Had the pump recall done today- Mixed feelings...

1. Transaxle ATF capacity is 4 US quarts, not 3.2.

2. Although a TSB exists regarding the coolant heat recovery pump, a TSB is not a recall notice. If the part was installed outside your factory warranty period then it was fair for the replacement to be covered under the extended warranty.

3. You might look behind the driver's side headlight, to see whether the inverter coolant pump looks new. You may also want to check the coolant levels in the engine and inverter coolant reservoirs. The CHRS pump is located in the LF fender in front of the tire, hidden behind the plastic fender liner.

4. When the CHRS pump runs, does it produce a different sound than in the past?

 

I just want to add how much I appreciate Patrick Wong's contribution to this forum. In fact, whenever I have an issue or question regarding my car, I first check all of your posts; THANKS Pat!.

 

There is no dipstick. The way to check the transaxle ATF level is to open the fill plug (located on the side of the transaxle that faces the radiator) and see if you can feel the fluid with a finger. If so, then the fluid level is good. The spec is that the level should be within 0-5 mm from the opening.

 

Both times I changed the transaxle fluid, I got less than 4 quarts in before the transaxle was full. I would estimate the refill volume to be about 3.7 or 3.8 quarts. When you check the level, it is important to have the car as level as possible (i.e. if you raise the front to get access, you need to raise the rear to keep it level).

 

Agree!

 

Thanks for sharing your story. My '07 is under recall, but I am waiting for the temperatures to drop further, because my thermos pump, which was really loud last winter, sounds perfect this year despite the 30 F outside.

 

so from this i gather that it is impossible to overfill the trans fluid??
and am i correct in the assumption that the transaxle fluid and transmission fluid are all in one on the prius?
i am coming from a rav4 with 3 different reservoirs trans, front diff, and rear diff. yikes!!
prius is soooo easy
what is the change interval on the prius trans fluid?? lifetime, but safer to change every 100k??? and super safe to change every 50k?? just guessing...

 

Not impossible, but extremely difficult. You could overfill and then quickly replace the plug before the excess had time to run out. Or jack the front of the car way up in the air and refill. :madgrin:

I fill it until fluid starts to come back out the fill hole, then allow time for the excess to drain out while the car is level.

Officially it is a lifetime fluid, but UOA from others suggests 60k would be a maximum. I'm using a 30k change interval. The factory fill showed high readings for Si at 10k which went down after the next 10k.

 

Sometimes, the US repair specs appear 'off'.

For example, the owner's manual clearly states the oil capacity to refill with engine oil and filter change is 3.9 US quarts. The manual also states - do not fill the oil above the top dimple on dipstick.

Many here can attest that 3.5 US quarts fills to the top dimple and 3.9 will put it clearly above the dimple at least 3/8".

My last regular service, I told the dealer, just put in 3.5 quarts, do not overfill. The result - level is very close to the top dimple.

Perhaps the technician seems wrong in some cases, but it could just be a matter of specs not translated well from the originals.

 

I had the inverter coolant pump replaced yesterday, in addition to the accelerator pedal mod and oil change. Everything took less than 1-1/2 hours which surprised me because the pump replacement by itself is "advertised" as requiring 3 hours.

At any rate, now there is no, or very little noise after shutting down Power. There has always been a distinct whirring or gurgling pump noise since I bought the car 6 years ago which I thought was normal...guess not.

Regarding the accelerator pedal mod, I did not want it done based on comments by others on the Forum, therefore did not mention or authorize it. However an over-eager shop tech performed it on his own, which I guess is a good thing because guys like him will catch other problems that owners might not be aware of. Initially I was very upset when the car was returned, but now that I've driven it it's no big deal. In fact I don't notice any difference.

I have been very pleased with the staff and service of Allen Toyota, Gulfport Mississippi over the past 6 years, but yesterday really put icing on the cake...Thank You!

 

Mine's being done this morning, hope I can report equally happy results later today!

- D

 

GOT a question for the gurus here.

my friend owns an 05. his pump failed BEFORE the recall, his car was OUT of warranty and paid for the pump out of his own pocket. Now that there's a recall, is he entitled to a refund of this work?

thanks in advance.

 

@Genoz World
Yes, if you look at the TSB, it says if you've previously paid, toyota will reimburse you.

 

That noise was NOT from the Inverter Coolant pump which runs continuously when in "Ready" mode. It was from the Thermos Coolant pump that momentarily runs at start-up and shutdown of a 2004-2009 Prius.

JeffD

 

Oh, OK...Thanks.