Replaced front brakes at 120K. What other services should I perform?

^ Toyota USA Warranty and Maintenance Booklet recommends a "more in-depth" brake inspection, tri-yearly or 30K miles, whichever comes first. They're VERY vague, really only say to check rotors against specs**, but I would interpret that to include a full brake inspection, where you pull the calipers off the rotors, inspect/clean/lube the pads/shims/caliper, and relube the caliper glide pins.

The shop that replaced my brakes recommended the following:
replace spark plugs<due according to Toyota USA (per Toyota USA Warranty and Maintenance Booklet). If you're interested in DIY, @NutzAboutBolts has a video* on it. Only, in video he lubes the new plugs liberally with anti-seize, then says to torque to 20 foot pounds. Repair manual spec's 15 foot pounds, with no mention of lube, meaning clean/dry threads.

clean hybrid battery fan cleaning<good idea. I would DIY for sure. @NutzAboutBolts has a video* on it; only, I would not pull the rear seat though: there's one bolt needing removal, just below air inlet grill, and you can just push apart the seat and back, reach through with an extension on a ratchet. It's 12 mm socket required IIRC.

transmission fluid service<good idea. Sooner the better. If you're comfortable with DIY oil changes, you could DIY the transaxle fluid change***. Only use Toyota ATF WS, see my signature for tips.

engine water pump replacement?<Judging by reports here, they've been failing, "somewhere" between 100K and 200K, so not a bad idea. Change thermostat too? There's genuine Toyota or Aisin, which is likely the company making the Toyota pumps. I think as long as you're sure it's not counterfeit Aisin you're ok. But I'm boxing above my weight, just what I've read here. Maybe others will weigh in. Consider changing the coolant pump on the inverter circuit too? That one's hard to access I've read.

* linked in thread pinned at top of this forum

** see link in my signature

*** see link in my signature

 

Follow your maintenance schedule and add egr circuit cleaning, tranny fluid and battery cooling fan

 

Oh yeah, EGR! See first couple of links in my signature.

 

Spark plugs $85 —- $60 if with another service<good deal, maybe too good. What plugs, and do they know the wipers and cowl need to come off??
Hybrid Battery Fan cleaning $65<good deal.
Change Transmission fluid $165<overpriced.
Engine Water pump $550<fair price.

This is the place that did your brakes, not a dealership? I’d be cautious unleashing them on all this. Mostly cheaper, but…

 

Man those prices are great! I would take them up on the fan cleaning, spark plugs and ATF change (I paid $200). Make sure they’re using denso plugs, if not I’d supply my own spark plugs. See if you can get a quote to clean out your egr system too. You have a lot of time to wait on your water pump. I’d wait at least another 50k miles. It would be a good idea to have them change out both inverter and engine coolant as well.

 

Hey, $165 to drain/fill transmission isn't bad...my stinking dealership charges $315 even when I reminded them it's TWO plugs, just drain and fill!
Water pump should only be replaced if it's leaking or starting to make noises like it's about to go out....one of those, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" things.
I do replace all my radiator caps and fuel fill caps every 10-years because that's about the life of them...I've seen both fail around that time in the past. (And I replace only with OEM parts.)

 

Transaxle fluid change should not be over $100; the expense and complexity are sim to an oil change.

 

To be fair, the Toyota ATF WS fluid price has been climbing, from about $9 to $12 (CDN) per liter, local to me. You need to buy 4 liters for a change, and should replace the two washers, which are $2~3 apiece.

the deed, for a dealership with lifts, should take about 1/2 hour.

 

For sure but I think the way the dealership gets away with it is to charge $315 which includes trucks which is a much bigger job than a sedan. My Tundra transmission change requires a scanner to ensure the correct operating temperature is reached before the final fluid level adjustment....about the STUPIDEST procedure ever invented! Just give me a dipstick already!!

 

I've never heard of an EGR cleaning requirement/suggestion for the Gen 4 Pruis. Was the issue fixed so no longer needed? (I do clean my MAF sensors and Throttle Bodies every 3-4 years.)

 

@jerrymildred is working at Tampa Hybrids, and they offer EGR cleaning. A 4th gen customer with miles around 300k asked for this cleaning, and they obliged, but Jerry said it was largely a waste of time, very minor carbon accumulation.

Toyota used 3rd gen owners as beta testers I’d say.

 

That sounds about right.

BTW, I found a quick way to clean that battery fan. Someone here mentioned using Simple Green. Can't remember who, but it wasn't my idea. Works great. I open up the fan and use a brush and compressed air first if it's really built up. That takes off the big stuff. Then, holding the fan so the cleaner can't get to the motor, spray it with the Simple Green. The dirt just washes off. Rinse while also holding it so the motor area stays dry and blow dry. Comes out looking like new.

 

Under normal conditions, you should not hear it. But if the battery gets warm enough, the fan will run fast enough to be easily heard.

 

it does sound like maybe something is wrong. i would ask them to take a look, although i can't think of anything they could have done to make it noisy. it is very unusual to hear the fan until the battery starts to get cranky, or on a really hard uphill drive in the heat.
had you heard it before the cleaning?