When I had my 2004 Prius, I changed my trans oil for the first time at about 215,000 miles and it was still reasonably good, it was a dark red color with nearly the same viscosity as when it was original, my measuring device showed it as a little broken down, also no debris visually or magnetic, but still good, and instead of using a suction device to refill I ran a flexible clear tube from the top into the side with a funnel connected at the top. I finally scrapped the car when the odometer got up to 299,999 miles and wouldn't go past that (PS: the dash went black every now and then, but fixed when I removed & replaced a capacitor with one that had a higher μF on the unit underneath the "D" gear light, labeled "C1"), even though I'm sure there's a firmware update that could've fixed the frozen mileage problem at 299,999; and amazingly the main hybrid battery was still in good condition and the car averaged almost 62 MPG every day, city & highway combined (usually from the SoCal to Southern Utah and back) considering it was 13 years old when I finally replaced the car in 2017 with a 2017 Prius Prime. The only problem it was having was the engine started idling rough after 290,000 miles whenever the car started up cold and it got an intermittent misfire trouble code. The spark plugs were changed with Denso brand at 100,000 miles and never again, my (synthetic 5W-30) oil changes were every 10-15,000 miles with a little top-off every now-&-then, and the K&N air filter that was only cleaned, not replaced, the coolant was changed twice in its entire lifespan, and had only 2 tire changes with regular balances and rotations, the Eco tires of course. In Southern California I still managed to sell it for $2,500 with all those miles. It's a good car if you take care of it.

