This round at least I cannot afford a 2018 PPAdvanced so I'm purchasing my [leaseback] 2015 P w/Navigation (and that's about it.) I'd love getting all the advanced features but my financial planning got off track and I must wate at least four years now or for some great fortune/luck. For making the best of my 2015, which so far like the previous P's have/had zero problems, what might I spend to make more of the car now? Thanks for any thoughts. [Edited to make obvious, since I didn't, that I am purchasing my leaseback. I suppose then the post makes no sense? Oh, well...]
Owning a 2010-II, a 2015-4 and being a Mechanic I will tell you the best thing you can do "right now" is change your oil/filter, have your tires balanced, rotated and pressures set to 42 psi in front and 40 psi in back, have the alignment checked/adjusted, have your transmission fluid changed (not flushed), have your brakes cleaned, adjusted and flushed and change out both the engine and cabin air filters. You DO NOT need fuel injection cleaning...if they try to sell it to you. This is a used car and the best thing for them is a reset. You take care of the machine and it will take care of you. The fact that you bought the most reliable vehicle out there is just a bonus. Enjoy.
Looked through the Prius Shop and one thing I need from time to time is a good glare shield for the navigation screen.
Any thoughts and/or facts on pre-paying for routine maintenance for oil changes, filters, and inspections and the like the dealer offers vs paying up front for the services as they are needed?
My understanding in a brake flush is recommended every few years due to humidity possibly building up in the fluid. I checked mine with a brake fluid tester and it said 1% / good. (3-5% is bad.) I have a 2013 with 42,000 mi. Dealer recommended it but seems like it might be a waste of ~$200. Same thing for my Wife's Honda. Dealer recommended brake flush and other stuff but her brake fluid is also at 1% moisture / good.
Honda Canada recommends to change brake fluid tri-yearly, regardless of mileage. Toyota Canada recommends tri-yearly, or 48K kms (30K miles). @NutzAboutBolts has an excellent video on this. My wife and I did the brake fluid change, cost 2 pints of Toyota DOT3 fluid (about $15 expense). Tools used: 1. Kirkland 2 liter mayo jar, with hole drilled in lid. 2. Some clear-plastic tubing. 3. Bleed screw coupling, and a small diameter spigot (borrowed from my Mighty Vac kit, most any automotive store would have items like this.) 4. Largish syringe (for basting fluid out of reservoir. I picked this up at a pharmacy, sans needle.) 5. 8 and 10 mm box wrenches for the bleed screws, and typical assortment of tools for access. 6. Floor jack, safety stands, to get the car safely raised and the wheels off. The only exceptions/comments I'd make to @NutzAboutBolts video: 1. He uses mechanized suction a fair bit, and while it's handy, it's not a must. Some sort of syringe for sucking the old fluid out of the reservoir at the beginning will do. 2. He starts with the rears, but, and I'm not sure how critical it is, Repair Manual order is front/right, front/left, rear/left and rear/right. Before starting, I would note the level in the reservoir. Having two pints on hand seemed sufficient, and aim to end up with the same level, and a little in reserve, say at least 50 cc. Then monitor over the next few days, top up if needed, and when you're sure the level is stable, just dispose of what's left over, together with the drained fluid. Up here Mr Lube quick-oil places will take it, for one.
Where this has REALLY been a benefit to me is as the parent of a college student. She knew she SHOULD do routine maintenance, she just always had better uses for the cash on hand. Buying her oil changes 5 at a time helped me be a good parent from 2500 miles away.
