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Is this dangerous?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by shah, Jul 25, 2010.

  1. shah

    shah Love My Prius

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    Hello all:

    I want to remove the positive terminal cable under the hood. I was wondering if it would be dangerous to open up the nut that holds it on the screw. I am thinking as long as I am not touching any unpainted part of the Prius body, I should be ok. What if I wear some gloves such as latex gloves or the dish washing gloves? Would that help?

    Or I should not even think about it??

    Please let me know.

    Thanks.
     
    #1 shah, Jul 25, 2010
  2. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    Exactly what cable under the hood are you talking about? The 12V battery and cables are in the rear of the car.
     
    #2 jdcollins5, Jul 25, 2010
  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    If you are talking about the dedicated jumpstart terminal, then there is 12V on that terminal. This is not dangerous to your health.

    Why do you want to remove the cable; are you preparing the car for storage?
     
    #3 Patrick Wong, Jul 25, 2010
  4. shah

    shah Love My Prius

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    Yes, I am talking about the 12V positive terminal for jumpstart. Unfortunately on my car the metallic strip that is provided to hook up the jumpstart cable clamp is not available. I plan on making one of my own and put it in. I tried to get the part from the dealer (metallic L-shaped strip) but the dealer could not locate the part at all. I am not sure if Toyota does not sell it or the dealer was incompetent and could not locate one.
     
    #4 shah, Jul 25, 2010
  5. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Thats odd your describing it correctly just not sure why its missing? Acccident rebuild?

    Might be better to buy a smaller clip lead set up adapted to a jump set using that smaller clip to grab the nut and bolt stem that holds that missing l bracket instead if needed.
    You need very little curent to jumpsatrt a Prius. Make sure the donor car's engine is off.

    But if it was me and you had to have it I would disconnect the negative lead at the battery in the back first rendering that 12 volt hot lead upfront inert and safe to handle meaning it won't arc against anything by mistake.

    So easy to damage Prius electronics.
     
    #5 edthefox5, Jul 25, 2010
  6. shah

    shah Love My Prius

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    You are right. It is a 2009 Prius but I did not buy it new. The seller told me it had an accident but it was extremely minor (a few scratches) and carfax is not showing it either. But it is missing the that bracket. Not only this, the car's battery goes down from time to time. I don't know what's up with that.

    I am trying to get that bracket but the dealer says that they don't carry it. Do you think that's true or I should try more dealers? Or any idea where I can get that piece. Junkyard? Do we have any readers on this forum from dealerships? Would it help if I create a separate thread asking for this part?
     
    #6 shah, Jul 25, 2010
  7. pdhenry

    pdhenry It's HEEERE!

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    Before you play with the postive terminal at the battery or under the hood, it's not a bad idea to disconnect the negative lead at the battery. Then if you accidentally touch the wrench to both the positive terminal and the car structure you won't weld with the wrench.
     
    #7 pdhenry, Jul 28, 2010
  8. TheSpoils

    TheSpoils Member

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    It's a 2009, would the warranty cover that?
     
    #8 TheSpoils, Jul 28, 2010
  9. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Yes, it seems reasonable that you might be able to obtain the part from a junkyard. I agree that it is unlikely you would be able to buy the little metal piece by itself as a new part from the dealer's parts dept counter.

    Regarding the battery going "down", you'll have to decide whether this is due to a bad battery, insufficient use, or an electrical problem. To determine the latter, you would need to connect a digital multimeter in series with the negative terminal of the battery to ground, set to read current.

    Place the meter in the hatch where you can see it when the hatch and doors are closed. Lock the car, place the Smart fob (if applicable) at least 20 feet away from the car, then watch the multimeter to see what the quiescent current reading is. It may take several minutes for the reading to settle down. If more than 20 mA or so, then your car has a problem.

    Not regarding the missing part, as this relates to incomplete assembly after an accident. The warranty might cover the battery draining, if unrelated to accident damage.
     
    #9 Patrick Wong, Jul 29, 2010
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