Ok, here goes. I own a 2008 Toyota Prius,(series 2). I have done a lot of Exhaustive Research and talked to Product Specialists,Certified Toyota Hybrid Techs,Toyota Service Experts, Electrical & Mechanical Engineers until Both of us are BLUE in the Face, and have come across the following, FACTS!!! 1, The Series 2 Toyota Prius does not have a CVT like honda,(BELT), it has a E(electronically) C(controled) V(varible) T(transmission). The electronics/motor/alternators contained with in this transmission create the variable aspect of this transmission. These things conjoined with a excellent Planetary gear system make this a mechanically simple a reliable way of getting the power to the wheels. 2, The Stator coil windings ARE,(all tho some what shielded), exposed to the transmission fluid! BUT, they are NOT affected by it, because of very extensive insulation and shielding. All ATF / Dextron, motor oil can be mildly semi conductive in the right circumstances & conditions. Don't be too concerned by this because many & various motorcycle alternators have had their stators totally showered with very hot motor oil since the 1970's. Manufacturers have for a long time have figured out how to keep stators from shorting out in this situation . Sure, I know with the Prius we are talking about 200~300 volts and much higher amperage than a 12~14 volt motorcycle charging setup. BUT, the principal in protecting the stator windings is still the same. NO WORRIES, ok. 3, That cute little magnet in the drain plug of this transmission maybe ok, but. Think for a minuet. If you were a very small metal particle would you go to that wimpy little magnet in the drain plug OR would you find your way to the HUGE Magnets on the motor rotors! This is considered to be true,yet Don't be to concerned here either. The high RPM of these rotors tend to fling off most, if not all, of this metallic debris if anything gets temporally attached to it. The magnet in the drain plug does serve it's purpose, but not to the extent that you think it does in these type of transmissions. Seeing metallic residu is normal with any transmission oil/fluid change, and the Prius is no different with what comes out than any other transmission. 4, It is NOT necessary to pre-heat the replacement Transmission oil before adding it into the transmission when changing this oil/fluid. This idea is just for anal nitpickers that think it will male a difference. IT Really won't make that much of a difference! The spec for the design of the transmission case allows for a variance of +/- 8 mm from the lower edge of the inspection/refill hole. This is a normal range for the (hot),expansion & (cold),contraction of the level for transmission fluid within this case. Just SLOWLY add the fluid until you start to see it come out the hole, then stop. Then wait a minuet for the fluid/oil level to stabilize, then recheck it with the tip of your finger just to be sure. NOW, there is one thing that I can highly recommend when changing transmission fluid in ANY vehicle is to have the vehicle "Level" !! This can be verified & done with a simple carpenters level on a open door sill. You don't check you engine oil level when you are on a slope! So you must make sure that you're (Prius), vehicle is level when adding & checking the level of fluid in the transmission. HOW, you get it level and keep it level is your Karma &/or problem, but it must be done if you are going to do it accurately 5, It should NOT be necessary, {all be it Toyota's opinion to differ}, to use the expensive Toyota ATF WS transmission fluid when doing a transmission oil/fluid change in a Series 2, 2004~2009 Toyota Prius. WHAT!!!! Blamelessly YOU SAY!!! Well. I can PROVE IT!! When the series 2 Prius came out in 2004 it had Fluid just like DEXTRON IV in it to begin with, why?!? Because that was what was generally available to the automotive industry at that time. AND whats more! The design of this transmission has not changed much if any, during the time it was marketed,(2004~2009 ) Also, The Toyota ATF WS fluid (full synthetic), wasn't made/available until the 2007 model year. I verified this to be true with a (reluctant)Toyota corporate product specialist. So using a very good Fully synthetic AFT like Valvoline Max-life will do just fine. BUT, just to double check, I also called and talked with a Valvoline product specialist at Ashland Oil Co. and, was assured that the Valvoline Max-life () ATF has been approved to be a completely compatible replacement transmission fluid to the expensive Toyota ATF WS. This was verified with a 100k mileage test conducted by Valvoline and a independent test lab to be true. This test was carried out and the product compatibly list was updated in late 2012 and shown in the 2013 Valvoline product list and at this point is more than suitable replacement transmission fluid for the Toyota series 2 Prius. Also there is another product manufactured by Red Line. Their Red Line C-6, full synthetic ATF has been used by many and was found to give excelent performance in the Toyota Prius transmission. Red Line makes a good product yet the price of this product is only slightly comparable with Toyota's ATF WS. So there isn't a big price break between these two products. Only availability will be a deciding factor here. Also, there are alot of rumors/info. surrounding a lab test report that found higher than normal copper content in old transmission fluid from a Prius. This test was done on a original series ONE Prius, NOT a series 2 Prius. And there is to my knowledge, no conciseness of why this it so. CU - Copper is a normal element left over in the waist oil change of just about anyone's transmission,( sacrificial soft metals gets worn off first ). But it will not & does not envolve the copper in the stator windings, WHY, See previous point 2 in this discussion. IF this did happen in a Prius transmission you would have other MAJOR problems not related to the non-sense rumor that transmission fluid would melt the insulation on the stator windings. If transmission fluid melts insulation off of electrical wiring then ALL Modern electrically controlled transmission would have,(in one way or another), this problem. 6, There is no filter in this transmission for the Prius series 2, no pan to drop, just a drain plug and a fill/inspection hole/plug. The best preventive maintenance that can be done with this transmission it to change it OFTEN!! I really don't care what some people think is a good interval,(mileage / time/ color), but doing it is the MOST important thing. SO DO IT!!!! All transmission oil/fluid are affected by time & mileage and to say it doesn't need to be changed is total complete ridiculousness!!! I know that this raises a lot of eyebrows, (good & bad), on the so to speak mysteries regarding Toyota E-CVT transmission oil/fluid change. I hope this clears up a lot of misconceptions and puts a lot of peoples minds at ease. BUT, HEY Don't take my word for it! Go and do the research like I did. And after a few weeks of prowling the internet & calling dozens of people you will come to the same FACTS & conclusions that I have. There will always be people that will find a reason to make other people worry about just about anything & everything. These people get the illusion of power over your thoughts & opinions and makes them feel important, that's their Karma, but you don't have to believe in them or be subjected to their influence, if you don't want to be. Use good old common sense! Please take everything you read &/or see on the internet with a grain of salt. I can't help what people think of me or what I have tried to convey here. BUT, I can do one thing very well, and that is I can tell you the facts as they have been presented to me. Please enjoy your Prius and drive safely.

