Underbody Panel Replacement Help

Toyota customer service: 800-331-4331

 

This is definitely a load of crap. My dealer has addressed little things like this without me even knowing it until they explained to me what they found - other Toyota's not my Prius.

If the dealer refuses to replace free of Charge this is what I suggest. I have been under the front of my a car a bunch - get a floor jack from Walmart or Sears (less than $50) and get either zip ties or plastic screws (look online easy to find) and fix yourself. Net net you will beout $60 max and have a jack to show for it.

 

I think a continuous strip of hockey tape centred on both sides of the joint would work well.

Also, I think this is an issue that should be (repeatedly?) brought to Toyota's attention, in particular if dealerships are complacent. See my last posting (#50) here:

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...496-oil-change-access-door-5.html#post1266224

 

geeter the flap breaks free when the hinge point cracks and it starts catching wind, debris, snow, mud. The connectors that hold it closed are more toward the back of the section. Once the front cracks there is no support at the critical front side.

Downside to going without it is not so much debris, imho, but drag. We cannot know how much it hurts mpg to be without the little flap or the whole thing without testing, so we just do not know whether that is even measurable. I expect when my time comes I will fashion a solution like the ones in the thread referenced above.

 

I happen to have a 6 pack of hockey tape. Can't honestly remember why/how. Maybe in Costco?

 

What is hockey tape, like Gorilla tape? I cannot imagine Gorilla tape holding for very long. For one thing, inorder for tape to work, that area must be relatively clean. The underside is always dirty! Getting back to the subject, that cheap plastic is always coming off and is a PIA to try to correct. Fastseners, holes, alignment are all hard to figure out. Especially when lying on your back under the car. It is a really poor design, on all the Prii. All because the fastener points are not set in concrete.

 

Same thing happened to my 2010 prius before the winter last year. The dealer refused to replace it under the warranty but they did offer me 10% discount on buying the new panel. I didn't replace it because I knew it would break again.
Having driven the car for 10000 miles since it happened. I honestly don't see any change on my MPG.

 

If this happens to my Prius, there's no way in H..LL I'm replacing it. I'll go without, but keep y'all updated as to whether or not the drag (if any) impacts MPGs!

 

Hockey tape looks superficially like electrical tape. It's a little wider, maybe 1", and is black cloth with an adhesive face. Check out hockey sticks

Regarding the underside being dirty: you wipe it clean, with something like isopropyl alcohol, prior to applying.

I'm thinking to apply the tape before that door even gets flexed back. Likely a single strip on both sides, centred on the hinge line, then lapped strips outboard, something like this (diagramatic cross-section):

--- ---
. ---
------ (plastic cover layer)
. ---
--- ---

(Ignore the leading dots in above. It's the only way I could get it to avoid stripping leading spaces)

 

Ah, memories of my hockey days as a kid.

Americans might recognize "hockey tape" as friction tape. It helps improve puck control when applied to a hockey stick blade, and grip when applied to the handle.

 

Have the same issue and I just sent an email to Toyota - this is not the quality I have come to expect after spending near $30,000 for a car. Since I bought my car a great distance from my home, I do not have a nearby dealer I have established a service relationship with. I called three dealers seeking the plastic rivets to reattach my panel and none had them in stock. Hopefully, I'll get a reply from Toyota and will be happy to share their reply with this thread. I assume Toyota will need to design a clip or hinge to support the front of the panel and send teh pins to the shops. I've seen other posts with recommendations to fabricate a hinge or "H" slide. That is not mine to do - Toyota needs to step up!

 

Take the entire underbody panel off

When I first bought my Prius, I had it up on ramps and took the entire underbody shield off. It is easy to do. Just skip using the "fold down" panel to change the oil, and instead, remove the underbody shield to change the oil.

One of the benefits of changing your own oil is to make a close inspection of the underside of the engine including the CV joints. Removing the entire shield lets you get a good look at everything.

 

All Toyota needs to do is revise the specification for the plastic used on that cover: roughly double the thickness and half the hardness.

The second gen Civic Hybrid has a similar (but enormous) door: it's pretty much indestructable, made out of thick but softer plastic, thinned out a bit at the hinge point. It's almost a necessity to remove it completely, but for another reason: the door is so damn big it's almost beyond the lift range of a DIY. And taking out the engine oil drain plug the stream aims at the frigging door; unless you've got it swung past vertical and back some more.

And if you can raise it high enough to swing the door right down, it's a little nerve wracking, like laying in a loaded mousetrap...

I resorted to dragging the snow tires under there to keep me company, basically something thicker than my rib cage.

 

Just to get on the soap box for a bit: Toyota, there are other manufacturers out there. You make a minor screw up on a spec., and ignore the complaints when they start coming, potential customers do remember.

 

Regarding the issue of not reinstalling the oil change door when it falls off, I think the main concern may not be increased drag, but rather loss of engine heat and slower engine warmup.

One of the principle reasons why the 2010 prius has the entire engine undercover is to retain engine heat to improve engine efficiency and fuel economy. Leaving off the oil change door will create a draft effect that will suck in cold air and cool the engine making it run longer and more often to reach operating temperature and supply heat to the passenger compartment when needed. This has to have a negative effect on fuel economy, and perhaps engine performance and longevity.

I think the prudent thing to do is reinstall the oil change door using one of the many solutions offered here on PriusChat. If you can't do it yourself, you can have someone else do it. The dealer will likely do it at no charge, but even if you have to pay to have it done, it shouldn't be expensive and will save money in the long run.