Hi all, new Prius C owner

I don't think it matters. The object with connecting to the body vs directly at negative post to reduce risk of (hydrogen igniting) spark. But a quick connect you're hooking up one time only: it's not a regular thing. Whichever is more accessible/convenient?

Just for giggles blow some air at the battery before connecting? And wear safety goggles.

 

They have no idea what battery you're going to put it on, so they take a guess. A ring terminal of that size would be a very good guess for the typical riding lawnmower battery with its through-bolted L terminals, and that's the primary market for a top-up charger.

Don't be afraid to change the ring terminal if you think you see a better way to integrate it into your car. It's just a crimp terminal.

 

It'd "almost" be better if they supplied the connect just with longish leads, nothing on the ends. OTOH, ninety nine-times-outa-a-hundred the modest length leads with ring connectors work as-is, attached as mentioned to the bolts on the battery cable clamps, or a secondary bolt right there. Those bolts are typically 10 mm socket size and 6 mm thread size.

 

That's not the original battery I'd be worried about with a 2012 c.

 

I haven't looked at a c specifically, but every Prius I have looked at has a positive battery clamp assembly with a big fuse of some kind integrated into it, with the fuse connections usually bolted, and the bolt on the protected side of that fuse is my preferred place for hooking up extra stuff, and usually fits a smallish ring terminal pretty well. That, and the negative ring terminal on some screw to body ground, and you're in business.

 

Like I said, it is HIGHLY likely that the "care" you are taking is just a HUGE waste of time, as far as rust on undercarriage parts goes that is.
But if you get some satisfaction out of it, more power to you.

Interesting note:
For most all metals, once they develop an external coating of oxide, Iron Oxide usually (rust) THAT in itself provides some protection for the underlying metal.
It is not hugely effective because rust is somewhat porous but it does provide some barrier to the water vapor in the air. Direct application of water with chemicals in it (salt) is a whole different matter.

 

I budgeted ours on the idea that the traction battery is going to need replacement in 10-12 years. I didn't mean to elevate it to the level of actual worry; more of a "remember where you are on the calendar" thing for anticipating future expenses than anything else.

 

No trouble flooring ours, ahem.

On the other hand I'll mention that the Weathertech mats may not be the best fit. I'm not positive but I think Toyota revised the floor pan slightly for the small offset crash. As a result, the front mats we bought just aren't a perfect fit, which is surprising for that brand.

I don't know when the change would have been made.

In any case, that particular misfit does not restrict access to the go-pedal.

 

Well you've got a 2012 from the top of the run, so chances are they'll be a perfect fit.

I'll be curious to hear either way.

 

Yep, we ordered the "late version" weathertechs, and the fit is okay but not perfect, right at the outer forward corner where the floor pan was revised. Every other contour is perfect, but it really seems like there should have been 2012-2015, 2016, and 2017-2019 versions of the part.

My personal suspicion is that Weathertech had already revised their mold and couldn't justify tweaking it again.

And that's how I can fairly say that Weathertech charges a lot of money to use premium materials to make floor mats that only mostly fit okay.

 

That's one simple way to ensure the camera's only on in reverse though.

 

Confusion reigns because there are several ways of doing it, to cover all the bases for a variety of cars over the years.

IF the car has a reverse select wire available in the front (yours should) then you connect that wire to the "reverse signal input" on the Boss. I don't know which wire that is on a 2012.

The "12v backup camera output" wire goes from the Boss to the long wire on the harness. That way "reverse signal input" triggers the head unit which then sends power to the camera via the "12v backup camera output." Some head units can optionally power the camera whenever you want, not just when in reverse. You'd still hook it up the same.

IF the car does not have a "reverse signal" up front, you have to do it backwards: you power the camera off the reverse lamps at the back of the car and daisy-chain the 12v wire on the long harness which then becomes the reverse select signal that you'd connect to the "reverse signal input." You shouldn't have to resort to this for a c.

For clarification I didn't do exactly this- my 2018 already had a factory camera, so instead I had to figure out how to adapt it for use with an aftermarket head unit. This wasn't too hard; in the end all that was required was finding the reverse signal wire in the car, connecting it to the head unit, then taking the head unit's "12v backup camera output" and running it through a regulator to reduce it to 6v, which is what the Toyota factory camera requires.