Sounds like I am dragging a garbage can

SOLVED! Sounds like I am dragging a garbage can

9.14.2010 UPDATE FYI -

FOR ANYONE THAT HAS HAD THIS ISSUE - IT MAY NOT BE YOUR PARKING SKILLS THAT ARE AT FAULT. IT MAY BE ASSEMBLED INCORRECTLY.
I WILL TRY TO GET SOME PICTURES TONIGHT TO SHOW THE FOLLOWING.
(I was very happy to have solved this and wanted to share this info.)

This had been a problem with my car since I was in a pretty solid fender bender on the FDR in February 2008. It was fixed in Manhattan (Marmin, 73rd and York - avoid at all costs. I should have paid to have it towed back to Maine.)

The front end would bottom out at the slightest elevation change - the back side of small speed bumps, at the bottom of a hill transitioning to a flat road, entering a parking garage. Always sounded like plastic - so I knew the source. The constant dragging would gradually work the plastic loose and the problem would escalate. (Note - there are several pieces of plastic and the naming is not consistent - but the part I am referring to is the engine liner - I have the parts number somewhere - I will post when I find it).

I brought the car in to a body shop up here that I like and to the dealer - several times - to get this resolved. It would be fixed for a while - then the cycle would start all over. This past weekend I put it up on ramps and took the pieces apart.
Guess what? It was not put together correctly - pure laziness. Continued at end of thread -



Does anyone have any experience with this issue?

This weekend the plastic underbody, splash guard, engine shield behind the front bumper of my 2006 dropped onto the road for the third time. The part that really got chewed up was the liner from the driver side wheel well. When it falls off - it is angled into the road - digs right in. Has to be damaging something other than the plastic itself.

I have not seen any posts on this - I cannot find the part at any of the stores - not even sure what it is called.

I had taken the car in in December and said the mileage had dropped, there seemed to be rumbling from the front of the car - the dealership could find nothing. I bet it was this thing working loose.

It had been replaced once already - and fixed another time. Someone must not be getting the clips in solidly.

I know how low this part of the Prius is - but I do not want to pay for a third one. Right now my shoelaces are holding the blasted thing up off the road.

1. Is it necessary?
2. What is it called?
3. Why does it keep dropping onto the pavement?

Thanks -

TD

 

Thanks -

Could be. I have learned (after 3 years) not to pull into parking spots all the way - but I am old and forget.
This time it fell off after I had pulled off the highway - so I hadn't hit anything recently.

Do you happen to know what it is called and if it is something I can fix myself?

 

Thanks. Wish I knew what it is called so I could get a new one. The clips are all chew up as well.

 

Thanks Patrick. I was trying to find a schematic -

 

Hopefully you can see the attached diagram and read this at the same time. The part that dragged is 17 which is labeled in here as a splash guard. However - this piece covers from the engine forward to the bumper. There are two separate pieces that go under this and cover from the engine back to the axle that are also called splash guards.
Very confusing - until I took it apart and Googled the part number stamped into the plastic. Let's call it the engine cover.

The rear of the engine cover screws into the underlying splash guards - there are holes and grommets that line up. The front of it should attach to part 19 - the spoiler. Here is where the problem lay. The spoiler attaches by screw and grommet to tabs on the underside of the bumper cover. HOWEVER - the way it should be assembled is that spoiler goes on top of the tabs, then screwed together. This involves pulling the bumper out of the way a little, flexing the spoiler a little and then it snaps into place. What I found under my car was that the spoiler had been screwed to the underside of the bumper.

So at highway speed, air was forced between the spoiler and the bumper. The spoiler eventually ripped away the tab and would hang down. The engine cover would hang even lower. And that is what caused all the problems.

My questions -

1. I have reassembled the spoiler and am wondering whether to bother with yet another engine cover - it is a $60 part so I probably will.
2. From looking around this site at some photos of front end mods (HID mostly) I can see there is some plastic foam insulation that is supposed to be wedged between the various parts of the under body covering. That is long gone.
3. The tabs on the bumper have been ripped and are now just U shaped slots. I am not sure that matters now that it is together properly.
4. Never accept no for an answer - I knew there had to be something wrong.

 

I was looking at doing the same. What did you attach the zip-ties to on the car? There isn't much inside the bumper.

 

Why did they replace it for free?