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oil change
air filter
spark plugs
pressurized fuel injector service
change engine coolant
drain and refill tranny fluid
brake pads
fuel filter
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Oil change: I change the oil at 2,000 to 3,000. If you want to run mobil 1 double that mileage.
air filter: hold it up to the sun, if it seems dirty, it is, so change it.
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Pressurized fuel injector service"? The dealer told you that right? Toyota fuel injectors will soldier on for a long time, you do not need to waste your money on this crap. Try 2 oz of acetone or some techroline at next gas fill up. If your injectors want service they will tell you by performance, until then, they really do not need "service"!
"Change engine coolant" yes just do it. You can do it yourself with a source of water and drainage. Use toyota red if you can afford $20 if not use Prestone "compatible with all" kind. I never use "premixed" coolant as its for fools, they are giving you half water for the same price.
Do with engine cold. Crawl under and find the drain plug (driver side bottom of radiator,) Drain coolant into pan, fill radiator with water. Run engine for 10 minutes keeping an eye on temp gauge. Shut off engine, drain the water. Allow engine to cool for an hour if you can.
Is there any need to kill yourself finding the engine coolant drain plugsand removing them, if you know where they are, do it, if not, flushing with clear water is sufficient!
Close drain, add your coolant (remember no pre mix used here). On most toyota radiators, fill the rest with water and you will have 60% coolant at least. USE DISTILLED WATER if you can.
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drain and refill tranny fluid
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Yes you ought to do it but if you want to save some money do it yourself. on my 2002 V6 this chore could not be easier. It uses a 10 mm hex (male socket) and you can drain it just like an oil change. I have yet to bother with removing the pan to clean the strainer since a) i am 48, old, burned out on wrenching and lazy b)i dont like fluid leaks and c) every transmission or fuel strainer i have ever yanked from any motor has been CLEAN.
On my 2002 it specifies "Toyota TIV fluid only" but my last change i used valvoline TIV compatible and have had no problems (and its 2 bucks cheaper).
Toyota TIV from the dealer costs over $5 a qt. Check your dipstick or owners manual it will tell you what to use.
On my 2002 it takes exactly 3 qts to refill the trans after a drain.
Depending on the wheels you have you can often check pad lining without removing the wheel. I have aluminum wheels and i can check my front pads just by turning the steering wheel. Alot of shops are run by crooks feeding off the customer's ignorance so i do not trust them. You can spend an hour and check your brake pads yourself. As a rule the front pads wear much faster than the rears so check those first. You dont have to pull all four unless the car pulls while driving (if it does this either you have radial pull caused by tires or a sticking caliper.)
One wheel each side is usually sufficient. Look into the oval hole in the caliper and examine the remaining pad thickness. 10 mm or more is better, if they are 5mm or less change them. Also examine the rotor, if it is not wobbly during braking, has no very deep scores or grooves and shows no heat damage (black) or cracks, its ok for now. If your rotor is scored but seems ok for now, just plan to buy new rotors at pad change time, they are cheap - in my long experience, hauling them in and having them turned is a waste of time and money - i just buy some cheap rotors for a couple bucks more. (I have played this game for a long time and I dont believe that spending $200 for a rotor buys you any more reliability or performance.)
your car may not even have one except in the fuel pump. If it does usually it is found in the darkness below your air filter housing, drivers side. Dont kill yourself looking for it, do a search here to find out where your fuel filter is. If it is in the fuel pump, it is getting changed if and when the fuel pump dies and i would not worry about it.
2005 at 72K miles...
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