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Maintenance advice needed

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Abror, May 17, 2013.

  1. Abror

    Abror Junior Member

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    My Prius is 4.5yrs old (first registered Oct 2008), driven only 27,350 miles (bought it at 24,980 miles). It will be just over a year since its previous intermediate maintenance. Now I am about to arrange full maintenance (manual says every 2yrs or 20k miles) .

    Thanks to this forum, I think I have a good impression of what needs to be done and it is pretty much "not much". My questions arise from low mileage:

    1. Brake fluid. I understand it is more time related than distance and it needs to be changed every two years in humid climates and London, UK is such a place. But I have impression oil had been changed during previous maintenance: it is almost max level and the colour looks good too. See attached pic. Any thoughts on this? Change or not?

    2. Here in the UK, Toyota offers fixed priced servicing and I am leaning on Full (200 pounds, approx $300) instead of Full+ maintenance (260 pounds). Main difference is that Full+ replaces spark plugs. Official manual says 4yrs or 60k miles, whichever comes first. But with my low mileage, I think my Prius does not need new spark plugs. Any thoughts?

    3. Never heard of this but I guess I can skip replacing front and rear differential oils? What is that btw?

    4. Finally, my warranty is about to expire and I am wondering if I should buy extended warranty. My impression from this forum is it is not worth the cost. I guess i will have to check what the small print is.

    Thank you for your help

    Abror
     

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  2. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    Moved to the Gen II maint. section from the Prius v maint. section.
     
  3. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    I have a little bit more on my 07 and all you need to do is get the transmission fluid changed. 60,000 miles on the fluid and it really needs to be changed. I changed the Inverter coolant also as its cheap and easy and it protects the very expensive transmission and Inverter.
    And I cleaned the throttle body and that's it. The brake fluid is fine. Mine's older and is perfect. Sparkplugs good for another 50,ooo miles.

    Cabin filter
    Engine Air filter
    trans fluid
    throttle body clean
    Maybe AC Evap cleaner

    Snoop around and find an independent in London. PC'er BritPrius may chime in and direct you to someone locally who can sort you out.

    The best part about owning a Prius is its low maintenance.
     
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  4. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    As a fellow Britt first let me welcome you to PC.

    As far as services at the dealers go only have the intermediate services done every 10,000 miles or one year do not have the full service done. The reason for this is that if you check all the extra items in the full service are checks that are already carried out in the MOT to a far greater level. Doing this will give you a full set of service stamps in the book.

    Ask for 0w20 hybrid oil in the engine as this gives better MPG. Only one mile to the gallon extra will pay for the oil at 10,000 mile service interval. Do not let them sell you an engine flush or an injection clean, there is enough ethanol in our petrol to keep them clean.

    Check the cabin and engine air filters you self knocking out any dust and bits of rubbish, replacing them before a service from a local motoring shop (not Halfords) if they are dirty. You will not then pay the dealers price for these.

    The dealers also love to change the fob batteries and charge £5 for each battery. I can buy quality batteries at
    5 for £3

    The brake fluid should not be touched "do not take the cap off" it is a sealed system and the only way dirt and moisture can enter the system is by unnecessary removal of the cap. London is wet but not humid like say Alabama.

    The spark plugs are good for 120,000 miles, the 60,000 mile service asks for them to be removed inspected and put back.

    It is a very good idea to change the transmission oil at your milage then every 60,000 miles after that "lots of information on that here on PC". The dealer will either tell you it's a life time fill and does not require changing or will try to sell you a transmission flush, ignore them and tell them you just want it changed (oil cost about £40 and stick with the Toyota oil) and easyer to change than engine oil if you want to DIY. So ask what they will charge you for this. This oil also lubricates the diff. The Prius does not have a rear diff.

    The intermediate service is £129 (Toyota fixed price). Be careful the dealer will try to sell you everything from wiper blades to discs and pads at high prices (pads are normally good for a minimum of 100,000 miles and people here have reported cars going to 250,000 miles on the same pads).

    Just had my 2008 car serviced a couple of weeks ago at 92,000 miles dealer tried to sell me new tyres that were not suitable for a Prius and my tyres still had by there measurements 4.5mm front and 6mm rear.

    Remember anything the dealer recommends ask here first, they are very adept at flushing wallets.

    Any more info required just ask.

    John (Britprius)
     
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  5. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    Should also add that if register on the Toyota web sit (link below) you can check on all work carried out by Toyota and any parts supplied.

    You also state in your post your warranty is about to expire. The hybrid system "this includes the the transmission with motor/generators, the inverter, and the high voltage battery" are all warranted by Toyota for 8 years or 100,000 miles. So forget that extended warranty.

    The service sheets are generic basically for all Toyota cars so many items on them do not apply to the Prius, but it makes it look like they are doing much more work than they are.

    I suggest you put your general location in you avatar as this will help to localise the help given to you instead of you being told to go to some supplier in the US for parts, it also denotes the side of the car the steering is on something we share with Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.

    http://www.toyota.co.uk/mytoyota.

