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HELP! Broken plug on my Hymotion kit.

Discussion in 'Prius PHEV Plug-In Modifications' started by snookums, Nov 26, 2013.

  1. snookums

    snookums Junior Member

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    I've snapped the ground-wire from the plug on my Hymotion plug. The hot and neutral prongs are still there, but the ground prong is in my glovebox.

    The dealership where I got the car serviced before is no longer dealing with Hymotion (understandably) and all their parts and part sources are gone. I have them talking to some of their mechanics that did L5 installs to see if there is an easy replacement option, but I'm not hopeful.

    Has anyone replaced their plug before?

    Any other advice is greatly appreciated.
     
    #1 snookums, Nov 26, 2013
  2. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Can't you just buy and replace the plug?

    Hymotion may have gone the way of the Allosaurus, but the plug should be standard.
    DIY or have a wrench do it for you.

    It should be pretty easy, or am I missing something about the Hymotion plug?
     
    #2 ETC(SS), Nov 26, 2013
  3. snookums

    snookums Junior Member

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    The plug looks like some big plastic thing that's inset and attached with a couple hex-bolts.
    I wouldn't even know where to start looking for a replacement.
     
    #3 snookums, Nov 26, 2013
  4. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Take a picture and post it. It has to be a COTS (commercial off the shelf) item.
    I'm thinking that it's a bolt-on replacement.

    If you're living right, you won't even have to break out a soldering iron.
    It should just be some bolts and screws.
     
    #4 ETC(SS), Nov 26, 2013
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  5. mrbigh

    mrbigh Prius Absolutum Dominium

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    As it was said before; in your case, better get the help of a "wrench" with some electrical background.
     
    #5 mrbigh, Nov 26, 2013
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  6. pjc

    pjc Member

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    #6 pjc, Nov 26, 2013
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  7. snookums

    snookums Junior Member

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    Here's a couple of pictures I just grabbed.
    [​IMG][​IMG]

    That amazon link looks almost correct!

    I have a friend at work who installs GPS tracking modems into cars all day, I'm sure he can give me a hand.
     
    #7 snookums, Nov 26, 2013
  8. snookums

    snookums Junior Member

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    So far, it looks like "Guest Charger" is some kind of marine equipment vendor.
    I'm in Toronto, so finding a Canadian source will be fun.

    This is the closest I've come:
    Connectcharge Inlet | Marinco
     
    #8 snookums, Nov 26, 2013
  9. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Uh.....they have the internet and FedEx in the frozen North.....right?

    1. Find something close.
    MARINCO Inlet at West Marine

    2. Order it delivered.

    3. Break out a screwdriver set and do a lift and lay on the wires.

    4. Bask in the warm glow of your accomplishment.
     
    #9 ETC(SS), Nov 26, 2013
  10. snookums

    snookums Junior Member

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    Yes and yes. Finding a US retailer that ships to Canada? Not easy. Finding one that doesn't cost $30 in shipping (more than the cost of the plug)? Damn near impossible.

    The rest of the steps though... yes.
     
    #10 snookums, Nov 26, 2013
  11. ualdriver

    ualdriver Member

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    There is a very knowledgeable EV tech on the forum that goes by the screenname ericbecky here on PriusChat. I would bet he could get you going in the right direction or maybe even sell you one. If you do a search on his screenname and find a post of his, all of his contact information is in his signature line.

    I had the same thing happen to my Hymotion plug, but fortunately it happened before the bankruptcy. They ended up sending me a new unit, which consisted of the receptacle pictured, plus about a foot of insulated wires that had to be connected/spliced to the pack. I took it to a Toyota dealer that used to do Hymotion installs and they fixed it in a few hours. The Hymotion pack seemed to charge fine with the broken ground, though, until the repair was made.
     
    #11 ualdriver, Nov 27, 2013
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  12. mrbigh

    mrbigh Prius Absolutum Dominium

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    The electrical outlet seem to be riveted-in the bumper, nothing that a drill bit can't solve......
    Eric can be easily reach troughh his website
     
    #12 mrbigh, Nov 27, 2013
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  13. snookums

    snookums Junior Member

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    Thanks far all the help and info guys.
    I'm taking this thing apart with help from my "wrench" this weekend, and I have a replacement part I picked up at Bass Pro.
    I'll post results when I'm done.
     
