Approaching 100K Miles: Services Suggested by Dealership

Miles per month?

I would look for:

1. engine air filter, spark plugs, possibly PVC valve
2. transaxle oil change including a gasket (make sure they drop the pan)
3. using throttle plate cleaner and injector cleaner (kit includes vacuum pipe cleaner)
4. inverter coolant change (** special caution)
5. oil change but NO OVERFILL (must be at or below "F")
6. tire rotation and alignment check (get the report and post the numbers here)

At what speeds? To get that low, I have to travel 75 mph or faster. If you can throttle back to 65-70 mph, you'll see a substantial mileage improvement.

On the oil change, get a small, one cup, water bottle, empty and dry it. Ask them to fill it with the old oil. You don't have to send it for an oil analysis but without a sample, an oil analysis will be impossible. We want to look for:

1. more opaque (is bad)
2. smells like melted candle (is bad)
3. redish tint is normal

You didn't mention cost but I'd expect this to run about $200 if every item is covered. If more, ask for details. If less, wonder if everything is being covered.

They should also check the steering linkages and under body for evidence of problems. Also, they need to check the struts for evidence of leakage. Finally, they need to check the brakes for evidence of corrosion, a problem with hybrids driven for mileage.

GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson

 

Try to keep a printed copy of your next alignment report and post it here. We're finding rear wheel alignment in older cars can be less than perfect.

Good news!

The first 1-2 miles is the worst mileage of the day as the car warms up. I make it a point to cut through my neighborhood so I can keep the speeds at 25 mph or less. But after warm-up, normal hybrid operation works fine.

To see what I mean, reset your mileage in the morning before starting the car and then using the trip meter, record the mileage at 2 miles. Then reset the MFD and trip meter. Read out the MPG at the end of the first trip.

Bob Wilson

 

When I drive my prius on warm summer days, I get better mileage. It's when the cold morning months, the engine runs longer to warm up. When the engine runs, it consumes fuel. Driving while the engine runs yields better mileage than sitting there. Distance over time (d/t).

When the engine is warmed up and it runs in electric mode at slow speeds, I can notice a big difference after I get gas during my day. Fuel up, reset the counter and drive away. The engine will turn on briefly, then back to electric mode. You will see better gas mileage.

The on/off many short trips will cost more fuel than longer trips. Sometimes, you can't get around that. After getting fuel in San Jose, CA, driving over a 2000 foot mountain road (highway 17) up and down over to Santa Cruz ~33 miles away, I'll get about 56-59 mpg. What kills it down is the next day turning on the engine warming up.

When I sit at a light, the blue light for cold engine is off, I put the selector to "B"rake mode for a second, then return to "D"rive, and that may turn off the engine while sitting there.

But basically, the distance traveled while consuming fuel will affect your mileage. If you sit there while it's warming up, it will consume more fuel. If you drive while it is warming up, then you'll get better mileage.

Hope this helps....

 

Do you have Toyota's Scheduled Maintenance Guide? You can determine from that book exactly what needs doing. In our Canadian edition the guides structure was very subjective, I ended up creating a spreadsheet to objectify it:

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...2010-prius-maintenance-schedule-canadian.html

(I believe it's items are a bit different than the US version, not sure why)

The US version is better in this regard, explaining exactly what needs doing at each interval. It's intervals are 5000 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first.

Regarding your items 1 through 3, "Tune-Up", "Emission Service", and "Engine DeCarb", these are all purely dealership fabrications, and have nothing to do with Toyota's recommended maintenance.

Just for starters, the concept of "Tune-Up" has not made any sense for at least 20 years, with the advent of programmed fuel injection, distributorless engines with long-life spark plugs. It's a catch phrase that used to encompass items like distributor service, timing check and spark plug replacment.

I would ask your dealership if they could just do the Toyota recommended maintenance. If they stonewall you, and I suspect they will, I'd look for another, more receptive dealership to deal with, and contact Toyota regarding their behaviour.

 

Hopefully now after almost 3 years, the OP has gotten the 100K service done and has resolved any lingering fuel economy issues.

 

With a 66 mile round trip commute, I think that's a safe assumption