Hey everyone! So I’m around 110k miles and dealer wanted me to do 100k service. The rear rotors and brake pads are needed the most, which I’ve ordered everything I need per nutzandbolts video and should be pretty easy. however, I believe the fluid exchange is the dealer wants to do a flush before the coolant service. Asking $130 for both, but coolant change looks even easier then the brake pads lol. I tried looking a lot for any flush related stuff/video but didn’t find any. I’m wondering if I can do the flush myself and then change the coolant, so I’d only pay the dealer to do the ats transmission for $150 and brake fluid exchange. Anyone got any opinions/experience on this coolant exchange...
You need brakes at 110,000 miles?? Do you ride the brakes? The rears should last twice as long as the fronts. Have YOU pulled the wheels and looked at them? There is no "flush" for the transmission. Just drain and fill. Just make sure it's level. And remove the "filler" bolt first. As for the engine and inverter coolant, just drain and refill. Refill SLOWLY, squeezing there radiator hoses. Don't forget the spark plugs. It's all easy.... You might want to start thinking about cleaning the EGR system while you are at it.
I don’t ride the brakes at all, maybe the previous owner did, I got the car around the 90k mark. You’re right, I’ll be checking it this weekend. I’ve already ordered all the parts but I’ll be happy if I won’t need them yet. Dealer tech had the rear brake pads and rotors under red, implying they need quick changing! With 4mm next to it. They want to flush the inverter coolant and then add coolant, which is what I don’t get because I didn’t see anything about flushing inverter coolant for the Prius anywhere... I keep seeing the egr system cleaning, I’ll definitely look into it! Anything to extend the life of the engine haha They want $300 for the spark plugs, I’m going to see if I can do that as well
Nutzaboutbolts has many videos of the various repairs for the Prius. But you can also search youtube and find many more. Watch a few of them so you can find different ways of doing things. Removing the wiper assembly is fairly easy. Lot's of bolts, but not hard. Then you have access to the plugs. The front pads are fairly thick, but the rears are thin. I was going to do fronts and rears on mine, but when I looked at the rears, there was 1/2 the life left. I went about 40,000 miles on them, and even then I couldn't have left them for longer. If you don't change them, even though you have the pads, you want to grease the slide pins. It's special grease just for brakes, about $4-5 dollars and will last many many cars!
I saw his video and the 1A auto, same guys I bought the rotors and pads from have a really thorough one, which i feel might be an overkill. But, this is the nutzandbolts video I’m going by: If you click “read more”, he lists the tools and the lubes you were talking about, I’ve ordered them both, however, he has a 3M Copper Anti Seize which I don’t know where I would apply that one? I know how to lube the sliding pins with the silicone paste but any idea where the copper anti seize would go?
You can get the antisieze and lube at any autoparts store.... And you can rent the tool to turn the piston back for the rear pads. If you keep your key fob 30+ feet away, and DO NOT open the drivers door, you don't need to disconnect the 12V battery.
$300 for spark plug change on this car is robbery! Lots of videos on YouTube to show you how. Basic hand tools and a couple hours to take the wipers and cowl out. Once that cowl is off the plugs are right there easy to access. As a hint I put a couple pieces of electrical tape on the inside of the socket to snug up the fit to the spark plug. Then you don’t have to figure out how to fish the old plug out and it makes getting the new one lined up in the hole easily.
I’m pretty sure that DOESN’T work, the brakes will still try to pressurize. And even if it does work, is 30’ enough, and do you really want to find out the hard way, with a popped-out piston? my pref is to disconnect 12 volt neg cable at the outset, and when everything’s reassembled push the brake pedal multiple times (take out any excess travel), and then reconnect neg cable. Decades of doing Honda brakes, their Shop Manuals were very specific, and I think it translates to Toyo: apply thin coat of anti-seize (either silver or copper), on all points of contact between pad backs, shims and caliper. The practical way to do this is to always apply it to the SMALLER of the two items; that way it’s just where you need it.
I did bearing hubs and brakes on a 2005 a few weeks ago. I'll check to make sure, but I seem to remember the repair manual (for Gen 2) for the front disc brakes said replace at 1mm. I don't have a Gen 3 manual. I did the pads anyway because the parts were already purchased and it would be the last time ever, for this car. Everything else was pretty much clean it and put it back together. If your specs are the same as a Gen 2 on pad thickness, you're still sitting at close to 40%.
Well it says 1mm is the minimum. Somewhat analogous to running your tires down to 2/32” legal limit? If I was seeing brake pads down to 2~3 mm, I wouldn’t hesitate.
Funny, YOU are the one that kept saying to keep the fob 20 feet away. So I search the owners manual and a few searches online and they said to keep the key fob 20 feet away. I just said 30 to be extra sure. And you missed that part about NOT opening the front door... which I also saw you typed that several times. If the car is OFF, and the key fob is more than 20 feet away, annnddddd you do NOT open the front door, there is no reason for the brakes to activate. Unless you craw through the passenger side and reach down and push the pedal. But WHY would anyone do that while working on the rear brakes???? I've cleaned the pins twice, replaced pads, and cleaned the pins again. Replaced the rear hubs 1.5 times. All without disconnecting the 12v battery, and not opening the drivers door. Buttttt.... if ANYONE "feels" better disconnecting the 12v battery, go for it! It won't hurt. Just remember your radio station and other setting....
You don’t think distant fob stops activation IF drivers door is opened? That what I worry about, that one slip up.
Don't slip up! Don't open the door. It can't be that hard to remember. You are at the REAR of the car working on the brakes. WHY would you open the front door? Tap a note on the door handle that says: DO NOT OPEN THIS DRIVERS DOOR UNTIL YOU HAVE THE REAR BRAKES COMPLETELY BACK TOGETHER. Or something to that effect.
First time indeed I've disconnected 12V battery. No problems with radio station or windows but I almost fainted when I power up first time the car after reconnecting 12V battery and my dash was light like a Christmas tree. Turn off and on again and everything was fine. So now my rule is simple, keep the fob away and don't touch driver door.
Before reconnecting pump the brake pedal, take out any excess travel. That’s one thing that can upset the car I’ve read, so I always do, and no lights.
It's very easy to say don't do this or don't do that and you'll be ok. The LOTO system was developed because too many people getting hurt or killed due to someone forgetting to 'not do this or not do that' while working on something. 35 years of using lock out-tag out to keep my butt alive and uninjured has apparently worked. Personally, I blow down the brake accumulator and kill the power supply. Then I don't have to worry about it. Hydraulic systems are one thing that shouldn't be taken for granted, ever, because sh*t happens, and real life doesn't have do-overs. To each their own.
I must be the only person who doesn't take any extra precautions when servicing my brakes. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
