i've read in a number of posts that the prius does have a transmission BUT the salesman told me not to worry bout transmission fluid because the prius has NO transmission ... Now does anyone have the real answer.?? one more thing ,I read that the transmission is very expensive to repair or replace and that the warranty does not cover it.. any truthto that???
Prius has a transaxle. The transaxle is composed of two motor generators and the power split device which is the mechanical heart of the hybrid synergy system, as it links the gasoline engine and the two motor generators. The transaxle is covered by the powertrain warranty, 5 years/60K miles. Yes, it would be quite expensive to replace post-warranty (probably $6K), however the good news is that the 2G transaxle appears to be quite reliable. To encourage long and troublefree transaxle life, I change the transaxle fluid on my 2004 at 30K mile intervals. The correct fluid is Toyota ATF WS, 4 quarts needed.
It's stunning the amount of misinformation people spread about the Prius. The Prius doesn't have a transmission in the standard sense of the word, instead it has what Toyota calls a Power Split Device. It is a planetary gear set that takes inputs from the Engine and the two electric motors and combines them under computer control to drive the car and charge the batteries. There is no shifting, belts, or torque converters to wear out. There is oil in the PSD, and I think people are saying it should be changed about every 60,000 miles. And of course it's covered under the warranty. If you do a search under PSD or Power Split Device you will find lots of info about it on this web site.
Put simply, The Prius has a transmission, just not a conventional transmission. It has to. Can anyone think of a road-going vehicle that doesn't? Even my bike has a transmission. The chain.
Legs don't count as they don't transmit power to the wheels of the buggy. The legs are direct drive from the horse to the ground. I think the next step up would be the unicycle which again lacks a transmission since the "engine" is direct coupled to the wheel axel with no intermediate gears or shafts.
This should help you untwist your knickers with regards the PSD and how it does what it does... Toyota Prius - Power Split Device
Once upon a time (4 years ago)... it all started with the discussion (ahem... war) with the anti-hybrid crowd. They said Prius is very complex and carries extra weight with the two electric motors and a HV battery pack. My position was... Prius is mechanically simple but electrically complex (Duh, it drives like an electric car at low speed to avoid MPG killing traffic jams). If you want to count the MG1 and MG2 as being extra, then Prius doesn't have a transmission since they both are integral part of HSD transaxle. If you take away MG1 and MG2, you are left with the gas engine and PSD. Patrick explained it very well. Both MG1 and MG2 are integrated with the gas engine with the use of the power split device to make up the hybrid transaxle. The size and weight of HSD transaxle is about the same as 5-speed automatic transmission transaxle. So, you only have the HV battery pack as extra. Well, the pack only weights 99 lbs and Prius carries 50lbs less gasoline compare to a normal mid-size car. Therefore the "extra weight of a hybrid" is just a wash. Prius is sized and weight between Corolla and Camry anyway. The sales man probably got his claim from that discussion.
That's depends on the definition. Transmission to me is HOW power got transferred in a desired way. Transmitter to me is WHAT made the power flow (physical things). If we take your bike as an example, the chain is the transmitter but the change of gears makes the transmission. If we take Prius as an example, Prius doesn't shift gear to cope with different speed or road gradient. It simply converts the power between mechanical or electrical energy. Mechanical power is suitable for highway while electrical power is suitable for low speed city driving. So what is the transmission for a Prius? I would say the MG1 and MG2 because they convert mechanical energy to electrical energy and vice versa.
Would I be able to refill it by running clear 3/8 hose to the top of the engine with a funnel? Only seen guys refill it against gravity ... thx
Holy thread necromancy! Short answer is yes you can but it is a super easy time save to pump it back from below (against gravity) with a $10 Amazon pump. They even come with the needed aquarium tube.
