Is the Prius an easy car for DIY service?

[Xringer]

Is the ICE oil filter located where you can get at it?

Do any of you Prius owners do your own maintenance? Air filters, plugs etc??

I'm thinking about getting a Prius (2009 or 2010) for my wife and
since I'm a DIY kinda guy, I'm wondering what tasks can be done by the owner.?.

[diamondlarry]

I have changed sparkplugs and air filter. The oil and filter have usually been changed by my son at his shop; he has access to a lift. Oil changes would be possible for the do-it-youselfer though. Hobbit has the best Prius how-to's on his site at http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/#prius

[sandman]

I change my own oil. It is the easiest thing I have ever changed oil in. Just get you an oil filter wrench that fits on socket and goes on the end of oil filter. The best thing about the prius and oil changes is that it holds so little oil saves you some $$.. Have not had to change my plugs or filters yet..

[JimboK]

Originally Posted by sandman

It is the easiest thing I have ever changed oil in.

Same here. First time I changed mine, I did it without lifting the car. The drain plug is very accessible. The only issue was not being able to see the filter; I had to remove it and install the new one by feel. It's just aft of the radiator, pointing downward -- not hard to get to, just a little awkward if you can't eyeball it. After that I bought some ramps so I can now get my (rather large) torso under the front end to see it.

Engine and cabin air filters are a snap. Both can be done in about two minutes with no tools.

I haven't needed to change the plugs yet.

With all respect to Hobbit, John could give him a run for the money, especially for the common man.

Here's a great thread on PriusChat discussing some of the other service items one might consider down the line. Though the theme of the thread is not DIY vs non-DIY, you probably can get a good sense of what you might be able to do yourself once the car hits a major maintenance interval like 60K or 120K.

[Tochatihu]

Plenty of meat in that 32 page tread at PriusChat. If you DIY the 2003 Corolla, then you are ready to do most things the Prius might need.

There few barriers to DIY work on Prius, but they did increase at the 2003/2004 model change (ah the good old days). Not really sure what to expect at the 2009/2010 model change except the coolant thermos is gone and that was off the DIY list. So, probably not a bad thing.

I think the fundamental question is whether you believe that paying a Toyota shop for routine maintenance will benefit you in case of a out of warranty problem later. For many DIYers the answer would be no.

DAS

[Xringer]

Thanks for all the good info. All this DIY info makes a used Prius look more attractive.
It is nice to know that filter and oil changes are easy.
The Cabin filter on the CRV is a bear and the oil filter isn't where it should be.

If I get a new Prius, I won't be too worried about hitting any really high mileage numbers,
since I'm not one for doing a lot of driving.

My old 1999 CRV has almost got 37,000 miles on it so far.. So, by the time I hit
100,000 on a new Hybrid, I'll likely be in my late 80s.. And not nimble nuff for
doing much more than watching TV..

I've got a lot of reading to do.. Thanks again.

[hobbit]

Oil changes in the Prius are so trivial that I never did up a
page for it, especially since john1701a did such a nice job on
his. The only thing I'd ever add, which I have on occasion over
at Priuschat, is that I jack up the *left* side of the car a little
to increase clearance underneath and also tip the whole engine
pan toward the right where the drain hole is. Other than that
it's totally straightforward for anyone who's changed oil in
any other car.
.
Now, if we could just convince the community that 3.5 quarts
on refill is plenty and that a level *between* the marks as
opposed to at or above the top mark is fine...
.
_H*

[JimboK]

Originally Posted by hobbit

The only thing I'd ever add, which I have on occasion over
at Priuschat, is that I jack up the *left* side of the car a little
to increase clearance underneath and also tip the whole engine
pan toward the right where the drain hole is.

I "tip" the car too, but a little differently with the ramps. First, I park the car on a slight downhill (usually my fiancee's yard) so it ends up relatively level front-to-back on the ramps. Then I stagger the ramps so the left wheel is all the way up and the right is about halfway.

[Mendel Leisk]

For reference, oil change on the Civic Hybrid is more difficult than the usual, due to the plastic shield under the engine compartment. Once that's out of the way the oil filter is very accesable, compared to a lot of previous generations.