My new PiP - helpful comments appreciated

Comparison of the stock horn with a set of Nissan horns I had lying around. Not noticeably louder, but better tone than stock.

 

Rear bumper protector colour-matched:

 

My painter actually asked me the same thing. Painting a bumper protector makes it into a painted bumper

I must say that the clearcoat helps a lot in terms of cleaning. The plastic/rubber is really tacky and traps dirt. With the paint, I could easily clean it off like any other painted surface.

I used a weaker 3M tape. It won't fly off but it's still fairly easy to remove if I so choose. It would be an easy matter to redo the clearcoat and/or touch up any paint if necessary.

Cheers

 

I installed the engine block heater bought from Metro Toyota: Toyota Engine Block Heater See Body for Vehicle Fit | eBay

This was my first time disassembling the car. I used the factory method of removing the windshield cowl. The whole job took about 2.5 hours, and a bunch of cuts, scrapes, and bruises. By far the hardest thing I've done on the Prius this far.

 

Toyota did not list fitment for PiP, but I took a gamble and ordered a spider cargo net meant for the regular Prius from Metro Toyota. It fits perfectly since the PiP already has the hooks. I don't know why Toyota doesn't offer this as an option on the PiP.

 

Both the upright net and spider net block access to the storage area since they both use the same hooks, but Toyota lists the upright net as confirmed fitment for the PiP but not the spider net.

I don't know?

 

I drove by the scrap metal place to drop of some metal for recylcing: Potomac Metals Inc | Scrap Metal Recycling in VA, MD, and WV | Cash for Scrap

And I decided to weigh the car. This is with me and the yorkie.



Their scale is accurate +/- 10 pounds. Toyota quotes 3,194 for the base PiP.

If that number is correct, 3,410 pounds - 3,194 pounds = 216 pounds.

The dog and I together weigh around 160 pounds. So I guess the accessories I added weigh 56 pounds +/- 10 pounds.

I'll get better weight figures when the car gets corner-balanced.

 

I got a chance to weigh the stock wheel and lug nuts:



Compared with Enkei RPF1 16x7 +35 with Yokohama Advan Neo AD08 R 205/55R15:



That's 2-2.5 pounds of unsprung weight saving per corner, which translate to 8-10 pounds saving overall.

Wheels came courtesy of Neal @ Tire Rack: Don't let frustration take the air out of your tire search. - Neal's Guide To Tire Buying | Tire Rack

 

I took the car to the nearest dealer to get the new TPMS initialised. I normally don't use them, but I didn't want to drive too far on new uninitalised wheels: Fairfax Service department in Fairfax VA - Service Center Springfield Vienna Falls Church Arlington VA

They recorded the TPMS IDs on the OEM wheels and programmed in the new TPMS IDs. I also had them do a front end alignment, which also includes clearing out the zero point calibration data and rezeroing the yaw rate and acceleration sensor zero point calibration.

They were pretty nice and did it with no issues.



My biggest pet peeve with alignment is that the tech doesn't untangle the tie rod boot after adjusting the tie rod. It can bust the tie rod boot, which requires removing the tie rod to install a new boot, which requires a new alignment, which could lead to a torn tie rod boot if not done properly.

I've sworn off shops for arguing with me about tie rod boot alignment. It's part of the alignment and it needs to be straight the first time the tech pulls out of the bay.

I was pleased to find that mine were straightened correctly after front toe adjustment




I also checked the torque spec on the tie rod locknut. 55 foot-pounds on both. They were both on tight according to my torque wrench and crow foot.

Final outcome after all that work.

 

Thanks for your response.

I actually looked it up:

While there's no clear guideline on what constitutes "nominal" tank capacity, I am certain that it must a non-zero amount.

I chose to weigh it with a full tank because this is what Toyota specs for alignment. Plus I don't like the idea of driving around until the car runs out of fuel, or draining the tank.

 

I installed a Colgan front end bra. Part number BC5069BC: Colgan Original Bra - Colgan Custom

 

I installed Colgan mirror bras. Part number BM4142B: Colgan Mirror Bras - Colgan Custom



I also installed Sokie Tech hood dampers. Part number D2N5: 09-15 Toyota Prius XW30 Black Strut Gas Lift Hood Shock Stainless Damper Kit

It makes it much easier to plug in the engine block heater at night in the dark without fumbling with the hood prop.

 

As noticed by some others, the Colgan hood bra makes it quite difficult to close the hood. I believe the bra sits in the gap between the hood and the front bumper grill and prevents the hood from coming down. You have to slam it, and usually it takes several attempts to latch.

My solution: I removed the three (3) OEM bolts holding the hood latch onto the core support. The bolts have shoulders to center themselves onto the hood latch. I replaced them with standard M6 stainless steel bolts.

By doing that, I was able to raise the hood latch a few millimeters higher on the car. It appears to provide enough clearance so the hood doesn't pinch the bra as much. Now the hood closes easily with no issue.

 

I installed an flexframe HD licence plate frame/bumper guard. Part number SKU17516: flexyframe HD car bumper protection saves you money on auto body repairs

Since the Prius only uses two (2) mounting bolts, I removed the factory M6 hardware and replaced them with 1/4" stainless steel hardware to provide more clamping surface area to account for the extra weight.

 

I installed OEM Euro mudguards: 2010-2015 Toyota Prius Mudguards Mud Flaps - Premium Euro Version - PriusChat Shop

The front is trivially simple. On the rear, I tried pre-drilling one mounting hole, but after realising it was off, I simply lined up the blind nut so I can see through the hole on the mudguard. Then I simply used an electric screwdriver to drive the self-tapping screw through the mudguard and into the blind nut. It goes through the plastic like butter.

I did wash/claybar/wax everything before covering them up with the mudguard. I really wish I did this sooner. The car only has 4,000 miles, but this area was quite dirty.

 

Most of these items are available at your neighbourhood PC Shop:

WeatherTech FloorLiner DigitalFit Mats for 2012-2015 Toyota Prius Plug-in - PriusChat Shop
Cargo Net for 2010-2014 Toyota Prius - OEM - PriusChat Shop
Weathertech Side Window Deflectors for 2010-2015 Toyota Prius - PriusChat Shop
Rear Bumper Protector for 2012-2015 Toyota Prius Plug-in- OEM - PriusChat Shop
Engine Block Heater for 2012-2015 Toyota Prius Plug-in - PriusChat Shop
Spider Cargo Net for 2010-2015 Toyota Prius - OEM - PriusChat Shop
2010-2015 Toyota Prius Mudguards Mud Flaps - Premium Euro Version - PriusChat Shop

If you're local to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, I can assist you with installation on any item in this thread. Drop me a line.


Happy Friday!

 

I've been using this Level 2 charger since I've had the car. Works pretty well with no problems so far, and I leave the cord outdoors: EVI: Electric Vehicle Institute

I also got a 30' extension cord so I don't get ICE'd:J1772 Extension Cord

Here's me testing it out at the shop: