inverter fluid Use only Toyota Super Long Life coolant. Bleeding air bubbles out is a pain.

    -EFI/fuel injector cleaning Not required

    -throttle plate cleaning Easily a DIY, but I have never done it or needed it on my 2004 Prius at 216k miles

    -PCV valve replacement. A pain to get at.
    You should only go to a dealer or a Prius expertise (verified) shop

    JeffD
     
  5. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    Vehicle:
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    Save throttle plate/bore cleaning, PCV, and spark plugs for the 120K service. That makes a nice combo.

    If the rear wheels turn freely when they are off the ground and e-brake is not applied, don't worry about the drums.

    Brake fluid is fine.

    Injectors are fine.

    That leaves coolants and transaxle. A non-Toyota independent shop can do all these, if you explicitly instruct them NOT to empty the coolant thermos. Otherwise, a scan tool is required. I would not visit any sort of chain for these services.
     
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