Hello! I took my 2011 Prius into my local dealer here in AZ. and they wanted me to do what they call "A Brake Fluid Flush". I've NEVER heard of this being necessary in any kind of car I've ever owned. They told me they totally drain the brake fluid, then they use a solvent to clean them out and replace with new fluid. Have any of you ever had a problem with brake fluid breaking down due to heat, cold etc.? They want $89.95 to do this. ONE OTHER THING: They also wanted me to do what they call a "Hybrid throttle body cleaning service" stating there is "carbon build up" that could effect the battery charging & thus the life of the battery. Anyone heard of this before? They want $69.95 for this service. QUESTION: If these 2 services are so important, why didn't they include them in the 45K service to begin with? I chose not to do them right now until I checked this out, so your responses are important to me and I would certainly appreciate any input on these topics Thanks! jnulr
welcome to priuschat! you answered your own question. the brake fluid flush is bogus, especially at 45k and the throttle body cleaning can wait until 100k if if you have any symptoms. all the best!
My only experience with a brake flush was at the 30k service on my wife's Subaru Legacy. They did that (it was listed in the owners manual as a part of the 30k service) They also gave us a wallet flush as it was over $600 for the 30K service and I want to thank Santa Monica Subaru for that wallet flush. I'll never go back there again.
There is no such thing as a lifetime brake fluid for the Prius or any other car or light truck using DOT3 or DOT4. Between 15,000 and 30,000 is recommended or 1 to 2 years. Be advised though: "They told me they totally drain the brake fluid, then they use a solvent to clean them out and replace with new fluid." is not how it is done. A solvent would ruin the seals. Fresh fluid is generally added to the reservoir as the calipers are bled, and the computer "should" be hooked up to allow the ABS sub system to be bled as well. Throttle body cleaning should be done as required and the need can be verified by looking behind the butterfly. EGR and/or PCV are the reasons for the "build-up" and it does occur with time. With your mileage, the brake flush is advisable...throttle body cleaning can probably wait based the results inspecting my 2010 at 70,000+ miles. This does sound like the "Basic 101 Service Department make money routine", but do not discount industry standards because of this. The same brake fluid is used on other cars that document the need for this service. Just because some people drive less than a few miles daily and use regenerative braking more, does not compensate for age and water absorption. Fluids and filters is Car-Maintenance 101.
You appear to live in both Oregon and Arizona. Brake fluid goes bad because it absorbs moisture from the air. Arizona is less likely to have any moisture in it air, so brake fluid might last decades there. On the other hand, if you lived west of the coast range in Oregon, yearly brake fluid changes (I have never heard of a brake fluid flush) might be wise. In any case, there exist test strips to tell you haw much moisture is in one's brake fluid. I would go somewhere else and ask for a test. Phoenix Systems (3003-B) BrakeStrip Brake Fluid Testing Strip : Amazon.com : Automotive