this trans does not have clutches therefore this fluid only lubricates it therefore does not break down or burn however it does get dirty which is a big no no when 500 volt electric motors are involved (they could short) and this transmission generates far less heat then a conventional transmission this is due to the dedicated inverter cooling system (separate from the engine cooling system) that also cools the motors and therefore the transmission toyota recommends changing the fluid at 100k miles and the fluid is usually still pretty clean at that time this car in the video either didn't have its fluid changed in a very long time or an internal component was breaking down

60k miles is the recommendation of a certified Lexus technician off the record. Lol.

I use a fluid pump ( last one purchased at Oreilly's) it screws on top of any gallon washer fluid jug, holds 4qts, works very well, cheap price, I've only bought two in 25yrs. tip put a small hole in top of the jug so it can breathe.

Thank you for the video. On my Prius, I do an “infinity change.” I remove a quart of old fluid, and then add/top off with only WS fluid. I repeat the process 3x until the existing fluid visually looks like fresh WS fluid. In my experience, removing 100% of the fluid in one step, forces the existing gunk to dissolve in the fresh fluid to clog the internals. I do this every 20k miles. Million mile corollas in Asia employ this technique.

2007 with 200k and I just changed it with Amsoil Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid. Runs like a champ.

"SENIOR MASTER CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN" thats a big title there hehe sounds like admiral general aladeen lol

For a 2004 Prius, Toyota specifically recommends ATF fluid P/N #00028ATFWS. No substitutes. However around 2010 the ATF fluid change to P/N #0888602505 CVTFE and was given a CVT designation. Evolution of fluids occurs with the evolution of automobile advancements. I verified to see if this latter fluid was now recommended for an older Prius, it is not.

How about cleaning off magnetic drain plug before re installation/ also warming up the transmission before draining

Thanks for the insight. Will do it myself next time.

Prius CVT is no CVT at all! It doesn't have a metal chain! The rest, I was ok with until the guy said "clutch material" there's no clutch in there is there? Isn't the little motor directly attached to the engine? With no clutch?

Thank you for this video. I am going to be attempting this today, I do not have a lift but I've got resources. I just want to make sure I did it right the first time. You've been extremely helpful

This video is well done, I like the additional commentary and back and forth you guys role played. Very good stuff.

Thank you for the information. I would have liked a better view of where these components are in the car. A view from further away so one could get their bearings might have been nice. Thank you again.

I have an 05 transmission went. Im certain the garage NEVER changed my fluid. 134,000 miles. Terrible 😢 Great video thank you for sharing ❤

Yup I was confused as to which one was the coolant plug accidentally put my brake fluid down the yellow coolant reservoir have to change that out thanks alot 👍🙌

Excellent ! I went at Toyota dealer and they said to me that kind of transmission does not requires fluid change. Thanks for video my Prius mileage now is 247.000. I know is late. I head on the video we are supposed to change the fluid every 30.000 . Great video.

Clutch material? You might wanna look into the Toyota eCVT and see how it works.

Why didnt you drop trans pan clean out the screen, all the gunk, clean the magnet, put new o ring, new pan gasket? I have 2002 prius with 71, 400 miles. Records dont indicate transmission service. Trans fluid looks dirty. Should pan be dropped to do listed service? Ie: clean screen, clean magnet etc? Thank you for this great video.

You are a superman , thank you , video is very clean , i give you 10 stars .

there's no "clutch material" in an eCVT. The fluid is just acting as gear oil.

Great video mate! Helped! And great production! Very good b roll!

