Toyota retaining clips

I had to remove some of these retainers from the top cover over the radiator on my 2024 Prius Prime. They can be just barely pried out with some force. Once removed, they can not be driven back in the hole, even with a hammer. They appear to be made for one-time use, then discarded.

I had a look online, and found nothing similar, so they must be proprietary to Toyota. I didn't relish the thought of buying some new ones from Toyota, especially since I've had the car less than a month, so I set about finding a way to reset them. There is a central thumb button that once pushed, spreads out the other end, anchoring it in the hole. By holding the button firmly with regular pliers, you can pry away the plastic side hooks with a knife, allowing you to push out the central pin. It can then be easily inserted in the hole, and locked with a push of the button.

Incidentally, the reason I had to access the space in front of the radiator was to insert a piece of cardboard to help the interior heating. I noticed the interior heat was inadequate during a recent cold snap. I did the same on my 2012 Prius, and it never caused me any problems in warm weather, because I left a 2" gap between the cardboard and the radiator. If additional cooling is needed, the radiator fan(s) can pull all the air they need through the gap.

 

I tried exactly that technique for over an hour. It must require a special tool that I do not have.

Based on what I found while working on it, the center post locks past a one-way catch. That's why prying up on the button doesn't work.