Re-attaching a damaged front splash shield

I consider the front splash shield (and all the plastic foofaw under the engine) as being, essentially, consumables for the car. Therefore, the longer I can go before buying new ones, though the better.

The "lower lip" shield had hung up on those parking lot kerbs enough times that the leading edge finally gave way as I was getting on the interstate. The piece of plastic hung on, but the front lip caught and dragged on the road, breaking the pockets that bolted the back of that shield to the undercarriage.

Here's how to fix those "pockets" so your not just relying on the front clips to hold everything up.

Note: I could have done this with the shield (Toyota Partslink #TO1093124) detached from the car but I didn't because I didn't realize I needed to McGyver this repair until I'd replaced 10 bolts and 8 push clips). There's a nearly invisible line between efficiency and laziness.

Additional Note: Standard safety disclaimers apply. Following these instrux could kill you. Your Prius could throw itself off the jack and kill you. So jackstands, good lighting, and an up-to-date will are non-negotiables. Consult your financial advisor for deductibility.

You'll need:

• An icepick
• A propane torch or something else to heat the icepick's tip
• 3" cable ties
• wirecutters

1) Properly chock your wheels, jack the front end of your Precious up, put jack stands in place, and slide under the car.

2) Heat the tip of your icepick. I used a blowtorch but I suppose even a candle would work.

1 - Heat icepick by Webslog posted Sep 14, 2019 at 6:03 PM

3) Hold the ice pick and carefully run it up and through the bottom, then side of the pocket at an angle. melting the holes this way will make it easier to feed the cable tie through as instructed in Step 5.

2 - Use icepick to melt holes in plastic shield by Webslog posted Sep 14, 2019 at 6:03 PM

4) I melted holes at either of the curve, as shown below, but went back and added a third hole at the top of the curve. It makes the repair stronger.

3 - Feed 3" cable ties through holes by Webslog posted Sep 14, 2019 at 6:03 PM

5) I didn't take a picture of this next step for some reason, but now, feed a cable tie through each hole. pulling it finger-tight.

6) Trim the ends of the cable ties with your wirecutters.

4 - Trim cable tie tails by Webslog posted Sep 14, 2019 at 6:03 PM

7) And you're done.

The shield is now firmly in place and looks tons better than the piece of paracord I had been using to hitch up the "lower lip" to the grille and keep it from flapping in the wind.

 

Thanks! My cordless drill's battery is shot so I had to improvise.