Gen II Prius Past 150K -- Big PicturMaintenance Schedule Question

If I may add...brake flush. writes123 made mention of this, but for some reason many here don't seem give this area attention it deserves. This may possibly be because of the miracle regen brake system (which is a separate system), because of Toyota's lack of service recommendation (other than a visual), implying perhaps this is a lifetime fluid like the transmission fluid and because the demographics of the average Prius owner is prone to pinching the penny as tight as possible. Irregardless the reason, Prius comes delivered with DOT3 brake fluid from the factory. I leave it to your own judgement and research to determine the importance of this fact. Consider industry standards and high repair costs associated with related brake system failures which have been documented. I know costs mount as you ponder your actions, but this is simple preventative maintenance. The material is on this site should you choose and/or feel confident DIY. I choose to have the dealership perform this one, and have two locals Dealerships that only charge $100. Me...30,000 miles or 3 years...which ever comes first. About to have the 3rd one done this month. YMMV

 

regarding brake fluid flush. some if not most say leave it alone. but for those lexus hybrid owners since 2010 their rx450h maintenance schedule calls for replacing brake fluid every 30k miles. something to definitely keep in mind. the fluid absorbs moisture regardless of brake pad wear or lack thereof. thus the fluid needs to be replaced.

30,000 Mile
Factory Recommended

• Replace engine oil and oil filter (0W-20)
• Rotate tires and adjust tire pressures as required
• Replace air conditioner filter
• Replace brake fluid
• Replace engine air filter
• Replace smart key battery
• Reset maintenance reminder light
• Road test vehicle
• Check installation of driver's floor mat
• Inspect axle shaft boots
• Inspect ball joints and dust covers
• Inspect body
• Inspect brake lines and hoses
• Inspect brake rotor thickness and runout
• Inspect engine coolant
• Inspect exhaust pipes and mounting
• Inspect fuel lines and connections, fuel tank band and fuel tank vapor vent system hoses.
• Inspect fuel tank cap gasket
• Inspect inverter coolant
• Inspect rack and pinion steering assembly
• Inspect steering linkage and boots
• Inspect transmission fluid
• Inspect variable gear ratio steering assembly
• Visually inspect brake pads, calipers and rotors

Also, the cheapest method for replacing the HV battery is low mileage, late model prius salvage from junkyards. you will need to call around but they should be some to pick from.

 

check out: Recommended Mechanics in Washington, DC / Maryland / Virginia | PriusChat

 

Tier 2 -- per every 15K service
Replace transmission fluid do every 60k - 100k
Inspect, and if neeed, clean and adjust rear brakes
Inspect ball joints & dust covers
Inspect drive shaft boots
Inspect engine inverter and coolant check both reservoirs' level
Inspect exhaust pipe and mountings
Inspect radiator, condenser and intercooler. there is no intercooler
Inspect steering gear box it has electric rack and pinion. nothing to inspect
Inspect steering linkage & boots
Inspect brake lines and hoses
Inspect exhaust system you already did that 5 lines ago
Inspect engine valve clearance should be done at 100k but I don't think anyone ever does. not an easy job
Inspect drive belts only 1. use a flashlight and look for cracks on the ribbed side of the belt.

Tier 3 per every 30 K mile service
Replace cabin air filter
Replace engine air filter
Clean Throttle Body only if its dirty. I wouldn't expect it to be dirty this often. shine a flashlight in it when you change the air filter
Inspect fuel lines and connections, fuel tank band and fuel vapor vent system hoses
Inspect fuel tank cap gasket
Inspect transmission fluid I would look under car for signs of leakage, no need to open the fill plug if its dry on the bottom.

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after you make your final list, tally up the total cost to make sure you want to sink that kind of money in an ieleven year old car.

 

My thoughts about your list.