I love my Prius but Toyota did not design the fluid changes to be very easy to do. I started changing my own oil because that way I know it's been done correctly. The last two changes I had a feeling they did not change the oil filter. When I changed it the oil filter looked like it was very old and full of gunk. There is no way to prove that they did not change the oil filter but I had to get a breaker bar to get the cover off. They could have damaged my engine but I can't prove it.

Outstanding video. Thank you. How many miles were on the old fluid.

I watched your video on how to change transmission fluid on my Prius V with 190,000 miles. After completing the process of filling and pulling the hose from the fill hole I accidentally slipped the plastic sticker that was sticking at the end of the hose into the transmission( I did not remove the home depot prize tag sticker at the end of the hose thinking it can hold the hose in place at fill hole) . My concern is , will this plastic sticker cause any damage to the transmission if left inside. Or do I have to take that sticker out by draining the fluid again and ( if I am lucky ) I might see that sticker at the drain hole. My car is still in the garage and I did not want to start until I get that sticker out ( if that's really required). I am thinking of running the old transmission fluid that I took out , to run it down the fill hole again simulating the process of flushing or what other fluid can I use to force it into fill hole and make that sticker get near the drain hole. If the water was not destructive to the transmission, I would have put water hose into fill hole and try to push the sticker near to the drain hole. Any suggestions is greatly appreciated. I subscribed and Thank you.

Great Video. As I am news to prius maintenance this was very helpful.

Why would you not mention the size tools being used to remove drain bolts if you are doing a video on how to change fluids?

My prius gen 2 got 360.000 km and i never replaced the transmission fluid!

Why doesn't fluid temperature and measurement come into play like my 2016 Highlander? Filling to the fill plug level and calling it a day regardless of temperature is so much easier than the complicated BS needed to fill mine. Must be the CVT that makes it different. Great video

Which year Prius you are changing you are not mentioned

can you run a rubber hose down from the top of the engine bay to refill?

I have Sienna 2021/XLE.So, why in the heck should we use ATF transmission fluid instead of CVT fluid inside eCVT transmission. Very confusing😢😢😢

Thanks for the great video I just serviced my trans today 07 Prius has 220k Miles and it runs like new I service the trans every 50K miles and oil changes done every month

i have 2014 prius v 339k miles i bought it new never change the transmission or cvt oil yet (runs good for uber ) and not even planing to change it what you think

I have a 2004 prius with 335000 km (approx 220000 miles) and as far as i know it hasnt been changed, ive been told by several garages that at that mileage it may harm it more than do it any good if it has new fluids,?? i dont think this is right but you could confirm that for me? also i have a slow leak in the seal, is there a way i can check the level of it

great video. I'd be interested in seeing a fluid sample after the change. Say at 1000, 5000, 10,000 and 25,000 miles.. It would be interesting to see when it becomes black. (on average) If the fluid becomes black rather quickly, then being black wouldn't be an important observation.

How you think - is it good alternative to WS? Valvoline MaxLife High Mileage DEX/MERC Automatic Transmission Fluid

Every time he says "constantly," I have to mentally correct him... "Continuously Variable Transmission!!!"

Begging your kindness is it the same ecvt fluid for the toyota camry hybrid?🙏

Great video Todd. I wish you were my local garage!

What about 2019 new model Toyota Corolla e-Cvt is the same or different ? Because someone says these cars do not have a transmission inside actually is a different system etc ? Which is correct information guys ?

Hello, I have doubts regarding the interval for the oil change in the CVT gearbox of a hybrid TOYOTA PRIUS+1.8 VVT-I HSD ECO. How often do you think it's advisable to change it? Best regards

Hello my Toyota Prius 2007 My car has walked 330000 km Can I exchange gear oil or will it cause problems and is there a filter inside the gear that needs to be changed Thank you

Thanks, COOP ...

What are the symptoms of low transimision fluid in this 2010 prius. My 2012 prius does not show energy distribution when driving. It only display my tyres moving in energy monitor screen. How the energy is distributed is not shown. Could it be low transmission fluid?

