New Auris Hybrid Owner

[Tim S]

Hi All, I have recently bought a 2018 Toyota Auris 1.8 Hybrid Design, and so far I am delighted with it. I have never owned a Toyota or a Hybrid before. I will ensure it is regularly serviced and has regular oil + oil filter changes, but I would appreciate any advice for keeping the car in good condition? I would also appreciate advice with how frequently the oil and oil filter should be changed? Thanks for reading my message. 

[TonyHSD]

Hi and welcome to Toyota and the hybrid game. 
Recommend service intervals for you car in UK are 10000 miles or 12 months whichever comes first. Usually the service includes oil and filter, with the major service every two years to include air filter and cabin filter plus some other parts, but these you can easily renew by yourself if necessary. Your car is fairly new and if you choose Toyota main dealer for you service you will get a hybrid Battery health check and another year of manufacturer warranty with each service, something worth considering. If you prefer to do service by yourself these cars are easy to work on and doesn’t require a lot of special tools or equipment. One thing to point out without unnecessary stress auris hybrids are targeted by thieves for stealing catalytic converters from them and checking under the car if any devices been installed previously is a good idea and if there is nothing to protect your exhaust I can highly recommend to you to familiarise yourself with more information about this thing and eventually invest into some cat lock or plate for your peace of mind.  There are many existing posts here regarding this problem and how different members has dealt with. Apart from that congratulations on your new motor, great choice for a car. 🚙👍

[Tim S]

Thanks very much Tony for your advice, I am very grateful. 

I was not aware of the risk to the catalytic converter and exhaust. I will invest in a catlock asap. 

One more thing, as I have never owned a Hybrid before - apart from servicing and not leaving the car undriven for a long time, is there anything else I should do to prolong the life of the Battery e.g. driving style? 

Thanks again. 

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, Tim S said:

Thanks very much Tony for your advice, I am very grateful. 

I was not aware of the risk to the catalytic converter and exhaust. I will invest in a catlock asap. 

One more thing, as I have never owned a Hybrid before - apart from servicing and not leaving the car undriven for a long time, is there anything else I should do to prolong the life of the battery e.g. driving style? 

Thanks again. 

You are welcome.
For the hybrid Battery there is nothing to worry, all you need to do is to keep the air vent (located on the side of the rear seat) clear from any obstruction as this where air cooling fan sucks air and when weather is hot to use air conditioning to keep cool in the cabin, room temperature it’s fine no need to be freezing cold 🥶., also there is a filter there behind this vent which needs cleaning or changing from time to time, this will depend if you transport any pets, often drive with passengers, using the car in dusty conditions etc. Sometimes when you arrive at your destination and your hybrid Battery is drained the engine might be running to recharge the Battery, best to wait 2-3 minutes for the engine to finish this process and then turn off your car. 12v battery usually is more of a concern for this cars getting flat over the hybrid battery. This can happen if you use the car very occasionally on short trips less than 20-30 min each time or if you leave the car without any use for weeks, especially in winter months. The advice is to invest in battery charger like ctek or solar charger to maintain your 12v battery healthy, if you use the car regularly no need to worry about it. Re check your tyre pressure on cold before you drive to make sure they are accurate and enjoy your car. For any more information in general you can ask and also look at Prius posts too as basically your car is very similar to Prius and uses the same hybrid technology. 👍

[Tim S]

Thanks very much Tony 🙂

[Catlover]

Hi Tim, no need to worry about the Hybrid technology including the big Battery. Toyota have been selling hybrid cars (starting with Prius) for over 20 years and the hybrid engineering has proved to be rock solid. Some cars in the USA have done over 300,000 miles. The key is servicing at the stipulated times. Remember that because the car is driving on Battery a good %age of the time the engine will not be revolving a good %age of the time. So a car with 60,000 on the clock, the engine may have only done 30,000. Other car parts are pretty much the same as “normal” parts. One thing to watch for is rear discs rusting through lack of use. Initial use of foot brake activates the hybrid motor to slow the vehicle, regenerating Battery level at the same time. 

