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What's this black little mat cover sitting on my steering wheel telescope?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by crellion, Apr 11, 2013.

  1. crellion

    crellion Junior Member

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    I noticed something particular today that I never noticed before that may be on steering wheel the whole time.

    Right behind the actual steering wheel - where the steering wheel scope attaches to the car - there seems to a plastic fiber mat cover that seems to loosely sit on top of the steering wheel telescope.

    What's it used for - and why is it there?

    I just noticed it cause I was dusting my Prius, and found it...
     
    #1 crellion, Apr 11, 2013
  2. jdk2

    jdk2 Active Member

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    It's to catch food that misses your mouth and cigarette ashes that miss the partially open window.

    I don't know what the actual purpose was, but it was also on my 2010 Prius III.
     
    #2 jdk2, Apr 11, 2013
  3. mrstop

    mrstop PWR Mode

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    My guess is that it is purely cosmetic to fill the void when you tilt the wheel.
     
    #3 mrstop, Apr 11, 2013
  4. crellion

    crellion Junior Member

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    I may need to get back to my car to further take a look. But just to make sure we're talking about the same thing, it looks like a little fiber mat flap of some sort on the telescope.

    Can I clean under it or remove it from the telescope for cleaning?
     
    #4 crellion, Apr 11, 2013
  5. jdk2

    jdk2 Active Member

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    It's just a flap. You can clean under it by carefully placing a cloth beneath it. It's pliable and won't be damaged if you're careful.
     
    #5 jdk2, Apr 11, 2013
  6. BZzap!

    BZzap! Senior Member

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    A better name for it is, "curtain". It just hides the exposed workings down, inside the steering column.
     
    #6 BZzap!, Apr 11, 2013
  7. crellion

    crellion Junior Member

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    I see - so is it advisable to dust under the "curtain" or would I just risk putting dust into my steering column innards?

    And why make it a curtain at all - and not just have it a completely solid plastic steering column (which was what I kind of assumed all along)?
     
    #7 crellion, Apr 11, 2013
  8. BZzap!

    BZzap! Senior Member

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    Remember, the steering column tilts up and down.
     
    #8 BZzap!, Apr 11, 2013
  9. jdk2

    jdk2 Active Member

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    Maybe the engineers felt there were enough rattles/squeaks in the plastics that a piece of rubber would be more pleasing to the user.

    You're reading way too much into this flap. Rub it clean and forget it
     
    #9 jdk2, Apr 11, 2013
    Canard likes this.
  10. BZzap!

    BZzap! Senior Member

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    That's what she said.
     
    #10 BZzap!, Apr 11, 2013
    Canard, Clay2013, rekniht01 and 1 other person like this.
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