I've done the oil change for my prius 2008. Easy and no problems. My prius has 115,000 miles and I would like to change the transaxle oild fluid. I am unsure where the fill plug and drain plug are located. I have searched the forums and I am a little confused on the locations and tools required. If anyone can help I would appreciate this as the local dealers want $180-$230 to do this.
Others can point you to the DIY info. Those prices imply the dealers are trying to sell you a "flush", which is not needed. A simple "drain and fill" should cost about $90, which may be more palatable.
You will need to jack the car up on stands, or use ramps, to be able to get under it. Get 4 quarts of ATF-WS from Toyota. Use a tube with a funnel to fill from above the transaxle. An easy job. The old stuff will be nasty black looking, if not then you have the wrong drain plug. You are recommended to buy a new crush washer for the drain plug as well, but I used the old one without any problem.
Don't for get a funnel and about 2 feet of clear 1/2 inch tubing. Snake it down to fill the trans fluid. Here's my write up when I did mine: Changing Transaxle oil | Page 15 | PriusChat Hope it helps.
It has been a while since I did the Trans oil change, and forgot a few things. I found this site for DIY very useful. Toyota Prius: How to Change the Transmission/Transaxle Fluid - PriusDIY.com Hope it helps
Very good directions. I have done mine twice. It is easier with two people since you can fill from above and have somebody below to hold the tube. Glenn
Get one of these funnels from Advance Auto Parts, Walmart, etc. and get one of THESE funnels. Will make the job much easier. And it's very handy to have around. I don't care much about the measuring feature, although I imagine it could come in handy in some situations. I like that it has a narrow, flexible outlet tube which can be altered/replaced with common vinyl tubing from the hardware store. And the cap: so when you're done, you put the cap on, hang the funnel on a nail in the garage, and it's spotless and ready the next time you need it. Magnificent!
I got it done in about 20 minutes. My wife poured the oil in a small funnel that I inserted in a 1/2" clear tube I had in the garage from last time. I was under the car making sure there were no issues. All went well
