Help in San Jose, Coastal EV install?

If you can stomach having another go at it, get yourself a eye glass repair screwdriver. They're really small and work great for stuffing that stupid connector into place. I tried for a few minites just with my hands and only got it part of the way in. Then I tried the screw driver and it was a snap. Took all of 2 seconds to snap the thing into place.

 

I can't comment on the stripping. I'm very much a layman when it comes to cars. However, the cool thing out the screwdriver is that you put the pressure on the metal sleave and not on the wire itself. That way is doesn't bend and get stressed. On the other hand I've got small hands and was able to get at the plug pretty easily.

I'll gladly help out if you're planning a road trip to CO. The skiing is excellent this year, that should be an incentive all by itself.

 

The pin for the coastal ev mod shouldn't be that much trouble to push in. They use a proper crimping tool for the pin, unlike the people robbing similar (but not exactly like) pins from the headlight stalk connector and then soldering their own wire to it.

Are you sure you're getting the white retaining bar out far enough? And possibly, do you have the pin in the right orientation per the coastal instructions. I'm sure you have checked but it is very important to not have the pin turned around. The pin has a small tab that is perpendicular to the pin body and protrudes from it slightly. This fits in very small slot in the plastic connector body. If these tabs perhaps got bent or misaligned, you'll have a difficult time trying to get it in.

The front edge of the pin when inserted correctly should almost be flush with the holes visible at the end of the connector. You can make a mark on the wire with a felt pen when placed against the outside of the connector body and where it would approximately be positioned at a full insertion depth. Then when you try to insert the pin/wire, you have a gauge of how far you have to go. Like suggested by others, use a jeweler's screwdriver to push down on the wire crimp on the top of the pin.

Also, possibly the logic device (that provides the delayed response from the cruise control switch) might possibly be bad itself and you actually have the pin installed correctly!


Glen in Cupertino

 

Although I used a tiny screwdriver, I understand Radio Shack has a pin inserter for about $3.

 

I'm in the San Jose area. I've been doing electrical for a while now. I'm pretty nimble. If you want help i'll give you a hand. It's worth it just to see EV mode work

 

I concur with the TINY screwdriver bit (and the lack of room to handle all the parts!). You want something that will just fit inside the connector, needlenose pliers are WAY too big. Definately push on the metal, not the insulation. I don't recall the tab on the pin Glen mentioned, either I got lucky or it was 'obvious' to me. I did have to have a go at the pin 3 times because I was worried I might break something if I pushed too much.

Another possibility is that the clamp clipped on the wires isn't fully closed and not making it through the insulation. I found that the physically hardest part. You almost need 3 small hands but I have 2 big ones. 1 to hold the wires apart, 1 to hold the clip in place and 1 to close it.

Also, you don't need to put the dash together to test it. Maybe you did your 4 tries on different days? I can see putting things back together then.

 

I'm in Santa Clara and I also have the Coastal kit. I have not installed mine yet. We could get together with V8CobraKid and have a mini-event installing our EV kits.

 

sounds like fun.

 

Post the time and date if there's any get together. I'll try to attend.

I'll bring my unused Coastal EV mod kit just in case you're dealing with a defective one.

I might even take the black insulation off just to see what they're doing to add the time delay. It's probably just a one shot device with the cruise button being the trigger. If they use a PIC or something like that, that's way over kill for the function that it does.

glenk

 

I guess we decided that Money at 5pm at Thunder Jon's place

 

o should be getting my plate tomorrow though.. i want to install it asap
money?

 

Well, did you guys all get modified to EV mode?

Post any tips that you guys might have come up with!

 

The evening was a complete success!

Two EV kits installed (both were Coastal cruise-control versions). Both working perfectly. My Prius only drew a little blood during the process (mine, of course). The best advice is to have plenty of flashlights and use a tiny screwdriver to push in the pin, like everyone says.

When the pin is seated correctly you can see metal in the end that connects to the socket, but it takes a strong flashlight to see the reflection in the tiny hole.

V8CobraKid used his new torque wrench to properly torque the bolts holding my BT Tech plate. Then we went for a ride to see how it handles, since two of us do not yet have the plate installed (V8CobraKid and ThunderJon). I think TJ will be ordering a plate in the next day or so!

All in all it was a fun meet.

 

I'm disappointed I missed it. We should come up with some kind of emblem/badge to put on our Prii to indicate that they are EV! Something like the "TRD" in Tacoma trucks that signifies something special!

 

Just finished putting in the EV Coastal ; sorry I couldn't join you in California (actually I'm flying from South Dakota (home) to visit a daughter in Santa Barbara tomorrow.) Anyway, did it this evening with a trouble light and portable heater to warm up the plastic... works just fine... except there is no audible beep or beeps when the EV is turned off with the cruise stalk. does it only beep when it is turned off by other means (speed over 34, fewer than 3 bars, etc?)

Can anybody advise?

Also got the nav override for the mapping function; that was a (literal) snap to install and it works great too. The last installation will be the xm radio from Coastal. I think I'll wait for a little warmer weather for that one.