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Top off fluid levels?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by iwannaprius, Jul 18, 2015.

  1. iwannaprius

    iwannaprius Junior Member

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    I was looking at my maintenance service documents from Toyota's 2 year complementary maintenance service and noticed they always performed "top off all fluid levels" at each service. My Prius is 2012 so I am performing my own maintenance now, and was just curious if anyone knows exactly what fluid levels they were topping off? Want to make sure I am not missing any crucial maintenance aside from normal engine oil changes and oil/air/cabin filter changes.
     
    #1 iwannaprius, Jul 18, 2015
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    I'd say motor oil, coolant in the two reservoirs (just if it's got down to the low mark, and use what's spec'd in Owners manual) and wiper fluid.

    Brake fluid is ok to let drop, if there's no leaks you should never need to add fluid: it gets lower as brake pads wear. Put new pads in and it'll return to full mark, barring leaks.
     
    #2 Mendel Leisk, Jul 18, 2015
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  3. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    True, but it's best to glance at that reservoir too when you check fluid levels, to be sure the level isn't dropping faster than would be accounted for by pad wear.

    Air is a fluid, so don't forget to check tire pressure too.
     
    #3 CR94, Jul 18, 2015
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  4. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Regarding the brake fluid reservoir, the G3 fluid level shows a big drop when the driver's door is opened which causes the brake actuator pump to run and build up pressure. If you leave the hood up and come back in a few hours to look at the fluid level, it will eventually rise back up. Hence, another reason to be cautious about adding brake fluid.

    With my 2015, the brake fluid reservoir has a mark which shows how high the fluid should be when the pads are new, prior to the pump running.
     
    #4 Patrick Wong, Jul 18, 2015
  5. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    When they say "top off fluids", it's usually the wiper fluid that needs topping off and nothing else. They don't top off coolant, oil, or brake fluid without notifying you....there could be a leak, and it's an opportunity to take some of your money
     
    #5 JC91006, Jul 18, 2015
  6. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    It's usually washer fluid.
     
    #6 Tideland Prius, Jul 19, 2015
  7. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    Or it could just be that "top off all fluid levels" gets printed out by default... ;)
     
    #7 RRxing, Jul 19, 2015
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