I recently bought a 2007 prius with 152K miles, I was thinking on doing the fluid change and ordered all the needed materials but I really don't know what to do anymore because a lot of people are telling me that if the fluid has never been replaced when I change it I will damage my transmission, another bunch of people said that is a good thing to change it. Any real advice? Thank you.

Hi, I have gone twise to toyota dealer to do transmission fluid replace on my 2009 prius with 54k and all 3 times I was told they don do fuid change on prius beause of the kind of transmission it come with. The only thing I have to change on transmission is the coolant at 100k. Doing transmission fluid before that would void my warranty. I explaind I've seen videos when replacing fluid at 30k miles for example how dark the fluid is and they said thats ok, fluid gets heat every day and turns purple wich is normal, these transmissions and fluid were designed to be there for at least 100k without any service other than coolant. Another transmission guy told me exactly the same thing. Toyota said they can still do it for me but it I have problem with transmission warranty will be voided. So now dont know who is right. One thing I can tell you, I also own a 2002 honda odyssey and did the first transmission fluid service at 100k and no problems at all.

Do you still run the same risk with a CVT transmission that you do with a normal automatic transmission where if you don't change it at the proper interval and then change it, you could end up destroying the transmission?

Thanks for the thoughts you have shared here.

will bad trans fluid case the trans to fail jerk and shift improperly would it be as simple as having it changed and trans works again

yeah but even if you drain and refill with new fluid, as soon as you drive it for a few miles, the fluid will look dirty again just like if you never changed it. Remember all the gunk inside the transmission will mix with the new fluid.

It's not a CVT at all. It's a Power Split Device. Easy to change with a jack. Fill from the top. Get rid of the WS ATF. It's not synthetic and foru members have had Blackstone Labs test it. BAD! Change every 30k. Or junk the WS and put in a superior ATF, Group 4/5. That's REDLINE D6. Available on Amazon. All 3 of my Prii have had D6 for years. I change every 50k. Remember, the Power Split Device has no filter. You need a big allen socket, a 24mm socket, and a funnel with clear tubing. Take off the panel above the radiator and you can put a funnel/tube straight down into the fill hole. You can also remove the top of the inverter and there is a fill plug there.

I have a 2005 model and notice it has a pan underneath. Does it have a filter in there just like any other automatic transmission? Is there a certain way to change the trans fluid compared to other automatics? Thank you

Very important vid...maybe there is a way to install a auxiliary cooler to stabilize the temperature...and also look for a synthetic solution and a bigger radiator to prevent inverter burnout

On some sites they claim you have to purchase new bolts/gaskets. In your experience, can you use the existing bolts/gaskets or do you recommend purchasing new ones? Also, it looks like an Allen wrench can take those off, can you use one?

YOu can use flex hose and fill it from top of the engine not using this complicated tool.

How many miles were on the old fluid?

Actually the WS fluid is way more stable and can last at least 100k miles. You do not need to flush. Just drain and refill every 100k miles is more than enough.

Very good video. Thank you!

I have one Prius at 180,000 miles, and one at 113,000 miles. Neither one has had their transmission fluid changed. Is it too late to change the transmission fluid now? I’ve heard it’s bad change after so many miles.thank you.

Toyota says it's a life fluid! I was getting a jerky motion when I went from D to R and from R to D. Replaced the fluid, it's all normal now! Life fluid my arse!

My Prius 2013 has 125k Mike's should I change transmission fliud

Hi I have camry 2007 LE 4 cyl with 80,000 miles. There is no dipstick to check the transmission fluid. One of the dealers mentioned that the transmission fluid is lifetime and there is no need to change it! I just do not believe there is lifetime fluid. One of the dealers agreed to change it. I just wonder if anyone has an idea on how to do so? as I heard the temperature of the fluid has to be at certain temperature? I am not sure also if my transmission in U241E or U250E? Any guide will be appreciated.

