transmission oil (ATF) change interval

Dealers around here charge $11/qt of WS if you walked in and asked for a quart. If you try to haggle with them, they charge $8. Labor is also $125-$145/hr.

So...4 quarts at $11/qt= $44
2 washers at $2/ea= $4
0.6 * $145/hr= $87

Total= $135...so I'm guess your dealer must either have a far higher labor rate or they are charging a full hour for the job.

 

A flush is not necessary, doubly so with the prius, which by design will drain almost all. Even with a conventional transmission, where you might only drain approx. 60%, I`ve always just done just one draining. If you want to really stay on top of it, just do the changes more often.

The only time you really need a flush is if the fluid got contaminated, say with motor oil. And then the method is to do a change, drive around the block, do another change, and so on, for at least 3 drains.

 

Glad you were able to push and save some bucks. Just confirms what many already know about the "stealerships". Sad... really sad.

 

I am just over 42,000 miles and am going to have it changed. I called three dealerships. The one I bought the car from and that I have change the oil, charges $179.99 while two others charge $99.99 and $99 for the ATF change. These are all in the northern suburbs of Detroit.

 

After doing my own at 100k, the result is huge. Definitely recommend it.

 

W

Can you describe the huge result?

If anyone has a procedure and part numbers to the needed washers, it would be a good addition to this thread.

Are the washers the same for Gen 2?

 

probably picked up horsepower, torque, smoothness, quietness and mpg's.

 

Gen 2 had different bolts on the drain and fill locations. Really though, it's dead simple. As far as getting right parts numbers for the washers, I would suggest just go to a Toyota parts department, tell them what you need, they'll figure all that out. And get 4 quarts (or liters) of GENUINE TOYOTA ATF WS.

Coles Notes version:

Raise and level the car. Remove fill bolt. Position drain pan and remove drain bolt. Install drain bolt. Run funnel with 3 foot extension down to fill hole. Add fluid till it starts coming out. Install fill bolt.

 

Our '08 was bought new for a rural mail route. I changed the trans fluid @ 40K because it was a rg. use vehicle. Zoom ahead to 130K 2 years ago. We started noticing a 10% drop in mpgs and figured well, it's maybe just time (getting old). We both retired shortly after, then I remembered, I haven't changed the trans oil since 40K (oops). We changed the trans oil in about 20 minutes, with me under the car, and my wife above holding the funnel in a tube pouring in the new oil, I stayed under monitoring for oil spillage. The car ran smoother, and we got our mpgs back.

Highly recommend it.

 

so the manual says to change the ATF and front differential at 60K only for the heavy towing/loading scenario - weird that my '14 manual never list that to be changed in regular schedule (not even 100k or 120k)!

Previous owner did it at 145k (I can see the 4qt ATF WS on invoice), which may be the fist time it's ever been done, but can't find any front differential oil change - which I'm guessing should be done at the same interval ? and why would the regular schedule never list a change, only check which technically cover any issue, though I doubt it's often done.

 

If it's saying transaxle and front differential, the second is a complete typo. There's just the transaxle. I would toss Toyota recommendation, my take:

Change the transaxle fluid around the one year mark and 10K miles. Then maybe every 60K thereafter.

 

How can it say that when Toyota does not recommend towing at all!