Almost at 12,000, anything I should DIY?

[JerseyJeff84]

I purchased my 2010 Sedan last June, and am almost at 12,000 miles. I'm estimating that I'll be around 14 or 15,000 at my 1 year anniversary.

Is there anything I should be replacing or checking at this point? I loving the fuel efficiency of the car, it's like none I've ever driven. Would it be worth replacing the fuel filter yet? How about brake pads or tires? I have the 2 year free oil change/rotation package, and they give me a checkpoint list that tells you if anything needs attention, which is better than nothing.

I'm not used to having a brand new car, as this was my first, I used to always drive 20 year old junkers(they ran like a charm though pushing 200,000!) and feel funny not doing anything but driving this Yaris :-)

Thanks for any advice.

[PYM]

If your yaris is anything like mine, at 12k there is not much to do other than change the oil when appropriate, check the fluids. My brake pad went to 100k with ease (mostly highway driving), tires to 75k with rotation every 20k. I'm at 120,000 in 4 1/2 years. I switched to synthetic oil at 20k, there are many that feel regular oil should be used for some initial length of time, there are all sorts of opinions, I generally feel that some breakin make sense although my wifes Ford requires full syn from the get go. Who knows I, like you, had alway driven old, junks cars, the yaris was my first new car. My 07 HB has been amazingly reliable. I hope you have equal luck.

[Hershey]

Check condition of air filter for the engine and the cabin . Especially in region where there's road salt , road salt mixed w/dirt , dusty dirt roads , etc..

[cshekher]

Hershey--Sorry to sound so ignorant, but where are the two filters located?? Thanks.

[swidd]

My brake pads looked almost new at 85,000 miles.

The engine air filter is easy to spot inside the engine, just in front of the battery. Unsnap metal clips to open. One thing you can do so early in the car's life is buy a lifetime filter, K&N drop-in for about $45. It is good for 50,000 miles and can be cleaned instead of replaced. You will save more than the cost of the filter.

Remove your right side main glove box (squeeze the plastic), then find the "white stripe" plastic cover, remove it, and take out cabin air filter. If there is no filter, install one (very important to avoid debris in air box). About $15 at autozone (ask them to find the correct size; part number varies by brand).

Other things I've done beyond the standard oil changes, and would do again: unscrew air flow sensor on the throttle body (unsnap the electrical connector, use screw driver), spray MAF cleaner on the little wire and reinstall without touching. Every 50,000 miles is probably enough.

If the effectiveness of the brakes steadily decreases, remove rear wheel and drum and tighten the star wheel adjuster that controls the tightness of your brakes and parking brake. Doing this every 6 months will ensure the rear shoe wears evenly. I think this is a design flaw of the Yaris: the rear shoes do not self-adjust, and over time the pedal goes low and the parking brake high. Easy to DIY.

Something else I wish I would've done earlier is spray lots of rubber coating on the inside of the wheel wells. I did it at around 60,000 miles and there was a bit of scratches and dirt, so the project turned out less pretty.

Get yourself a small 2-ton jack, jack stands, some nitrite gloves and whatever else you need... and stop paying for simple maintenance.

[Revsson]

Originally Posted by cshekher

Hershey--Sorry to sound so ignorant, but where are the two filters located?? Thanks.

Here are pics of the cabin air filter replacement:

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/sho...Y+cabin+filter

[nemelek]

Don't forget the body. Wax it.

[Hershey]

Replace every year in May . Then check both air filters late fall and winter and vacuum them from the side of filter where the air comes in . Use the crevice tool (http://www.hoover.com/retrieveImage....model=38617035 ) to get between the pleats .