2007 camry hybrid...what is the filler plug on the wheel well side of the ecvt do? my mechanic fill aft with that filler hole....

Awesome video, great info.

I did asked tyota dealership if i ever have to change oil transmission on my tyota prius hibrid 2009 1.8 I was told it last forever, so you don't have to change it it's life time oil. In this point I am littel bit confused?

Do you have change this oil in e-cvt in RAV4 Hybrid 2019? I thought I do not need to change the oil in this gearbox that it is maintenance free?

WS is not a eCVT fluid WS stands fot world standard for toyota. eCVT fluid for toyota is TC.

Excellent video, thanks!

You didn’t say how many miles that had on the oil change? Also it would be clever to install a magnetic drain plug I wonder why they don’t use that ???

Yes I seen that but thought it was a manual shift. Mine looks like a regular transmission pan.

Thanks so much for this video! Great info

question i have a 04 toyota prius ,i love the car but lately i am having trouble climbing hills, i bought the car second hand, it only has 83907 miles . would transmission fluid cause it to run fine on flat ground but not climb hills ?

Very helpful video, thank you!

Tod is a very serious guy, isn't he...

How many miles on each serive I have a 2002 prius thanks for this video. Thumbs up everyone

Thank you. You have been a blessing.

Hi For your next tuto video, put yourself in the the place of the person who look for how to do. First thing first, how to locate the transmission and then where to find the two screws...

wouldn't it be easier to use a funnel with a hose from the top of the car?

Hello...just want to know if the its a CVT transmission than why ATF WS fluid was used...thnx

location of Drain and refill is different on those cars, yours is 2005, the 2010 up is different location.

Very very helpful. I have a 180k 08 prius and need to change the fluid. What tools do i need aside from the lift. Thanks

Appreciate the video!!!

0:25 constant variable what did rocket j squirrel say about military intelligence ?

Toyota dealership here in europe told me its a lifetime fluid and never has to be replaced, is that true?

Thank you for this video! 8-)

So there is no indication on how much fluid to pump back in, just the overflow as a sign?

Muchas gracias por compartir 😇 !

nice video, but no information on the allen bolt size, or the drain bolt size

To finally respond to a couple of comments. First, Fierce Protocol, ( Don't ask me why there is a 2002 date on your bottle, go ask Toyota, I wouldn't make any sense to me either) UNLESS! It was a misprint! Stranger things have happened. And Second, Thanks but No thanks, Shane, I have no plans to warn up my time machine and go back to 2002 to find out any more details on this subject.

I have a question. Should the fluid drip out or stream out of fill plug opening when full?

I’ve Hybrid Toyota Auris Touring Sports with the same CVT tranny like 3rd gen Prius and owners manual says to use ATF WS only, well why is invented special Toyota CVT FE fluid then? Greetings from Estonia!

thank you for the Video, I went to the dealer and they say that the oil needs to be place on a special machine to warm it up at certain temperature before to put in to the transmission, is that true? or they just say it to make money. thank you very much.

My 2011 toyota prius wont come out of nuetrual wen start...what causes that problem?

Thank you for your great video. I have a 2008 Prius, and have decided to have it changed at its 60k check-up. I would not have thought of not doing it myself, but the need to elevate it at all four sides in order to make sure its level, and using a pump, or finagling a long hose and funnel, seems to make more sense to find someone better equipped who will do this pretty easy job at a reasonable price. You didn't mention checking a magnetic plug for wear metal. Does it really have one?

There is a big difference between CVT and eCVT. Compared with normal automatic transmission system, the Prius eCVT is easier, not harder, on the ATF. In addition, what is so special about WS ATF that many other after-market ATF's, like Maxlife, can not achieve?

Is there a transmission filter for these vehicles that needs to be replaced ?

thank you so much awesome mechanic

I have 140k miles on my 2008 Prius and never had the CVT fluid changed no issues so far