A very inexpensive handy funnel modified for transaxle oil change

I was in a quandary when I found that the threaded part of my $10 Hopkins Flo Tech funnel broke when I went to refill my transaxle to do a fluid change. I had used it and saved it after the last transaxle fluid change that I did 10 years ago.

Searching my kitchen, I found this 97 cent two funnel set that I had purchased several months ago at Walmart, because it was so cheap.

Mainstays 2-Piece Kitchen Funnel Set, Medium and Large Sizes, White, Plastic - Walmart.com

I then took a 2ft long piece of 3/8" inner diameter 1/2" outer diameter vinyl tubing that I had on hand. I heated the end with a heat gun to expand it and pushed it over the small end of the funnel. You have to use 1/2 inch OD tubing, since any larger diameter will not insert into the approximately less than 18mm fill port.

It worked like a charm. I had threaded the end into the space next to the egr cooler down to the fill port on the transaxle and inserted two inches inside.

I had found that the entire undercover not need to be removed, as the drain and fill plugs can be removed using a 10mm Allen hex bit with a 12 inch extension. The oil did leak on a small part of the undercover, but I sprayed the area with degreaser and flushed it with water form a garden hose.

Additionally, the easiest way to perform the transaxle fluid change is with ramps. To level the car, I used a torpedo level on the door sill with the driver's side rear door open and jacked the car level with a floor jack on the rear jacking point.

I hope these tips will be helpful to other Priuschat members.

 

Another thing I did was to replace the M18x1.5 10 socket head steel drain and fill plugs with widely available M18x1.5 aluminum oil drain plugs with neodymium magnets using new Toyota OEM grade crush washers.

Now, all I use is a 19mm socket to remove and reinstall the plugs. No more fear of stripping out the hex sockets of the plugs.

Toyota stopped adding magnets to the drain plugs starting with the Gen 3 Prius.

 

I didn't have to purchase the vinyl tubing.

It was that reinforced green tinted smelly stuff that I didn't use and had left over with the oil catch can kit. I used black 3/8 inch black rubber fuel hose for that instead.