    John (Britprius)
     
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  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    At least in the 'States and Canada, Toyota doesn't spec. an interval for brake fluid change. That said, with our previous Hondas they said every 3 years, regardless of mileage.

    Out of my depth, but I've not heard of it either. Thinking it's for some rear drive or four wheel drive? Maybe you dealership's schedule is generic, encompassing all Toyota vehicles?

    If Toyota's saying to change the plugs, I would. Maybe they're using a different plug type in Britain? With shorter life? I know in Canada the interval much longer, but the plugs are iridium I think. Ask the dealership why the interval is lower than other countries, what type the plugs are?

    I'd be inclined to not get extended warranty. Chances are you'll not recoup your investment. That's how the insurer makes his profit. And these warranties tend to be third party, with increased difficulty chasing them down in the event you do need to make a claim.
     
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  7. Abror

    Abror Junior Member

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    First, thanks a lot for your reply Ed

    1. Yes, I plan to change cabin filter & engine air filter.
    2. Had no idea what throttle body clean and AC evan clean were. Thank youtube/priuschat I now know. Looks like an easy DIY. My wife complains about the A/C air quality though to me it smells like straight out of toyota factory line smell :)
    3. Transmission fluid and transaxle fluid are the same right? I was not planning to change trans fluid till 60K as the manual only said "inspect every 3 yrs/30k miles" but now that you and Britprius are telling me the same, maybe I should.
    4. My official manual says replace engine and inverter coolant first at 100K miles. So not sure about this one.

    Abror
     
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  8. Abror

    Abror Junior Member

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    Hi John,

    thanks and good to know there is a fellow Brit full of useful details. I will have to find an independent garage then. Anyone good you know in London?

    Wow, I did not know that MOT check is better than Full!!!

    1. Engine Oil: thanks and I will definitely ask for OW20 hybrid oil. No engine flush or an injection clean. Got it.

    2. Spark Plugs: leave them be, will wait till 60k inspection

    3. Brake fluid: yes did not touch anything and will not change it

    4. Warranty. Toyota quoted me 525 quid for 1yr which of course I thought outrageous. Then I gave a call to warrantydirect ( sure you heard a lot from them on radio lately). They quoted 1yr=230, 2yrs=437 and they cover much more that Toyota warranty does. Good offer but still expensive. I also called up my friend who has 2007 Prius and clocks around 10K per year. He said he has been w/out a warranty for 2 yrs now. So,I think I will pass the warranty. But I am getting Toyota Roadside Assistance, cheaper than AA or RAC similar dealI have been registered with mytoyota but those details are missing. That should be in the vehicle specification section, correct?

    5. Automatic trans fluid. I will get that changed. On Toyota website "maintenance options" it says "from 109" pounds. I guess it must be expensive. I will ask for Toyota oil.

    6. I am a member of mytoyota I checked "specifications" section but there do not seem to be any details that you mentioned.

    7. Wipers: yes during MOT they told me I should change them :) The rear wiper was actually a bit torn & I was thinking of changing it.

    Anything else, I will ask from you guys. Thanks a lot!!!




    .
     
  9. Abror

    Abror Junior Member

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    Thank you Mendel. So happy such a helpful forum exists. With regards to spark plugs, I will wait till 60k inspection. I called up the dealer to ask how much plugs replacement would cost. I got 150 pounds quote. It is quite expensive or are plugs expensive in the first place?
     
  10. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Welcome to PC Abror - glad to have you.
    The search tool can be your friend. Here's a link from one of our own hybrid tech's on PC:

    What services you need and what you don't | PriusChat

    enjoy your ride!
    .
     
  11. Abror

    Abror Junior Member

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    Yes, I actually came across that post a while ago and have been adding more details to this list from different posts as well.

    It is after reading Galaxee's post that I thought Prius does not need much to maintain. If I heed his advice, I guess I can wait with trans oil change till 100k :)

    Thank you
     
  12. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    On the Toyota web site log in using the log in button after filling in your email and password, (not the car registration) then on the next screen click on the dashboard button, on the next screen on the left hand side is a time line thermometer. Drag down the time line black box to the area that shows spanners, click on the spanners to see the work carried out.

    The price for transmission oil change is very high, works out about £70 labor for less than ten minutes work they could do this while draining the engine oil the drain plugs are inches apart, but this is generally again a generic price. I would ask for a quote being done with the service, and if they still want to charge that price forget it for now. (not urgent can be done when you find a small independant or even somewhere like Charlie Browns) taking the oil with you.

    The first change usually comes out dark in color (new it is bright red) this is due to metal from there wear in process, the reason for the recommended 30,000 mile first change here on PC. After this every 60,000 miles should be fine.

    Have the services done at a Toyota dealer (but always have the intermediate service they will try to sell you the full) £129 is not a bad price including materials, and as I said before you will get the stamps in the service book and also the work listed on line. The listing on line also applies to any materials you buy at the dealer, so if you buy the transmission oil from them it will show up on the service record even though you have an independant or you self do the work.

    The wipers buy from motorist shops. Unfortunately the Prius has three different length wipers and some places only sell them in pairs, but they will still be cheaper for a pair than one is at the dealers. You can put the unused ones on one side ready for use in the future.

