As the 2012 Prius was approaching its 120k mile milestone, I noticed a dip in fuel efficiency among other issues (cold start rattle, struggling acceleration, rough ride). In its glory days, I was getting and average of mid 50’s MPG on a full tank. On rare driving circumstances, I was able to bump that number to beyond 60 MPG. Ever since I was putting large amount of miles to the Prius strictly from commuting in the last 2.75 years (about 26,500+ miles per year), my MPG dipped to the mid 40’s. This and the fact that the Prius has accumulated close to 120k miles prompted me to take the car to a local Toyota dealership for a full servicing. In return, the dealership gave me a laundry list of recommended high mileage maintenance service.
Using their list provided, I maintained the Prius myself and saved over $1,500 and made a note of observing changes in fuel efficiency. These are the services I performed on my Prius at around the 120k milestone:
- DIY: How to Replace the Spark Plugs On a 3rd Gen Prius (2010-2015)
- DIY: How to Replace the Positive Crankcase Ventilation Valve (PCV) On Your 3rd Gen Prius
- DIY: How to Exchange the Engine Coolant On Your 3rd Gen Prius
- DIY: How to Exchange the Inverter Coolant On Your 3rd Gen Prius
- DIY: How to Exchange the Automatic Transmission Fluid WS (World Standard) on Your 3rd Gen Prius
- DIY: How to Clean Your 3rd Gen Prius High Voltage (HV) Hybrid Battery Cooling Fan
It has been two or more months since I’ve performed these services and I have noticed a gradual rebound in fuel efficiency. I’ve been getting a constant 45-48 MPG prior to the service, driving solo 99% of the time towards the tail end of October 2017. After performing the services, I am pleased to say that I have been hitting averages of between 54-56 MPG – this with two adults and a 16 month old driving.
My next maintenance will include cleaning the complete EGR system, intake manifold and oil change at around 125k using Mobil 1 High Mileage 0W-20. I am eager to see how these maintenance services will further affect the overall MPG average of the aging Prius.