[Tim S]

Thanks very much for explaining. That makes sense and is reassuring 🙂

[Catlover]

I don’t know how long you had the car, though you have said “recently”.  How are you finding it? What difference do you find between the Auris hybrid and you previous car? Is it for the better or the worse?

[Gerg]

As well as all the above;

The hybrid Battery usually lasts around about 15 years.

The engine is an 'off the shelf' Toyota design, apart from some mild modifications, which don't affect it's maintenance - it's just a 'normal' engine.

The big changes from a conventional car are in the transmission, which sits on the r/h side (viewed from the front).  The electric motors, inverter and independent cooling system for those all live on the right of the engine bay.  There are no service items/wearing components (brake bands, clutches) that you might find in other types of transmissions.  The hybrid transmission is very durable; it is extremely unlikely to give you any problems.  The cooling system for this is separate from the engine's - its own small radiator lives above the air conditioning radiator (condenser) - it's hard to spot where one ends and the other begins.

There is no maintenance requirement for the transmission, apart from eventually changing the coolant, just as you would the engine cooling system.  Some people do change the transmission oil, it's an easy job, but definitely not scheduled.  They probably just like the idea of the oil being 'as new' - some owners become quite attached to these hybrid Toyotas.

The 12v Battery doesn't crank the engine, it just runs the car electrics up until the time high voltage Battery takes over; when the 'system' is on.  i.e. when the car is ready to drive off.  (So that is not the case in 'accessory mode', when the 12v battery is supplying all the load, *flat battery alert!* )

The 12v battery is charged/monitored all the time the car is 'on' (ready to be driven), regardless of whether the engine is turning or not at that time.

Detecting that the 12v battery may be low on charge is difficult without a voltmeter, but easy with one - the engine is started by the hybrid battery(high voltage) always, and the car never shows classic battery-low symptoms.  It works perfectly up until the time it doesn't, this is part of the problem of it running low - there aren't any clues!  Most of the problems have been thrown-up due to COVID-19 driving habit changes, in normal use you don't need to think about this much at all.

As far as I can see, the hybrid battery (which lives directly under the back seat) weighs around 40-45 kg, and the extra weight of the transmission over a manual model is about another 45 kg.

Eventually, you will turn on the air conditioning with the engine (temporarily) shut off, without the background noise of a petrol engine to mask it, the sound of the A/C pump and the radiator fans is alarming, but maybe not now....

You have likely discovered most of this already, but, hope that helps!

 

 

[Tim S]

Thanks Catlover and Gerg. This is actually the first car I have ever owned. I have previously driven a number of manual gearbox Skoda's though. I bought the car in June this year. I am finding the Auris to be a much nicer driving experience and am very happy with the car. I am finding it very practical for day to day use, and the automatic gearbox makes driving much more enjoyable. The car feels very well built and solid, which is what I expected. I recently took a taxi to the Airport, and the driver had just bought a new Corolla, having sold his 310,000 mile Auris which was still on the original Hybrid Battery. A very good advert for how solid the Auris is, though I won't do anything like that kind of mileage. 

Thanks for the very detailed explanation about the transmission and batteries, that has really helped my own high level understanding of how the car operates. Thank you. 

[TonyHSD]

Nice readings. Well done to this taxi driver👍,  I am on course to get into the high miles club but early stage for now, only 184k, lockdowns has slowed me down but hopefully in the future will get there. Most of the car so far it’s all original except wheel bearings and brakes and a new set of wheels and from all these replacements only brakes were needed, the bearings didn’t need change but I had some good offer on and decided to swap at around 140k mark as there was some rumbling noises when cruising. , the OEM ones could have  done another 50-60k probably. Every 10k miles simple oil and filters changes, every 50k both coolants after the first change at 100/150 respectively, every 60k spark plugs and transmission fluid., once a year Wiper Blades, tyres lasts me ages 50k + per set, actually the investment of second set of wheels and tyres worked really well for me. Once egr system cleaned and once Battery fan cleaned at around 140k. I ran out of space for service stamps in my book🤣👌

[Tim S]

What year is your vehicle? 184k is still an incredible mileage, with replacement of mostly wear and tear items 👍Well done! Sounds like you use a Toyota main dealer? I was planning on doing the same, although the taxi driver recommended an independent garage which he uses. That sounds really great wear from the tyres at around 50k. Incredible. 

