If I remember correctly the Gen II is / was hard on the fluid and it broke down. I assume there is not much difference between the Gen II and the Gen III's PSD. If one were being anal about it and willing to waste a little money and time to ensure the longest possible life from the PSD, what should the change interval be? Assuming normal driving in moderate climates.
I went to the glossy I found that the PSD is Power Split Device (Toyota's name for a planetary gear set). How often does this need to be checked. How many oil reservoirs need checked? Most cars have a trans level and a engine level that need checked. It sound like the Prius has more.
I would have thought with many multiple threads about 88 octane fuel and which oil is OK to use, somebody would have an opinion as to how often the "other" oil lubricated thing on the car needs it's lube changed? I'll do it at around 12,000 miles, I guess, once I figure out how and how much is required etc.
With my 2004, I formed the opinion that an early initial psd fluid service is beneficial. I changed the psd fluid at around 12,000 km initially That first change, the fluid had turned dark red, like wine. The drain plug magnet had a buildup of fine fuzzies on it. Subsequent psd fluid changes, the fluid remained bright red, and the drain plug magnet remained clear So I agree with your plan to change the fluid at 12,000 miles, Earlier would probably be even better
Toyota US has an unusable website for finding out this kind of information. You have to page through every six months and see what's changed. The 30,000 mile/3 year service says to inspect the transmission fluid. I would consider changing it rather than just inspecting it. 'Inspect' means 'if it needs changing change it' anyway. The European maintenance schedule for Gen 2 It appears your Web browser is not configured to display PDF files. No worries, just click here to download the PDF file.
I'm going to do it initially pretty soon if it's the same as a Gen II. Never done it, but it seems straight forward, easy and cheap. Can't hurt and of course I recycle my fluids.