-Change engine inverter and coolant fluid – Use only Toyota SLLC
-Replace ac filter – This is same as cabin air filter
-Replace engine and inverter water pump and serpentine belt – Engine pump only if it leaks. Inverter pump depending on when it was last changed or… Serpentine belt check is on your list so maybe just check it.
-Clean HV battery fan – Only if there has been dogs or other or hair getting into it. Or maybe if you life somewhere where it runs most of the time.
-Replace thermostat and gasket – If you have some way to tell exact engine temp you can tell if it needs thermostat or not.
-Lubricate chassis – There isn’t anything to lubricate.
-engine valve clearance – Test is just to listen the engine. Adjustment is basically newer needed.

 

Recommended engine oil is 5/30 , its printed on the oil fill cap. If you like 0/20 and it works for you, fine, but its not factory recommended (for 01-09 prius).

 

its too bad none of your home-boys is a tech. a lot of the stuff on your list is really easy diy stuff, and a lot of it most likely isn't even needed right now.

 

$2,000.

 

fyi, cabin filter and a/c filter are one and the same.

 

I do not know what the going rate is where you live, but I charge $60/hour when I do side jobs. I don't generally charge anything to inspect unless I have to take something apart. if your coworker isn't familiar with the prius, direct him to this site and we'll do what we can to help him, though most repairs and maintenance are the same as normal cars. also, pick his brain so that in the future you can do your own basic maintenance.

 

If these are still the original struts, replace them all.

Read my front (post #48) and rear (post #3) replacement to convince your self it is time. After this maintenance experience, I'm a firm believer in the strut maker's claim of 5year/50,000mile limit to maintain optimum suspension; the degradation is so slow, you will likely not know/feel it. I always thought it was a marketing hype, to get the owner to change parts unnecessarily early. Just like some oil change places/service centeres still push 3months/3,000 mile oil change intervals today.

Never recalled any excessive or unusual noise. Never saw "hop scotch marks/cupping," on the tires, which is a tell-tale sign of a worn strut/shock. This is what blew me away, as I had really worn struts/shocks, but no cupping marks on the tires. As you know, a worn strut/shock smooths the rebound of the spring, and helps to keep the tire on the ground at all times. You have probably seen cars on the freeway, where one or both wheels on the same axel, "hopscotch," due to a failed strut/shock. Now I know better: hopscotch marks may be absent for a failed strut/shock.

Only when I compressed the old struts and shocks, then timed the very slow rebound, have I come to appreciate the 5year/50,000mile change recommendation. KYB's website does a good job of explaining this and the rational for it.
KYB Americas | When to Replace Shocks

When replacing the rears, clean the HV battery fan since you'll have access to it; you'll be amazed at how much dust is collected between the blades.

Total cost of parts for a complete front strut and rear shock replacement (8/2014): ~$319 (KYB stuff came from Amazon. Toyota parts Camelback online).
KYB front strut, $41 left, $53 right
KYB front strut mount, $48 each
KYB rear shocks, $58 each
KYB rear bellow (didn't need; discovered after the rear shock off the car), $6used, $10new
KYB rear mount kit, $6used, $9new
Toy font upper dust seal, $4.56/ea
Toy front upper insulator (big rubber boot; must get as the old one will be trash), $16.15/ea
Toy front lower insulator (just get, even though yours will probably appear in great shape; maybe old part will fall apart in 20k miles?), $10.57/ea
Toy rear upper insulator (just get, even though yours will probably appear in great shape; maybe old part will fall apart in 20k miles?), $9.62/ea

Local Toyota dealer labor price was $800 (Hooman), or $1,000 (Cabe).

 

BeatleBob, only you know the situation and financial choices you face in life at this time fully. At minimum you need to do all fluids and filters now, but soon you will have to decide if you want to overhaul (loosely speaking) a 10+ year old vehicle or replace it. The Toyota's Prius is one of the most reliable passenger vehicles available, but in the end it's just another machine that wears out and it's major mechanicals are not cheap. Best wishes.

 

Your need accurate and full diagnostics to determine your path forward.