30k service

Art's Automotive
Luscious Garage | Hybrid Specialists

 

It's best you don't ask for a 30k mile service. Be specific on what you want done. At your mileage, there isn't much the car needs....it's still a baby. You basically need an oil change and air filters changed.

 

You have got that exactly right. There is no such thing as 30,000 mile service.

 

Without knowing what services that includes, it is not possible to say.

http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/omms/T-MMS-12PriusPHV/pdf/2012_Prius_PHV_WMG_lr.pdf
page 43 of the PDF, page 41 of the manual

30,000 miles or 36 months
Check installation of driver’s floor mat
Inspect and adjust all fluid levels
Replace cabin air filter
Replace engine air filter
Replace engine oil and oil filter
Rotate tires

They may also Replace Automatic transmission fluid, beyond that, I would suspect them of just running up the price.

 

Get your oil changed and tires rotated wherever you normaly get it done. Then buy an engine air filter and cabin air filter from the dealer parts counter or autoparts store and change them yourself. A child could do it. $40 or so for the filters. keep your receit.
Don't pay someone $300. thats insane.
Dont' ever ask for a "service". They will gladly service your wallet.
If you're completely helpless, be specific in requesting the work you want. Oil change, tire rotation, engine air filter, cabin air filter. Thats it.
$150 max for someone else to do, and that is pricey because it's synthetic oil.

 

Checking fluid levels is trivially easy, most are translucent containers with a low and a high line. As you look through the side you can see the actual quantity.

 

who did the oil change?

 

Fluids should be checked at least every 5k miles, along with rotating the tires. Follow the manufacturer's recommended service schedule, regardless of who does the work. If a dealer or independent tells you other service is due, ask them to show you in the book. I recently took a client's Lexus in for service because she felt the dealer was taking advantage of her. Sure enough, at 45 k miles they were "recommending" nearly $1200 for their 60k service, including things that Lexus doesn't suggest even at that mileage. Wound up with basic oil change, tire rotation and air filter. Dealer service reps and those at some chain outlets work on some type of commission or quota, and are programmed to "upsell" the customer.

 

I would guess the $300 quote included transmission fluid drain and fill. Many shops recommend doing transmission fluid service every 30k, this differs from the Toyota maintenance schedule but is probably a good idea IMHO.

 

There has been some discussion around here to the effect that changing the PiP transaxle/PowerSplitDevice/whatever-you-want-to-call-it fluid is essentially never called for by Toyota. Lots of debate about this. A Prius does not have a transmission, in the conventional sense.

 

CVT does have oil... No? If it does, how often that has to be changed according to owner manual?

 

That's my point. According to Toyota, the oil in the transaxle never has to be changed! Recall that there are no clutches/chains/belts there. Just permanently connected gears.

 

Thanks for the information! No wonder I couldn't find the transmission fluid dip stick... I always thought CVT are 2 pulleys and a belt... Is there a link on this CVT I can read about?

 

Found this...

Toyota Prius - Power Split Device

 

It is not a conventional CVT, by any means. It is more properly called an eCVT, where the CVT-like behavior is derived through an ingenious design. Try starting at Toyota Prius - Power Split Device , but there are lots of web sites describing the Power Split Device.

 

Here's a couple. FWIW, I cannot watch the first without falling asleep, and the second exceeds my attention span, a lot...

Whats Going On As I Drive?

The lack of dip stick is neither here nor there. Changing the fluid is a good idea, the first time should be sooner than later, from there on you can stretch the interval. There's lots threads here.

 

I know a lot of folks here feel very strongly about this, and feel that Toyota is grossly negligent for not advising transaxle fluid changes. Given its design, what can can fail if you don't change the fluid? Are the gears going to wear, or are bearings going to fail? Even if they felt that the benefit were questionable, why wouldn't they toss a bone to their dealers' service departments and recommend changes?