[TonyHSD]

2 hours ago, Tim S said:

What year is your vehicle? 184k is still an incredible mileage, with replacement of mostly wear and tear items 👍Well done! Sounds like you use a Toyota main dealer? I was planning on doing the same, although the taxi driver recommended an independent garage which he uses. That sounds really great wear from the tyres at around 50k. Incredible. 

Hi,

I am very easy on the tyres and the car in general,  although I am not driving like an elderly lady and often have to push a bit more than to my like just to (keep up with traffic flow) 😉. Going slower through bends and roundabouts is the key for long life from the tyres and avoid unnecessary hard accelerations and braking, anticipate the road ahead., all that actually helps with the efficiency too. Speed bumps at low speeds without any brakes while tyres goes exactly on top of the bump, doing so put less stress on the suspension parts and it’s more comfortable for the passengers etc.
The car i am driving is Auris Hybrid from 2010, been in the family since autumn of 2015 but I have it in proper use since July 2018. Toyota dealer visits only for parts or recall work, otherwise I take care myself for everything else, with 5 service per year savings are huge, plus I like these jobs done by myself, been in the car trade long enough to easily trust any garage. With careful driving and on time maintenance any car can go high miles, some cost more some less to do so, I use to work in a large fleet company that Prius were the cars that only needed simple service, all other brands needed a lots of parts and often replacements to keep them going. 👍

[AisinW]

You can always do maintenance by yourself without voiding the 5 years warranty or 10-15 years HV Battery warranty. If you don't want to spend too much money on dealership maintenance cost.  Base on my 2006 Prius ownership history:

1. Oil and filter change every year or 10k miles, clean the hybrid air intake under the rear seat and replace cabin filter too. I prefer longlife 0w20 Castrol, Mobil1, Ravenol VSE, Mannol 7722, Total Ineo, etc. They are rated for 20k miles interval.

2. Engine air filter every 4 years.

3. Sparkplugs 60k miles/5 years. Clean the mass air flow sensor and Throttle body. 

4. Transmission fluid WS and SLLC coolant every 100k miles/10 years.

5. Brake fluid flush every 5 years is more than enough. 2 years interval is unnecessary.  

Change the oil 5000 miles/6 months if you do a lot of short trips or drive in traffict jam for hours regularly. 

The hybrid system check only needed once it is over 5 years/60k miles to get the HV 10-15 years warranty. 

I ignore Toyota 10 years relax warranty because I have to do the maintenance in dealership after 5 years. It cost 4x more than DIY. It makes Toyota reliability meaningless if we have to go to dealership just to do oil change. I would rather save £4000 by doing DIY in 10 years to prepare for any future repair on HV Battery or catalytic converter after 15+ years/300k miles.   The catalytic converter may fail once the engine starts burning oil. 

 

[Saxmaniac]

10 hours ago, AisinW said:

You can always do maintenance by yourself without voiding the 5 years warranty or 10-15 years HV battery warranty. If you don't want to spend too much money on dealership maintenance cost.  Base on my 2006 Prius ownership history:

1. Oil and filter change every year or 10k miles, clean the hybrid air intake under the rear seat and replace cabin filter too. I prefer longlife 0w20 Castrol, Mobil1, Ravenol VSE, Mannol 7722, Total Ineo, etc. They are rated for 20k miles interval.

