Transmission Fluid change question??

Because Toyota says that the fluid is good for 100,000 miles.

U can either TELL them (dont ask them) u want it done or DIY

 

When I took my Gen 2 Prius in and asked for a Transaxle drain and fill, both the service manager and the mechanic stated that it was not required at that time. I told both that I wanted it anyway. $109

Once the mechanic saw the black color, he quit arguing.

 

Just so you know, all transmissions are sealed. That's why they don't leak. So that's a play on words but, changing fluid in anything that has metal to metal contact is never a bad thing.

 

What is interesting to me is that the dealer says that the transaxle fluid change is not on the Toyota maintenance recommendation and people go OK. Yet the same dealer will upsale you fuel flushes, brake fluid flushes, engine top cleaning services, etc. that are not on the maintenance recommendations and most never question this.

 

Cause most don't know any better

 

Sad but true.

 

what dealer is it? being in the boston area, i like to know who to avoid.

 

The sales pitches for unnecessary scam services are so common, widespread and uniform that there has to be some organized effort behind it. Might be part of the sales pitches that the sellers of the trans flush and injector cleaning machines, etc provide the dealer with.

Since there is no way to use an automatic transmission flush machine on a Prius, there is no incentive for the flush machine vendors to program the stealerships to sell that service to Prius owners. OTOH, I did have a service adviser for another make of car try to sell me an expensive transmission flush for my manual transmission equipped car.

 

I'm at 160,000 and dealer told me the same thing.

 

"Same thing" meaning, don't change it??

 

Just change it. DIY if possible. It's about $40 for 4 quarts of TOYOTA ATF WS and fill/drain bolt washers (through dealership parts dept).

Raise and level car, drain, reinstall drain bolt (with new washer), then fill till it starts coming back out. Install fill bolt.

Easy way to fill: funnel with tube extension from above, preferably with an assistant pouring, while you keep watch below.

Takes about 1/2 hour, plus maybe an hour for all the dicking around raising/lowering.

The best time to first do this was about 150k back.

Through dealership $80 would be fair price. Anything over $100 is robbery.