Hi all, I was doing my 5K service on my 2012 prius and I noticed that the inner CV joint boot on the passenger side was real shiny, like someone had sprayed it with that tire shine stuff. The outer boot looked like your normal dull boot. Since it had the underside skirting on I could only see the boot from the end. Has anyone else noticed this ? I hate to take it to the dealer and wait around a hour for him to tell me there is nothing wrong. Thanks Just found another thread from last year talking about it. Looks like this is a normal condition (for what reason we don't know).
You maybe found my thread on the subject. Yeah, I think it's just shiny. In my case, I have looked up close at it during a few maintenance routines, and it was dry, no oil.
Mendel, Yep, that is the thread I found. The "shiny stuff" seemed very well distributed for just a ripped boot. I wiped some of it off with a long stick and a paper towel. I wasn't red and didn't look like CV grease. I really looked like the tire spray. Wonder why Toyota is putting that on it ? I wonder if the boot was getting cooked given all the underside fairings and this helped protect it.
Its a smart thing to do to condition the boots. I use Black Magic Protectant. Boot drying up and cracking allowing dirt into the joint is the main reason cv joints fail. I spray mine and lube the front end end everytime I change the oil. No squeeks no rust anywhere.
