Transaxle fill and drain bolt, what wrenches do I need?

Yep, you got it

Pixel XL ?

 

This is a super awesome thread! Hopefully the procedure and gasket part numbers are the same for my 2013 Avalon Hybrid. Thanks a bunch to all!

 

If you're picking up the transaxle fluid (it's Toyota ATF WS?) at dealership, just tell them what you've got (or you're maybe in their database?) and ask for the fill and drain washers for the transaxle.

Do you know the fluid quantity? Can't recall if it's stated in Owner's Manuals. You can download pdf of the manual at Toyota Tech Info site (in the "manuals" tab). It's probably under 4 liters/quarts, but good to check.

Taking out a mininum subscription to the Repair Manual info (same site), you should be able to find the transaxle drain/fill instruction for your car. While in there get everything you can think of, oil change, brakes, etcetera.

 

Thanks! I'll ask the dealer.

Yep, in the owner's manual it says "3.9 qt. (3.7 L, 3.3 Imp. qt.)" of Toyota Genuine ATF WS. I'm going to get 5 quarts just in case I spill some or something.

I hope to some day soon take out a 2 day subscription to TIS and download all I can. I just need to make a day to do it.

 

I've been set to start this, but stuck on how to determine if my Prius will be level after I get it up on all four jack stands. My garage is sloped, I think, somewhere between .5 degrees and less than 1 degree. I hesitantly always put my Toyotas on the pinch-welds. I'm trying to figure out how level I need to go, and how to determine what's level on the Prius. Hoping someone can shed some light on this.

 

I don't think there's any need to be a perfectionist. A half a degree is more than perfect already. If the car looks noticeably sloped then I'd worry.

I've done mine twice only lifting the front wheels on ramps on an earthen drive way that is also sloped more than a degree and have gotten 80,000 miles with zero problems. And compared to my previous cars, I'd be willing to bet I'll never ever have a problem doing it this way. I only get finicky about having the car perfectly level when I go to measure the alignment DIY style.

 

Thanks Isaac. You're probably right. I was just concerned, because the TIS says we need to be 0-8mm from the filler hole when the car is level.

 

Might I add the last car I had (1985 VW Golf) had a weird requirement to fill to the plug level, then take out the speedometer cable and add another 1/2 a quart. It was hard to do all that and be perfect. Yet that car had more than 600,000 miles on it when I gave it away. And as far as I understand, it still runs.

 

The operative phrase is "roughly" level. This is where I've been putting safety stands, for over 12 years now, twice a year with tire rotations, MUCH more solid.:


(front cradles lateral, rear longitudinal)

 

Thank you for the info. I'll see if my jack stands will fit in those spots, and that my 2017 Prius underbody looks the same as yours. I have four stands, like the below. They've been really sturdy on the pinch welds; but (1) eventually the pinch-welds get bent; and (2) the rubber on the stands gets cut-up from the pinch-welds. So "roughly level?" I'll assume that you eyeball, like others?

 

Ah whoops, I was thinking 3rd gen.

That said, I first heard about the front points, from a second gen blog , and it was still applicable to 3rd. Maybe fourth is similarly applicable: it’s the forward end of the main body rails.

Rears are a heavily reinforced plate zone, identifiable by these oblong holes (about 1/2”x1” IIRC). They’re some kind of shipping locator/locking bolts, it’s suspected. Dealership is supposed to install plugs in these, during PDI.

I have put a level against the rocker panel, doesn’t hurt, but it’s mostly just for reassurance. You want to fill till it comes back out, and while not even specd, it’s common sense that the more the car is sloping the less you can get in there, which isn’t good.

 

I've taken a screen-grab from the fourth-gen Repair Manual transaxle fluid change instruction (attached), showing the view of the transaxle as you'd see it, looking at the fill bolt (flagged with arrow). The left image is level, the right image I've tilted 10 degrees, admittedly a little extreme, just to illustrate how the fluid level would change.

 

Very cool illustration! This is what I've been trying to work-out in my head. If the red line that crosses the fill hole is accurate on your diagram, even 10 degrees seems close to 8mm over the fill-hole, which is the max. I'm not sure what 'rocker panels' are; but I put my laser level on a couple areas around the pinch welds. Not very smooth there with the rust protection coating. But, that seems level enough, under +/- 1 degree. So, even with my garage sloped about .5 to 1 degree, I think it's close enough. Actually, it might just be my garage that's keeping the pinch weld slightly off level. (I just need to double check the direction.) I noticed that at least one of my front pinch-welds is bent over. Hopefully, they all are if I have to use those spots again for jack-stands, otherwise I'll have another potential problem. Also, I'll need to make sure that the jack-stands are manufactured with similar heights. They don't micro-adjust like many others. I'm pretty comfortable, I should be able to move forward. Thanks so much.

 

Yeah roughly level is sufficient. Read the attachment: anywhere between “level with fill hole lip”, and 8 mm lower is ok.