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60k Miles on Gen III What DIY maintenance to perform?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Russ D, Jan 8, 2013.

  1. Russ D

    Russ D Junior Member

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    Hello All,

    Perhaps due to ignorance, lack of time, or pure stupidity I have amassed 60k on my 2010 Prius and the only maintenance that has been done is changing the oil every ~10k miles and rotating the tires everytime the oil light came on (dealer told me they rotate the tires at the first light and change the oil and rotate the tires on the 2nd oil light) so I have kept that up since being out of Toyotacare through 25k miles.

    So since 25k miles I have put Mobil 1 0w20 every ~10k miles at 30k, 40k, 50k and will soon when the light comes on again (just crossed 60k recently) I vacuumed the cabin filter (wasn't that dirty) and changed the engine air filter (wasn't that dirty) at ~35-40k.

    I have average to better than average mechanical skills. Have rebuilt a 60's muscle car, lowered several new cars and changed the brakes and oil on most of my newer cars so I have confidence to do most things as long as I don't fear I could REALLY mess something up.

    So that being said... I want this car to last a really long time... putting 30k miles per year on it if I can get 200k+ out of it I would love it.

    Therefore, I need some maintenance advice. I don't think changing the oil, rotating tires, buying tires and replacing air filters are going to cut it 100%. What do the dealers do at 60k? What do you recommend that I do? I did notice the pink fluid underhood looks a bit low. What type of fluid is this and should I just top it off or is this something I should change?

    Thanks for any and all replies!
     
    #1 Russ D, Jan 8, 2013
  2. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    The only maintenance needed at this time is to drain/refill the transaxle fluid with new WS.

    If you want to go above and beyond, feel free to replace the engine coolant and inverter coolants yourself, and pay the dealer for a brake fluid flush.


    iPhone ?
     
    #2 The Critic, Jan 8, 2013
    frodoz737 and Russ D like this.
  3. Russ D

    Russ D Junior Member

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    Cool deal. Thanks for the reply Critic! I found the directions for the transaxle flush on here. Looks like the WS comes from the Toyota dealer... is that the best source for new washers for the drain and fill plugs also?

    Is the inverter coolant the pink fluid under the hood? If it's not 100% necessary right now I'll put it off until it is required and won't miss it. At what interval do you recommend that to be done? From searching these forums you seem to be pretty knowledgable on the maintenance subject. What type of fluid goes in there anyway? As mentioned in my previous post... I feel like I should at least top it off.

    Thanks again!
     
    #3 Russ D, Jan 8, 2013
  4. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Yes, I would get the washers from the dealer. The price is outrageous ($2/ea), but it is not a frequent purchase so I would pay the piper.

    Both the engine cooling and inverter cooling systems use Toyota Super Long Life Premix 50/50. The price of the stuff is between $20-$25/gal depending on the dealer. The first required coolant replacement is at 10/100k, and subsequent replacements are at half the interval.

    I had a dealer drain/refill my engine coolant at 30k, and I plan to do both the engine and inverter coolants at 60k. The coolant is probably fine until 100k, but given Toyota's history of water pump leaks on the Gen II and numerous other engine families, I am changing mine more frequently. Of course, I do not have any proof that it will make a difference in the longevity of the cooling system components.

    Also, if you are out of warranty, I would feel OK about using the new Zerex Asian Premix 50/50 in the engine coolant loop. Unlike most aftermarket coolants that are universal, this product was designed to match the HOAT chemistry of Asian coolants. It is $14/gal at NAPA or O'Reilly Auto Parts and should provide a small savings over the OE product.
     
    #4 The Critic, Jan 9, 2013
    frodoz737 likes this.
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Yes. Full name is "Toyota ATF-WS fluid", or something very similar. My closest dealership in Canada had ample liters, I think they're selling quarts of same in the 'States. I forget exactly, but it was maybe $9~10 per liter, and you should get 4. You'll use maybe 3.5 (qt/liter) when it starts coming back out of the fill hole.
     
    #5 Mendel Leisk, Jan 9, 2013
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