Filler/Drain outlets for Transaxleoil

I have had dealers charge for services and then after I arrived back home, found they 'forgot' to do something I was charged for. They always were very helpful when I returned, but typically blamed the service guy in the back for not reading the service order.

The issue with marking the bolts on the transaxle is that this is a fluid you can not easily verify. You can look at the dipstick and see new clean oil to the full mark. You can look at the inverter/engine coolant tanks and verify clean pink fluid..that kind of thing you can see..but since the transaxle can not be easily verified, I think if they disturb the seal on the drain and fill plugs, the most likely did to the servcice. Did they do it right? That is a different question.

 

I stopped by Camelback Toyota today, and they were willing to sell it to me. They had the single quarts of WS fluid (part number 00289-ATFWS) for $7.78, and the washers for $1.31 each.

 

That's some pricey fluid, though not as bad as $23 for a gallon of pre-diluted Toyota SLLC. I wish I had known about parts.com before I paid the local Totota dealer prices for some plastic wheel center caps ($32 each) and the small plastic air dam under the right front wheel ($56).

 

we charge 84.99 for the drain and fill type WS for 04+ priuses same price for the classic too, parts and labor plus your taxes (close to 100)

Toyota recommends every 96,000 km or 72 months, whatever comes first

I've always reused my washers ( I think 3rd type WS now), btw the drain plug is 28ft/lbs and the fill plug is 22 ft/lbs. Oil drain plug pan is 28 ft/lbs as well.

 

Hi Phil,

My repair manual shows 29 ft.-lb for both the transaxle drain and fill plugs, see attached files. As you pointed out, Toyota Canada publishes a specific service interval for transaxle fluid vs. the TMS USA scheduled maintenance guide which is silent on that point.

For $85 I hope your dealer's techs will replace the drain/fill plug washers for their customers. It's OK if you make the decision not to replace the washers when doing a DIY project on your personal vehicle, but not OK to make the same decision for paying customers since the Toyota repair manual makes it clear that the washers are not reusable...

 

Many thanks for the nice photo of the transaxle oil drain and level plugs. I was able to change mine using a small peristaltic pump to inject the oil. I have a question though about the maintenance guide that came with the car which requires a transmission fluid check and differential oil check first at 60K miles then at 90K. Is this a separate check or what? Thanks again Mike

 

Hi Mike,

Since the Prius has a transaxle, the transmission fluid and the differential oil are one and the same. Therefore the transaxle fluid should be checked at 30K mile intervals per the Toyota maintenance guide (and I choose to replace the fluid at that interval.)

 

Mike

The differential and the transmission share the same fluid

I've seen "suggested" service guides that imply the Prius requires regular chassis lubrication. I've searched 5 years, and have yet to find a grease tit* on a Prius, or a rear axle to change the fluid in

*Hobbit coined the term, I just have the lack of class to mention it