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Toyota ATF WS Fluid Cost & New-to-me Maintenance

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by czechm8, Jun 14, 2021.

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  1. czechm8

    czechm8 Junior Member

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    2013 Prius Plug-in
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    Plug-in Base
    Hey Guys,

    TL,DR - My Questions:
    1. What are your dealer parts centers charging you for ATF WS fluid!? I've seen lots of threads cautioning others to use nothing but OEM fluid, but I just got quoted $110/gal!!! That's what I would expect the full service to cost. There's only 1 Toyota dealer in town to my knowledge. That seems like beyond highway robbery, I'm in Reno and am tempted to call some dealers in Sacramento and see if they can match that.
    2. If I'm very comfortable with DIY, how difficult is brake fluid or coolant flush? Are there any specialized tools required to flush all components (do I need to pull a vacuum)?
    3. Any other maintenance recommendations on a new-to-me 2013 with 93k miles? (other than those listed below)
    Background:
    I'm a new Prius owner as of last week! 2013 plug-in, but this forum looks more active for maintenance so posting here.

    We got it with 93k miles on it, single previous owner and dealer-maintained while it was in warranty, after which they took it to jiffy lube. I checked the engine and cabin air filters and was pleased to see that those looked like they were changed with the 90k service. I was planning on doing all the fluid swaps given we're not 100% sure of the history. I'm very comfortable doing DIY service and enjoy the piece of mind from maintaining my own vehicles, but some of these I haven't done before. I was thinking of doing (at a minimum)
    1. Check engine air filter & cabin air filter (done), oil change
    2. ATF change (will do this DIY)
    3. Brake fluid flush (Was assuming I'd go to the dealer as I've never DIY'd this)
    4. Coolant flush (both engine and inverter?) (Was assuming I'd go to the dealer as I've never DIY'd this)
    5. Hybrid battery fan cleaning (read from this thread)
    6. EGR circuit & cooler cleaning (& MAF sensor + throttle body cleaning)
     
    #1 czechm8, Jun 14, 2021
  2. Elektroingenieur

    Elektroingenieur Senior Member

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    At this writing, the list price for one quart, part number 00289-ATFWS, is $11.13. There are dealers, including one in Roseville, that sell it for less, but since it’s considered a hazardous material when shipped, many dealers allow only pickup at the counter or charge extra for delivery. You could also take your chances with a seller on Amazon.com or another online marketplace.
     
    #2 Elektroingenieur, Jun 14, 2021
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  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Local Canadian dealership charges me $9.14 CDN per liter. Last purchase was Sept 2016.

    2271E76A-40B8-4297-8BC1-2805DEFF3137.jpeg
     
    #3 Mendel Leisk, Jun 14, 2021
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  4. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    good thing your country’s government didn’t launder money for stimulus purpose so cost of goods are still within reason.
     
    #4 Grit, Jun 14, 2021
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  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    I thought usually things are cheaper in the states, but there are anomalies…
     
    #5 Mendel Leisk, Jun 14, 2021
  6. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    I’d put the EGR cleaning at the top of your list followed by the trans fluid.
     
    #6 edthefox5, Jun 15, 2021
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  7. czechm8

    czechm8 Junior Member

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    Thanks for all the replies! I'll be sure to prioritize the EGR cleaning :)

    As for the fluid - it was a dealer mix-up. Not sure who I was speaking to in the parts department or what they were quoting me, but they were having an off day. Went in the next day and picked up 4 quarts for $11.13 ea.
     
    #7 czechm8, Jun 25, 2021
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  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    I once got charged about $10 for the 4 liter Toyota washer fluid (normally $3.99); somebody looking up the wrong code. Someone green behind the counter; they fixed it eventually.

    anyway, $11.13 USD per US qt is still kinda high, but oh well. Maybe just a sweetheart deal up here?? And it’s once in a long while.

    a few transaxle fluid change tips:

    1. correct level is easily achieved by filling till it comes back out, with car level.

    2. remove fill bolt first, just in case you encounter difficulties.

    3. funnel and 3’ hose extension from above is dead easy. Keep hose OD to around 16 mm (5/8”) max.

    4. Toyota recommends to only use Toyota ATF WS, and from freshly opened bottles (don’t use leftovers).

    repair manual info attached:
     

    Attached Files:

    #8 Mendel Leisk, Jun 28, 2021
  9. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    loosen it enough so air can be sucked inward as the atf drains outs. If you don’t, you’ll have a new hairdo that I once rocked at our meetup
     
    #9 Grit, Jun 28, 2021
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