Does anyone have any information about checking the fluid levels and changing the fluid on 2011 Prius transmission and differential? Thanks
The Prius has a transaxle that houses the PSD including the electric motors MG1 and MG2. Search on here for transaxle fluid change. There are several threads on here along with some very good DIY instructions along with pictures showing the drain and fill plugs.
Here is one of the threads Dwight mentioned. http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...ting/72896-diy-transmission-fluid-change.html Procedure is in post #35 along with a link to the transaxle fluid analysis thread. I think 20K to 30K miles is a reasonable interval.
From the ATF lab testing to date on Gen2 Prii, a first Drain and Refill of the Toyota Type WS ATF at 30k miles is appropriate. You can then safely extend the interval to 60k miles thereafter. See the attached test results if you want to see why. The four columns are: 180k miles - Cleaner yet, on could consider extending the interval further. :mod: 120k miles - Much cleaner. 60k miles - Note the high metallic content, the silicates are probably due to sealants used in the manufacturing process. The viscosity index is marginal at best. Virgin type WS ATF - Very Clean JeffD