Short version: Do you have suggestions for additional optional maintenance to improve MPG at 80K miles? More detail: I’m going to take our 2017 P.Prime in to the dealer for 80K maintenance soon. I’m driving it much more on gas than I used to. That, since I’m still working from home after the Pandemic, meaning that I don’t have an all-EV daily commute. Also because my mom is getting a bit old, so I need to take more trips to help her out with stuff. So, do any of you have suggestions for optional maintenance to add to the usual 80K job, that could help MPG? For example, I’m guessing that they might offer to clean the throttle body, but that that may not help much in terms of MPG in particular. But what about cleaning and/or gapping the plugs (or replacing them)? What else? Thanks for the ideas!
I have no idea what 'optional maintenance' would be. Can you tell us what procedures they wish to perform?
there really isn't much worth doing. have you changed the tranny fluid? are your mpg's down? there can be many causes. plugs are extremely unlikely
I haven’t brought it in yet, so they haven’t suggested anything yet at least. By “optional maintenance,” I mean something beyond the standard, scheduled maintenance for 80K.
Thanks for the thoughts. Changing the transmission fluid (probably better described as “gearbox oil”) is one thing I plan to do this time around, yes. Is the MPG down…? Not drastically, but I’m not sure I have a good point of comparison. I’m going from our house to my mom’s house and back (just under 200 miles each way) on about 80%ish of a tank. So, lower-mid-40s MPG at 75-80MPH. If the computer is to be believed, MPG reeeally plummets above 60-65MPH. Anyway, best I can recall, that’s roughly what its always been, but not sure I remember from 2017. But, 80K miles, so I’m trying to stay ahead of the curve where possible. Also, even if the MPG isn’t down much, the $PG is!
I think that’s what they called it on our 2009 Prius. I interpreted that to mean cleaning gasoline deposits from the intake manifold. Would an injector cleaning likely be of much value?
i've never seen the need for it if you use top tier gas, but you may get other opinions. your mpg's sound about right for the speed, it's hard to overcome the laws of physics. do you have good LRR tyres? pump them up a bit?
Would an injector cleaning likely be of much value? They're only going to dump some Techronine or STP into your tank. IMHO; do that yourself to save some money. Iridium plugs can't be easily regapped - more likely to damage it by trying. They don't fall-out of specs like old style spark plugs of the past. Transmission fluid replacement is simply a preventive maintenance measure; to prevent transmission/transaxle failure. Hope this helps....
The best way to increase mpg is to slow down. It does not cost hundreds of dollars for worthless fuel treatments or unnecessary spark plugs and the extra time is insignificant versus 55-60 mph. Even the transaxle fluid is a feel good maintenance at this point.
Very unlikely, if it's running well, especially if you mostly use Top Tier fuel. rjparker got it right. Before you get to 100k, consider cleaning the EGR passages of the intake manifold, and a quick check of the EGR flow restriction number via OBD-II port. Within reason, changing the engine oil more often than Toyota recommended is a form of "optional maintenance" many people feel adds to the life expectancy.
what's the problem with the mpg? Using hypermiling skills ( in very light to no traffic ) is the best way I've found to give the computers a kind of reset. But the reset doesn't last once the traffic starts speeding up. Not really much anyone can do to get better mpg from the Primes. Great mpg reports here can be misleading at best. What's your lifetime mpg (if you still have it on one of your odometer or other two trip meters?
Yep, my wife's 2017 Prius gets way worst MPG than my 2021 Prius AWD despite me changing all all the fluid this summer (Radiator and traction battery coolant, Transmission, and brake fluid.) I clean our MAF sensors and Throttle Bodies every 25,000 miles or every 3-years, whichever comes first.) All these jobs are pretty easy so, personally, I wouldn't pay the high costs of the dealership but would get a good local mechanic to do them BUT instruct them to only use Toyota WS Transmission oil and Toyota Super Long Life Coolant. (Even if they claim their stuff is "just as good"....nope.)
i wouldn't bother with the nightmare egr access on gen 4, they don't clog. obd reading would be interesting as a data point
It’s running on couple-month-old Ecopia Pluses at 42PSI all around. I’ve done some braking tests at that 42, and it doesn’t seem adversely affected. I usually fill up at either Chevron or Exxon stations (87 unleaded), so should be good-quality. Hmmm… Change out the fuel filter? Thanks for the thoughts!
Absolutely agree, but probably not a great a idea to be driving 55-60 with a 75MPH-speed-limit zone and a fair number of people driving 80… Also, not sure if I want to add an hour to my one-way trip time.
I don't think there is a serviceable fuel filter. It's on the fuel pump, inside the fuel tank, in most cases. If you have been performing the regular maintenance, anything extra likely isn't going to have a measurable impact to fuel economy.