100k Service

1) read the o/m recommended maintenance. i don't think anything is due until 120k. then, all of the above is reasonable. if you're keeping the car long term, have the tranny fluid done now.

 

Unless it is different for the Prius plug-in the spark plugs get changed, promptly, at 120,000 miles. They are iridium tipped, that is a must or you will have to change them more often...

Mass airflow, unless if it throwing a code (check engine soon light) I would pass on that probably. You can probably clean the sensor yourself at your own discretion.

I don't know why a filter would cost $300...That seems odd to me...However that might be a good idea to change or add a filter. Some searching around it sounded like a filter is not installed from the factory? That being said it is a good idea to keep the fan clean, so if you have pets, kids, etc then you will want to check this out.

Do change the coolant, for both the engine and hybrid system, that is a good call...

Just my thoughts. I am really wondering why they want to charge $300 to clean fan blades and put a filter in...At that price, I'd be looking on YouTube and doing it myself....

 

agree, 300 bucks is a ripoff.

 

pleasure.

 

Just curious, since you have 100K, what all have you had to replace/maintain?

 

Oil every 10k, engine air filter every 25k (actually clean since I uses a k&n), 1 set of tires at 90k, 2 pairs of wipers up front, I never use the back, 2 fob batteries

Coming up on 120k where I'll need to do the spark plugs. Expecting the 12 volt battery and headlights to need changing soon.

 

Thanks ... And that's really amazing that so little has been required.

 

Technology continues to improve with time.

I work at a company that laser drills tapered fuel injection nozzles. Think about that for a moment. It's a nozzle that sprays liquid not unlike a regular garden hose sprays water. Car companies pay us big bucks to laser drill these things because they need to be able to so precisely prescribe the amount of fuel that goes into the engine that mechanically boring a hole in the nozzle would make cause too much damage to the walls of the nozzle due to friction heat. The uncertainty in the smoothness of the walls is too much variability in meeting their specifications.

Instead of using micrometers to measure the mechanical dimensions, we need to use fancy profilometer machines with ruby tips to precisely measure to the nanometer level. And when touching on the surface damages it during measurenments, we again deploy laser surveys for touch less CMM.

In other words, with that kind of innovation in just the fuel injection nozzle alone, why would we expect the same maintenance intervals from many decades ago? Don't get me wrong. It is most likely better for the engine to change the oil every 3000 - 5000 miles, change out the break in fluids early after 500 miles, change the transaxle fluid periodically, change the fuel filter or whatever maintenance Toyota didn't recommend in the owners manual. Whether it's necessary for the life of the car as a whole is what I doubt.

I also understand that people love their headphone jack and paper bank statements. Peace of mind certainly has value.

 

In Canada Toyota did recommend to change the oil more often, every 5000 miles or 6 months. And yeah, I know, great white north and all that, but most all our population centres are clustered along the US/Canada border. And then, there's Alaska, lol.

Bottom line, I don't think engine longevity is Toyota's only motivation in setting maintenance intervals. The transaxle fluid change interval comes to mind.