I have a 2013 Prius. Last time I was in for an oil change the dealer wanted to flush and replace the coolant, transmission, and front differential. I look at the maintenance schedule and it says to inspect these things but doesn't say replace. Except under Special Operating Conditions like dirt roads or heave vehicle loading. I just do normal driving. Well, once every two years I do a mile on a dirt road. I figure if you need to have it done if you drive under those special conditions there must be a time when it is advisable to do for normal driving. But the manual does not give a clue about that. My manual goes up to 120k miles and I am over that. How can I find good recommended schedule. Thanks Lee
The coolant should be changed at 100k miles or 10 years. Then every 50k miles Transaxle fluid should be changed every 60k miles or so, but Toyota considers this a lifetime fluid, up to you to say it is or is not
Since the mileage of the car remians unknown then we have no choice but to go with fluid age and change if it fluid is older than 10 years.
Some suspect coolant breakdown could be associated with water pump fails. Which can ruin the engine. Coolant is pretty cheap and easy. The transaxle has all of the "transmission" and "differential" oil. It also has your electric motors. You want those protected from shorts. Oil is pretty cheap and easy. Or risk big high dollar repairs. The first could take out your engine, the second could take out your electric motors. Saw a Camry hybrid the other day with a hv leak in the transaxle. Not a pretty sight. By the way brake fluid flushing might save your brake booster. But a new brake booster system is only $2400 so the dealer may not be concrrned at that low price.
Why do you think the inspection is called for? It’s done to check the condition of the coolant regarding glycol levels and corrosion inhibitors (among other additives). If any of those don’t meet minimum stats, they should be changed. The transmission fluid should be replaced since you are over 120K. Seems to me your dealership is looking out for you. You don’t HAVE to follow their advice but you will live to regret ignoring it (unless you’re planning on dumping the car very soon).
Toyota.com/owners will have the maintenance schedule for your car. i’m in the same situation. 2012, 85,000 miles. I use the time schedule, rather than the mileage
When you go over 120k you're supposed to start over. Which implies the fluids should be in new at that point.
I've done a couple of things in the attached: 1. Summarized the US schedule in table format. 2. Extrapolated to 240K miles, or 24 years. If you can open the spreadsheet version it's definitely the easier read, with the long table. Note, there's several additional maintenances I'd do, but my intent in the attachments was just to summarize what's in the US 3rd gen Prius maintenance shedule, published by Toyota USA. For extra maintenance: 1. Brake fluid change, every 30k miles or tri-yearly. (recommended by Toyota Canada) 2. Transaxle fluid change, at the one year mark or 10k miles, then once more, say around 50k miles. 3. EGR and intake manifold cleaning (clean throttle body too, while it's off), at 100k miles (at the latest), then 50k miles thereafter. 4. Oil changes at 5k miles or 6 months.
Mendel, Thank you for the spreadsheet maintenance schedule. I noticed the engine oil & filter change interval is every 10k miles. Just wondering because on my 2011 the change indicator on dash comes on every 5k miles. Thanks again,
That’s to indicate service interval, by miles. There is a tire rotation every 5k, basically that. And it’s a simple miles counter; months not factored in. FWIW Canadian Prius don’t have that counter; no great loss. Also, 3rd gen CDN sched for oil change IS 8k kms (5k miles) or 6 mos.