2. Engine air filter every 4 years.

3. Sparkplugs 60k miles/5 years. Clean the mass air flow sensor and Throttle body. 

4. Transmission fluid WS and SLLC coolant every 100k miles/10 years.

5. Brake fluid flush every 5 years is more than enough. 2 years interval is unnecessary.  

Change the oil 5000 miles/6 months if you do a lot of short trips or drive in traffict jam for hours regularly. 

The hybrid system check only needed once it is over 5 years/60k miles to get the HV 10-15 years warranty. 

I ignore Toyota 10 years relax warranty because I have to do the maintenance in dealership after 5 years. It cost 4x more than DIY. It makes Toyota reliability meaningless if we have to go to dealership just to do oil change. I would rather save £4000 by doing DIY in 10 years to prepare for any future repair on HV battery or catalytic converter after 15+ years/300k miles.   The catalytic converter may fail once the engine starts burning oil. 

 

I'm only at 3 years old and having dealer services to avoid guarantee hassles, but doing extra oil changes between so it gets 5k oil changes. I was aiming to do all my own after warranty as I don't trust dealers! (Also, the hybrid health check is nothing you can't do easily yourself, plus they don't even clean the Battery fan filter!) However, it's a harder decision now with the relax warranty. So now I might be in the crazy situation of paying for dealer services but myself doing all the stuff like stripping and lubricating brakes, brake fluid, extra oil changes, transmission fluid (at 50k), because I don't trust dealers to do this

[AisinW]

12 hours ago, Saxmaniac said:

I'm only at 3 years old and having dealer services to avoid guarantee hassles, but doing extra oil changes between so it gets 5k oil changes. I was aiming to do all my own after warranty as I don't trust dealers! (Also, the hybrid health check is nothing you can't do easily yourself, plus they don't even clean the battery fan filter!) However, it's a harder decision now with the relax warranty. So now I might be in the crazy situation of paying for dealer services but myself doing all the stuff like stripping and lubricating brakes, brake fluid, extra oil changes, transmission fluid (at 50k), because I don't trust dealers to do this

The first 5 years, you do not need to do anything in the dealership unless it is free or recalls. Your warranty is fully covered no matter who maintain it.  So far 20+ years with Toyota, they never blame costumer for any defect.  Any rejection must show explicitly if anything broken is caused by negligence.  Write date and all things in maintenance book, i put my own signature and keep the receipts for oil, filter, brake fluid, etc.  Most DIY enthusiasts do the best job to their own car with care and passion. 

After 5 years, you must bring it to dealership  annually and let them do only hybrid system check for about £28. You will get certificate and 10 HV years warranty. Newer Toyota has 15 years. 

If you want full 10y relax warranty, we have no option but do the Annual inspection (oil change, brake fluid, etc.) in dealership. Each dealer can have different price rate though, choose the cheapest one near you.  Some dealer even allow you to bring your own 0w-20 oil. 

Toyota is known to release campaign with TSB and offer free repair for some manufacturing defects even outside warranty period like  cracked dashboards 5 years ago. 

I will do 5000 miles/6 months oil change interval once I observe any oil consumption issue. So far, I have none but I drove mainly in highway. 

[AisinW]

Just reminder for any Hybrid owner. We must turn the AC on on all hybrid  because it is parts of the cooling in summer. It is air cooled or it will degrade faster like most Zoe, Leaf, Up, Twingo EV, etc. with air cooled Battery. 

[Anthony Poli]

Hi Tim,

Hope your enjoying the new car, so far I have had 3 hybrids.

2010 Auris

2013 Yaris

2015 Auris TS

Never had any issues with any of them, I just followed the normal yearly service plan. I don't do any high mileage about 4000 miles a year.

I do a mix of short commutes and once a week longer trips. 

One piece of advice would be is avoid using cruise control, as it doesn't help the mpg.

Also don't use ECO mode, I did this for years. I have learned from experience that normal mode is better for my journey's. The modes are more of a gimmick really

It's been a good game seeing how far I can go on electric and get the highest mpg without driving like miss daisy .

