Importance of Toyota BRANDED transmission fluid?

Up to you. In the Owners Manual, this is the ONE fluid that Toyota gets sticky about, cautioning that using anything else may damage the transaxle.

I’m just bright enough to know I don’t want to get “clever” with something like this. And who knows, might be overkill, but I don’t like gambling.

 

Congrats! There probably aren't too many more contentious topics on the board, plenty of earlier discussion.

I would only use the Toyota WS stuff myself, but I can buy it off the shelf and be home again in one hour. Why? I don't know for sure that anybody else's fluid isn't going to eat the insulation on the motor-generator windings. Those don't exist in other transmissions. I figure the generics are probably looking out for this, but the real savings (for me) are too small to bother with the risk.

I'll point out that many Toyota parts counters will ship, and the stuff (the real stuff) turns up on Amazon and other mail-order sites.

I'll just go wheel the popcorn stand a little closer.

 

Mmm, popcorn.

 

I seem to recall actually seeing the Toyota fluid on the shelf once in one of my local auto parts stores (may have been Carquest). Or maybe it was the SLLC coolant. It was one of the Toyota fluids at least, and I remember being surprised to see it there.

That could be a no-brainer option if one of those nearby shops has it.

 

For the infrequent drain and fills, you might as well use what Toyota recommends.
Buy it from Amazon:

 

Also worth mentioning, if you're new to the Prius-

Unlike virtually every other car transmission, the Prius transmission has no clutches, bands, belts or friction devices of any kind. It's just a few permanently set gears in bearings, with a pair of heavy electric motors sandwiched in.

Toyota doesn't even recommend changing the oil at all. So be really sure you want to bother with a fluid change, it's much, much less necessary than it would be when moving into any other used car.

 

Up here dealership parts dept sells it cash-and-carry for $9.14 CDN per liter. But on Amazon (Canada) it’s exhorbitant, the (same I think) 6-pack of US quarts is $94 CDN (($15.67 per).

Toyota 00279-000T4 Automatic Transmission Fluid, 6 Pack

 

I guess I'd be pretty surprised if a fluid change made any noticeable change for that symptom. Prius ATF never bears any pressure that pushes the car as in a torque converter.

On the other hand the people who did that video know way more than me about these cars- if they say you need a fluid change, I wouldn't hesitate.

 

That's what I've done .

Saves an interaction at the parts counter.

Hard to beat to your door delivery convenience for the right fluid.

 

I thought @Grit was my dude.

Glad you have the fluid on order.

Good luck with the drain and fill.

 

Note: whatever method for the refill you use, be SURE to remove the fill bolt FIRST. It it's stuck, and you remove the drain bolt first, you'll have a problem.

 

Easy peasy, level the car upside down and fill through the drain hole.

 

Doesn't it dribble out through the vent fitting when you do that?

How far below the drain hole is the proper fill level in that position?

 

3rd gen Transaxle Fluid Change info:

Transaxle oil change at 135k? | PriusChat

 

This is something I’m not averse to; typically I’m also getting oil change stuff too.

Plus, decent price: $9.14 CDN per liter; that’s about $6.50 USD per US quart.


And you get to cruise around the showroom, see what’s new. Then down to nearby rocky point park for ice cream, as often as not.