120k maintainence help

I assume in 120,000 miles that you have changed that all important fluid, namely the motor oil!

Seriously, I would look to change:

1) Transaxle fluid. Needs 4Q Toyota ATF-WS although some have used other fluids with success.

2) Engine coolant and inverter coolant. Uses Toyota pink super long life coolant only available at the dealer premixed 50/50 with water. IN the prius changing the coolant is more complicated than in a regular car as there are two independent circuits (engine & inverter) and bleeding the air out is a big hassle. There are posts here on priuschat describing how to do it.

3) Spark plugs. The Prius comes with iridium plugs that should last 100K, so it's time to change them out. I would go with a new set of quality iridium plugs.

4) Brake fluid. It would appear that this is a job for the dealer as bleeding the Priuses brakes requires specialized tools and techniques. The brake pads should be checked too.

5) Air filter/fuel filter/PCV valve/cabin air filter.

6) Serpentine belt - inspect and replaced if needed.

I'm sure there's loads I've forgotten from the list, others will no doubt chime in.

Rumple

 

There is no Serpentine belt in the Prius. However, there is a small belt for the water pump. I am not sure if that will ever need to be replaced. It is not in the maintenance manual.

 

"Serpentine belt" is another name for the water pump belt. The owner's scheduled maintenance guide calls this a "drive belt". No matter what name you are comfortable with, that part should be replaced at this mileage for preventive maintenance reasons. The scheduled maintenance guide suggests inspection starting at 60K miles, and every 15K miles beyond that.
http://smg.toyotapartsandservice.com/guides.php?v=14&y=2004&int_id=12

 

fuel filter cannot be replaced on its own without replacing the entire tank.

check out cv boots, tie rods, suspension parts while you're under the car.

the coolant systems are a pita to bleed correctly without a proper scantool, fyi.

 

Wow, what a PITA! I just assumed that the fuel filter could be replaced on it's own. Best use good gas so the filer doesn't get clogged. I recently did the fuel filter on my Ford Explorer and that was a pain, requiring a special tool, bodily contortion and patience.

Rumple

 

Regarding fuel filters:

A lot of new vehicles made since early 2000's have "returnless" fuel systems to minimize evaporative emissions. The older fuel injection systems had a large volume of fuel pumped from the fuel tank, sent through the injector rail, through the pressure regulator, and right back to the tank

Returnless fuel systems don't have this volume of fuel. Whether a new Chevy truck, or a Prius, you have to drop the tank to service the filter

 

While the coolant systems are empty would be the ideal time to replace any rubber hoses that are showing their age. Suggest you catch the coolants in clean pans so you can assess the amount of rubber bits they contain. Those come from inside the hoses.

My opinion is have the brake fluid water % tested at a brake shop before deciding on that one. However if its appearance is anything other than the original 'straw color', it ought to go.

Most likely the braking hardware is in great shape, but it certainly deserves a close inspection.

 

Betcha it was the *dealer* who gave you a "suggested maintenance book". Dealers have boat payments to make. Start with the factory advice given at the smg.toyota link above.

 

At 100K I had Toyota do 1-5 on the above list for my car. It cost me $800. I was a little concerned about the price but that was the cars first dealer service since I bought it, other than the recalls. I sleep better at night knowing I had the fluids all changed, etc and the car inspected. I am thinking about keeping it for another 3 years so I can buy/build a toy.

 

hey i have 120 k miles so far i have done

type ws transaxle change
new spark plugs (ngk idrium)
coolant change (both engine and inverter)
new valve cover gasket, and pcv valve (since you have to remove the valve cover gasket to do it anyway... question do i have to remove the cowl to get to the pcv valve?)
engine air filter/ cabin filter
synthetic engine oil/filter
and if you really wanted to do some throttle body cleaning (mine is a tad brown when peeking through the engine air filter opening)
car detailing
new 12 volt battery after 5 years hurrah! well i left it sat 8 hours and battery voltage through scangauge was 12.0 volts in -1 degree C weather! so i was like screw that replaced the battery myself with OEM part (was too lazy to do the optima yellow top conversion even though i bought the kit )

now battery voltage reads 12.2 after sitting for 24 hours whoo!!! (yes i drove the vehicle in ready mode for at least 2-3 hours when i got my new battery to top up the charge knowing how long it sat in the toyota parts department!)