Transaxle Fluid Change DIY?

There are numerous threads on that topic.
It's easy, once you get the car lifted and the underpanel out of the way.

 

When is it due to be done - I thought I saw it wasn't due within MY lifetime?

 

My pdf of the 2016 Owners Manual shows the fluid is still TOYOTA ATF WS, slightly greater fluid capacity than 3rd gen:



I'll attach the gen 3 instruction, fwiw. It's quite straightforward: raise and level car, drain fluid, add new fluid, till it starts coming back out.

The 2016 oil change instruction has been posted. Maybe someone can post similar for the transaxle? This sort of instruction used to be included in a lot Owners Manual, manufacturers seem to be cutting back on DIY instruction though.

 

Please do not ask others to steal for you. Toyota, who owns the copyright, chooses to charge for that. I do not want PriusChat to be frozen out of Toyota events.

 

Could be a reasonable idea to do it if the car is being kept for a longer time than the 4 or 5 years that I generally keep mine.

 

It's around $40 (can) for sufficient fluid and 2 washers, and a fairly easy DIY. Those factors were compelling for me, outweighing any other pros and cons.

I think it's sad that Toyota's so dismissive about the possible value, and that they chose to hold back the instruction for this and various other routine maintenance items, behind a paywall.

 

In 2006, when I asked for the transaxle oil to be changed the Toyota service manager told me there was no oil in there. Needless to say I was pissed they knew so little about the car. Maybe if Toyota says it's good for life, they didn't tell the service people much about it. That Prius has gone 200 K and the oil never was changed. But that said no oil lasts forever, and I would feel better if was easy and documented how to change.

 

When changing fluid the car has to be lifted up and leveled so the fluid level when refilled. If you just jack up the front and fill up the level will be off.

 

Yup. The fill bolt is towards the rear, so if the car has the front raised, the level's going to be on the low side.

 

Amazes me how ignorant service departments are. I would like to have mine changed but sometimes you wonder if it is worth the risk. They may open the wrong plug hole and fill the wrong hole.

And I have never done anything that stupid in my whole life. Not!

Changed the gear box fluid in a VW Rabbit Diesel truck and filled the clutch access visual inspection hole with 90 weight. Fortunately I caught it before driving and drained it the best I could.
Another thing I did I am too ashamed to even talk about. Team work, diagrams, and checklists are the way to go. I hear the oil change rack at some places yelling out checklist items/even at Walmart.

 

I know someone who checked the radiator - but - instead opened the valve-cover oil fill cap - saw it was empty, so she filled it up. With water. Drove for for ½ hr or so - husband changed the oil - twice, and it was still going strong 2 yrs later. A '60s TOYOTA.

 

Who ever said oil and water never mix

 

I started pouring motor oil into an automatic transmission once. Put in about 4 oz before I woke up. Drained it, filled with the right stuff, drove to dealership and got enough fluid for two more changes, and did the two more changes, with a drive 'round the block after each. It survived.

 

Wonder if you could pour a bunch of cheap tranny fluid in the gear box and flush it out before putting the liquid gold in it.

 

Why bother? Then you'd have to flush out the "cheap tranny fluid," which would be far more trouble and expense than simply replacing (most of) the WS directly.

 

I would go for it. When googling "Toyota techinfo 2016 prius transaxle fluid change", this is one of the first results:

https://techinfo.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/rm/RM1290U/xhtml/RM00000419L000X.html?sisuffix=ff&locale=en&siid=1473261787780

This looks very similar to the document I have for third gen (attached), I believe it is an amended third gen document, not sure. It's last edit was 8-31-2016. The torque values for fill/drain bolts are notably higher, at 37 ft/lb, than the 29 ft/lb in my document. The volume at drain in fill amount is also slightly higher, at 3.4 liters, vs the 3.3 liters in my document.

The 2016 Owner's Manual still spec's Toyota ATF WS as the fluid to use. I would have a look at yours. The fill and drain bolts are viewed when you're around the middle, looking towards the driver's side. The bigger circle, adjacent to the upper (fill) bolt is the drive shaft, in section. I'll wager it still looks very similar to this:



Give it a go, report back?