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Maintenance Suggestions - 2001 Prizm - Car Going To Son




Guest kandrtech

My son is currently at Tech School in the Air Force. In about 2-1/2 months, he'll be buying this car and taking it to his first duty station (in Colorado).

I want to fully prepare his Prizm - hoping to make it as reliable and trouble-free as possible.

The car is a 2001 Prizm, with the three-speed automatic. We have owned the car since it had about 65,000 miles on it. It now has close to 95,000.

When I bought the car (about three years ago), I replaced the coolant and the transmission fluid/filter. Oil changes made often. Original coolant hoses. Valve clearances not ever checked. Original shocks.

I'm interested in what items should be replaced - even if they are not "bad" right now. My goal is that he wouldn't have any repairs (beyond normal maintenance) for a couple of years.

Based on mileage and age, I would think to include:

- coolant hoses

- shocks/struts

- check valve clearances (hopefully just that - check to confirm no shims need replacing)

I'd also consider other items, such as water pump, etc - if this forum has experience with certain parts needing replacement around the 100k mark.

Thanks in advance.

Coolant hoses should still be good, assuming that you replaced them with OEM ones when you did it the last time. Generally, these hoses hold up pretty well - lifespan is dictated by frequency of coolant changes, type of coolant and water used, and driving conditions.

Toyota have historically used more compliant struts and springs on this class of car. Getting almost a 100K miles out of the original set is pretty good. Most people report struts going out around the 10 year/100K mile mark - some give out a lot sooner, others run into some incredible mileage before they go. Can't really say if they are bad from the old "bounce" test, as the car is too light for that be a reliable indicator. Leaking oil from the struts is a definite sign they are bad, the rest is more subjective. I've seen some owners run around on blown struts for years and not know it.

Valve clearances are audibly checked - if valvetrain noise doesn't die down after the car reaches operating temperatures - then it might be grounds to check valve clearances. I've checked mine even 60K miles, and even after the 180K mile mark - clearances are still good. If you plan on checking clearances, now would be a good time to replace the valve cover gasket (o-ring type, tends to dry out and start leaking around this age and mileage), and double check the timing chain tensioner is not weeping oil. This is pretty common on cars with variable valve timing. Again, it is a little o-ring that gets dried out and starts leaking oil.

Aside from normal maintenance, not too much you can change ahead of time as preventative maintenance. I understand trying to change potentially worn parts before they cause problems, but there is also the likelyhood that the replacement part is actually inferior to the originally installed part. So there is no guarantee that replacing parts, before they could potentially fail, will extend the useful service life of the car. It generally won't hurt - but it probably won't buy your much either.

Things that I would address before I cut the car loose and my own service intervals:

- oil and oil filter - generally use synthetic motor oil in a 5w-30 or 0w-30 viscosity, slightly oversized oil filter, every 7500-8000 miles (backed up with used oil analysis)

- transmission and transmission filter - use a synthetic ATF every 30K miles or 2 years. In your case, you have a 3-speed auto, don't forget to change the oil in the differential (you have two separate fluid reservoirs - transaxle and differential, about 2.5 quarts in the transaxle, about 1.5 quarts in the diff)

- power steering fluid - replace every 30K miles or 2 years. Easiest to just siphon out the fluid, replace with fresh - repeat over the next couple of weeks or so, to allow the fluid to circulate

- brake fluid - replace fluid / bleed brakes every 30K miles or 2 years. Use DOT 3 or 4 brake fluid - personally I like to run ATE Super Blue or Motul RBF 600 - DOT 4 fluids, that have a higher

performance but also tends to absorb moisture faster.

- clean MAF/IAT sensor, clean OCV filter assembly, clean throttle body - every 15K-30K miles or yearly.

- fresh air filter as needed - running a K&N washable on for some time now, no problems as long as you oil it correctly.

- serpentine belt as needed - some replace it every 60K or 120K miles depending on conditions. I just toss the old one in the trunk as a spare, just in case.

- spark plugs - OEM ones are good for up to 120K miles. I tend to be conservative on these, and replace them a bit earlier - stick with iridium tipped plugs for longest service life.

- make sure brake pads and tires are up to spec. Prefer to run tires no more than 50% of the tread, if an all-season tire, to maintain max utility. Once it burns down past the mid-point, all-season traction suffers quickly, basically becomes a so-so dry and wet tire. Brake pads, personally run Hawk HPS performance pads. Higher initial bite, greater torque, greater fade resistance - means more confident and sure braking.



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