New owner of an '07 Prius -- Any advice?

Congrats on getting a Prius finally!

A computer diagnostic scan is meaningless unless one of the many check engine lights is on.

Change the transaxle fluid. Now, 62K, is a great time.

Register at toyota.com/owners to see if there are maintenance records, repairs, and recalls. Yours falls under the inverter cooling pump recall.

 

Oil change, tire rotation
Good chance it is time for a second air filter change
Transaxle fluid is a good idea
12 volt battery test
Recalls.
Could be $200 well spent

 

Chris: I'm in somewhat the same boat - I bought my '05 on eBay also (mine had 133,500 miles). So far, I have done this - oil/filter change -- transaxle fluid change, replaced original Toyota 12 volt battery with Optima Yellow top, replaced spark plugs, replaced PCV valve, replaced engine air filter, replaced cabin air filter (what a difference that made in air flow in the psgr. compartment.) It does get cold in Nebraska, just like it does in Minnesota . I just want mine to be dependable this Winter. Since yours has 1/2 the miles, you may not need the new 12v battery, or the plugs, or the PCV valve - but I WOULD check the 2 filters to see if they're dirty.

 

If you guys have to drive in the snow a lot then I suggest ditching the oem Integrity tires for something with more grip. Those tires are horrible and flat out unsafe in wet conditions.

Also check your 12v battery voltage. You never know how many times it may have been depleted and it is common issue on older cars.

 

If either of these Prii are still driving on the OE GY Integrity tires, I would be impressed. They do not typically last very long.

JeffD

 

The PO of my '05 Prius had just put on a set of Hankok 724's -- BUT -- Minnesota DOES get snow (had some already) so I did put a set of Michelin X-Ice non-studded tires on her.

 

For the transaxle-- you DO want to use ATF WS and yes 5w-30 on the oil.

 

Congrats on the '07! My parents and I each have '07's we've had since new--they're incredible cars.

I really like them because you can drive them without paying any attention to the hybrid system, or you can learn as much as you can and optimize your driving style to get really nice fuel economy. It can be just a car, or a whole hobby/lifestyle.

We've been doing all our maintenance ourselves, from home. So far, it's just been oil/filter, air filter, cabin air filter changes and tire rotations. With one front tire up on the curb, it's pretty easy to crawl/reach underneath and undo the oil drain plug. The oil filter is also easy to reach. I use 5W-30 synthetic blend. Make sure not to overfill--it only takes 3.5 quarts.

I haven't addressed the transaxle fluid yet--I'm still under 40k miles. The factory maintenance schedule doesn't have transaxle fluid replacement on it, I don't think, but it seems like many people do it anyway as a precaution.

Thanks to the internet, there are plenty of how-tos and videos available for performing practically any maintenance item and there are plenty of sources for parts. I'm not planning on ever taking this car to a mechanic or dealer for anything except the service bulletin work--I haven't done that yet.

We're both on our original 12v batteries. My parents' hasn't shown any sign of needing replacement but I had the Progressive snapshot device plugged in for a while and since I only drive once or twice a week, it was dragging the 12-v battery down. I kept putting a charge on it while parked but it looked like it wasn't going to recover. My Snapshot monitoring period ended a few months ago and it seems like the 12v battery is starting to hold a charge better again--I'm going to put off its replacement some more. When the red, triangle with exclamation point light on the dash comes on when you turn on the car, that's a sign that the 12v battery is under-voltage. Mine never failed to start but it showed the light and took longer to boot up sometimes.

Many people are going with Optima Yellow Top batteries as replacements instead of the stock, Toyota items. They're expected to last 3+ times as long (10-15 years instead of 3-6) and cost close to the same. Optima just introduced a direct fit application that costs $199 but I'm going to go with the group 51 and adaptation kit from http://www.elearnaid.com/12vo1topraub.html for $170--the price difference is good for a few bags of groceries and the kit comes with a more readily-available battery size.

A lot of us are running higher tire pressure to reduce rolling resistance and improve MPG. It's good practice to keep the front tires about 2psi higher than the back--it improves handling, since the front is the heavy end. I run 44psi front/42 psi rear. It also ensures that the low tire pressure light won't come on when it gets cold out.

Don't get frustrated if you're not getting the kind of MPG numbers you want at first. A lot of people are initially disappointed but with some education and practice, you'll have things figured out in no time. The car also helps teach you how to drive efficiently if you pay attention to it.

Have fun with it--this forum is a great place to search for information or ask questions.

Eric