Owning these cars have given me the taste for going fully electric, so I will be jumping ship soon.

[Anthony Poli]

13 hours ago, AisinW said:

Just reminder for any Hybrid owner. We must turn the AC on on all hybrid  because it is parts of the cooling in summer. It is air cooled or it will degrade faster like most Zoe, Leaf, Up, Twingo EV, etc. with air cooled battery. 

I wouldn't want to be in the car if the AC wasn't on, also check the fan filter yearly.

[Catlover]

16 hours ago, AisinW said:

The first 5 years, you do not need to do anything in the dealership unless it is free or recalls. Your warranty is fully covered no matter who maintain it.  So far 20+ years with Toyota, they never blame costumer for any defect.  Any rejection must show explicitly if anything broken is caused by negligence.  Write date and all things in maintenance book, i put my own signature and keep the receipts for oil, filter, brake fluid, etc.  Most DIY enthusiasts do the best job to their own car with care and passion. 

After 5 years, you must bring it to dealership  annually and let them do only hybrid system check for about £28. You will get certificate and 10 HV years warranty. Newer Toyota has 15 years. 

If you want full 10y relax warranty, we have no option but do the Annual inspection (oil change, brake fluid, etc.) in dealership. Each dealer can have different price rate though, choose the cheapest one near you.  Some dealer even allow you to bring your own 0w-20 oil. 

Toyota is known to release campaign with TSB and offer free repair for some manufacturing defects even outside warranty period like  cracked dashboards 5 years ago. 

I will do 5000 miles/6 months oil change interval once I observe any oil consumption issue. So far, I have none but I drove mainly in highway. 

I thought, in the UK, in the first 5 years warranty (now 3 years) if you do a service outside of Toyota it has to be a VAT registered garage. As you say keep all receipts, and if there is a dispute over any claim it is up to the vehicle owner to prove all parts used in servicing are of an approved quality.

I had an Hybrid Health Check outside of Toyota service in June on the wife’s Auris and it was £45 (free if with a service). As you say, have the HYbrid Health Check every year and get a year extra warranty, up to 15 years. There is a mileage proviso, think it maybe 100,000, not too sure.

[AisinW]

2 hours ago, Catlover said:

I thought, in the UK, in the first 5 years warranty (now 3 years) if you do a service outside of Toyota it has to be a VAT registered garage. As you say keep all receipts, and if there is a dispute over any claim it is up to the vehicle owner to prove all parts used in servicing are of an approved quality.

I had an Hybrid Health Check outside of Toyota service in June on the wife’s Auris and it was £45 (free if with a service). As you say, have the HYbrid Health Check every year and get a year extra warranty, up to 15 years. There is a mileage proviso, think it maybe 100,000, not too sure.

Unlimited mileage even in Germany/France with only 10y, the km is still unlimited.  We always can refuse hybrid system check during the first 5 years because it is still under warranty even without hybrid system check. You can save £30-£50, this price depends in which dealership.  

I believe we have consumer protection law that allow us to do our own maintenance and use any oil brands that are standardised 0w-20 by ILSAC, ACEA, API. Besides that, Toyota has to proof if any damage is directly caused by wrong parts or missapplications (gear oil for engines, etc.).   I only have warranty claims when I was in USA. When my 02 Altima head gasket leaks coolant, the catalytic converter died at 78k miles, 7 years. 8 years federal emission Law help me and  Nissan replace the cat without questioning why. My brother Prius 2011 at 230k miles has faulty brake booster and get replaced july this year for free under a campaign. 

I think only the online maintenance  history records need VAT registered garage. That's my understanding so far. Even the 10 years relax warranty will not be voided if we do DIY. Just do one time inspection/oil change in dealership to be enrolled.

 

[AisinW]

Can anyone send explicit links/statement from Toyota about VAT registered mechanics requirement?