    #13 snookums, Nov 28, 2013
  14. pjo180

    pjo180 Junior Member

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    Good luck with the project. I had my Hymotion Conversion done just two years ago, right before some rebates expired. Because I had read here on PC about others having this same problem, I have always been very careful to pull the extension cord straight out & push it straight in. Apparently, that ground terminal on the Guest unit is pretty fragile. Here's a couple of things that might help prevent this in the future. About four times a year I coat the three terminals a Synthetic Grease, (Super Lube). It makes plugging & unplugging smooth and easy. I also put a switch where the extension cord plugs into the wall, and keep it OFF when connecting or disconnecting the cord. I didn't like seeing a Spark when I did the plugging / unplugging. Others have mentioned that using two small a wire gauge can cause excess heat at the connection. I am using a 14/3 AWG 15 foot cord. If I needed a longer cord, I would probably go with a 12/3 AWG. Again, Good Luck!
     
    #14 pjo180, Nov 28, 2013
  15. snookums

    snookums Junior Member

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    Ok, so I was able to take apart the existing plug to see if I could just repair my existing adapter; no dice.

    Here's the disassembled bits.
    [​IMG]Dropbox - 2013-12-01 16.15.59.jpg
    • I had to drill out the two hex bolts keeping it on since the backplate was aluminum and the screws were stainless steel; they've welded together over the last couple of years.
    • The plug is a solid piece and not serviceable; I will need to replace it.
    • I'm heavily considering replacing the whole assembly with a J1772 (EVSE) plug since that's the most common standard now.
    • In short, there is no easy fix, but I will be temporarily splicing the line with a new 3-prong plug and keeping it inside the car.
     
    #15 snookums, Dec 1, 2013
  16. snookums

    snookums Junior Member

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    Ok, busy work week, but tomorrow I'm tackling this.

    I found that Marinco inlet up at BassPro. The back of the plug it comes with there are serviceable holes where you insert the three wires from the previous one. Here's a pic:
    Dropbox - 2013-12-02 17.58.30.jpg

    The plug just barely doesn't fit into the old housing, but taking about 1mm of plastic off with a knife will make it fit. The back doesn't attach with screws, it's done with a threaded metal "washer" which is much easier to deal with that the previous one. Previous one actually welded the aluminum into the steel bolts:
    Dropbox - 2013-12-03 12.36.24.jpg

    So my idea is to cut the wire from the previous one (make sure the wires are colour coded properly inside the outer sheath), strip the wires back about 1cm, and screw them into place with the new connector. Should take all of 5 minutes.

    I'll post results when I'm done so if anyone else buggers their charge port they can use my post for reference.
     
    #16 snookums, Dec 6, 2013
  17. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Great Job!
     
    #17 ETC(SS), Dec 6, 2013
  18. snookums

    snookums Junior Member

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    Ok, I fixed my plug and charged my car for the first time in two weeks.
    I feel so much better now that it's fixed.

    I'm writing a guide right now and will post a separate thread in case anyone else ever needs to replace their plug.
     
    #18 snookums, Dec 8, 2013
  19. snookums

    snookums Junior Member

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    #19 snookums, Dec 8, 2013
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  20. wb9k

    wb9k 09 Gen II Prius w Hymotion Plug-In Batt

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    Sorry I didn't see this thread earlier. You can order a cord repair kit from Sybesmas Electronics in Holland MI. They were the warranty service center for Hymotion and now have the largest inventory of Hymotion parts anywhere.

    www.sybesmas.com

    This is probably the most common failure mode with Hymotion packs. A good way to prevent this is to use dielectric grease on the plug and any cords used to plug the car in. This lubricates the pins, preventing large amounts of pulling and pushing force from being applied to the pins of the plug when making or breaking the connection.

    Glad to see you were able to make the repair on your own. Hopefully this info will help others who may have the same issue.
     
    #20 wb9k, Jan 6, 2014
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