    The Prius is an exceptionally reliable car and with the expensive items "the hybrid system" being under warranty for 8 years I see no reason to take out extra cover, "but this must obviously be your decision". The rest of the car is no different to any other.

    Service intervals and the actual service varies greatly from country to country, our interval for oil change being 10,000 miles, in the US it is half this at 5000 miles this is believed to be down to the quality and specifications of the oils used. So when you read here a Toyota service recommended interval look at the country of origin of the writer before thinking this applies to your car.

    This is perhaps a lot to take in, but there are some very knowledgeable and helpful people on PC "more knowledgeable than the dealers" so if in doubt ask.

    John (Britprius)
     
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  13. Abror

    Abror Junior Member

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    Hi John,

    it has been a hectic day. Last October, MOT report said yr water pump maybe be leaking and to keep an eye on it. Well, today I had to bring the car to the dealer because it was (pink stains on the engine). Luckily, my about to expire official warranty footed the bill - 383 quid !!! I did the full maintenance along the way with them as well.

    Anyway, now that the car is back i had a look at the engine coolant (after it cooled off) and the pink coolant is just right at "LOW" level while inverter coolant reservoir is max. Seems like engine coolant reservoir needs a refill rather than drain and refill. What should I do next?

    Get the "Toyota Super Long Life Coolant" from a dealer and refill the engine coolant myself or just ask an independent garage do the refill? From just one video I watched it appears like I need to refill inverter coolant reservoir while keeping engine inverter reservoir cap open. Any thread on DIY here or am I safer going to garage? Reading Galaxee's comments about refill make me a bit nervous about DIY

    P.S. Spark plugs: from Toyota checklist, it appears like Priuses here in the UK also have platinum/iridium spark plugs. It says replace at 60K if platinum/iridium (this is what technician ticked) or every 4yrs or 40K miles if not.

    Thank you.
     
  14. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    I would take the car back to the dealer and ask them to top it up. The Prius is somewhat difficult to bleed all the air out of the cooling systems, and driving the car often clears some more trapped air thus lowering the coolant level.

    The dealer should have made sure all the air was out and filled the system to the full line, so it is reasonable for you to ask them to top it up free of charge. It is very important to use the correct coolant (Toyota SLLC). The coolant is good till 120,000 miles particularly as it will have been changed with the new pump.

    The spark plugs for the Prius are iridium "not platinum" they have a much longer life than platinum (120,000 miles)
    There have been reports here on PC of people using them to 150,000 miles without problems. Time has no effect upon the condition of plugs only the number of sparks produced "under normal operating combustion conditions" I will post some more details on the plugs as soon as I can.

    Time does effect the condition of engine oil, the reason for a time limit of one year on the oil or 10,000 miles.

    Do you know if the recalls on the steering shaft and inverter coolant pump have been done, if you do not know ask the dealer while you are there getting your coolant topped up.

    The recall on the steering may mean a shaft is replaced or just a bolt. The recall on the inverter pump is a replacement pump with fresh coolant. All free of charge.

    John (Britprius)
     
  15. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    If you go onto the Toyota web site click on fixed price servicing, then on the next screen choose Yaris/Prius 1.5L on intermediate, full, or full+, it will bring up a list of what Toyota "not the dealer" recommend. On none of the lists will you find change plugs, only check plugs.

    The first really comprehensive service is at 120,000 miles. I do not think there has ever been a car that requires so little in the way of servicing, but as I have said before the dealer will always try to upsell more work.

    This is rather like going into Curry's for a TV, they will try to sell you a cleaning cloth and cleaner for the screen and then a very expensive five year extended guaranty that actually is only a four year because of the one year you get anyway.

    I meant to ask did you manage to find your service history on My Toyota?

    John (Britprius)
     
  16. Abror

    Abror Junior Member

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    Thanks John.
    No I did not change spark plugs, thanks for the info. The guy did try to sell brake oil change though. Paraphrasing "Little Britain", I said "PC says no," He did not get it :)

    Also, those chaps scratched the rear bumper of my car, foot long. It will be a good excuse to ask them for a refill.
    I will buy a trans fluid from them and see if I can do it myself. Are there any prius enthusiasts here in England where DIY knowledge can be learned/shared?

    Abror
     
  17. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    There are a few of us in England on PC also some in Ireland Europe and Scandinavia, also Australia and New Zealand You will find mostly north American and Canadian, but some very knowledgeable people that are willing to help.

    The transmission fluid is very easy. You will need a small funnel and short length of clear (preferably) hose to fit, but when your ready ask. There will be full instructions with pictures. There is no need to raise the car and just two plugs to unscrew, one drain one refill.

    If you have a laptop and wish to do more, the equipment needed to do everything with the electronics is about £25 for dealer level diagnostics.

    John (Britprius)
     
  18. Abror

    Abror Junior Member

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    I sure will. 25 pounds for such electronics is cheap, willing to get it. This is my 1st car and I really want to learn to be able to do a few things myself. Thanks a lot for your help John.