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Dirt on sills under doors

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by PriusRos, Apr 9, 2016.

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  1. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    Last 3 cars I had all exhibited this same door sill dirt. '12 v, '11 Avalon, '01 Porsche. The first 2 were white. The last silver. I just cleaned the sills after I washed the exterior.

    The "rubber" weather seals are behind the areas affected.

    Doors have holes in them to evacuate water that comes in the seals between the doors and the windows, around the door latches, handles, etc. High pressure in a car wash, rain driven sideways during a storm, guy next to you drives through a puddle. Doors also have anti-rust proofing, plastic membranes, etc.
     
    #21 mikefocke, Apr 10, 2016
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  2. PeterKG

    PeterKG Member

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    Dirty water or clean water after rain or car wash is nothing new to me on all my previous Prius models.
     
    #22 PeterKG, Apr 10, 2016
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  3. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    It would improve matters slightly if they sloped the sill covers down to the outside of the car, most of the standing water would run off.
     
    #23 kithmo, Apr 10, 2016
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  4. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    image.jpg image.jpg Now we're talkin'... The "White Knight" is sparkling again! :cool:
     
    #24 Coast Cruiser, Apr 11, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 11, 2016
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  5. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    The angle may be a structural choice. More resistance in a crash.
     
    #25 mikefocke, Apr 11, 2016
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  6. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    I'm learning more about the intricacies and oddities of the '16 Prius. Thanks. And after waxing and detailing that new Gen4 three times, I've come to appreciate the complexities of the design and styling... all the angles, creases, curves and lines. (And the interior, with that crazy looking dashboard.) Sometimes I just stand there and stare at it, wondering how they came up with such an odd, complicated shape. :cool:
    I think it's attractive.
     
    #26 Coast Cruiser, Apr 11, 2016
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  7. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    It depends on the door design. There are two typical designs

    1. The door has a door sill like the Prius. The door seals are therefore inset of the door frame and are protected from weather. The door sill is wider (wider step-in width) but the door is lighter.

    2. The bottom of the door forms part of the door sill like the old Camry or some generations of RX. You avoid the dirty door sill issue and it's "easier" to get in because the door sill is part of the door so the step-in width is narrower. However, that means the door seals are exposed to all that dirt below the car and the door is heavier.

    If it's raining and you open the window (e.g. drive-through), the water could drip inside the door.

    Yup. Best way is to hand wash the car with a mitt. I didn't realise how straight the side of the rear bumper of the Gen 3 is and how "sharp" that corner is (aero corner they say) until I washed the car by hand. There's also the aerodynamic fin above the headlights to direct air around the mirror. It's a less dramatic version of the LEAF's bubble headlight design. I can't remember if the Gen 4 has the same fin on the headlights.
     
    #27 Tideland Prius, Apr 11, 2016
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  8. ATHiker

    ATHiker Senior Member

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    Looks great.

    Reminds me of the good old days. Enjoy the beauty of youth, but always keep in mind that wrinkles add character

    image.jpeg
     
    #28 ATHiker, Apr 12, 2016
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  9. PriusRos

    PriusRos A Fairly Senior Member - 2016 Prius Owner

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    I'm pretty sure the dirt on the sills is from dirty rainwater splashing up under the doors, not draining from the doors.

    I also find another area where it gets really dirty in wet weather - the little window under the rear "spoiler" (not sure if that's what that piece is called). The rain seems to run down between the car body and the spoiler, it gets grimy under the spoiler, and makes the window dirty. I don't quite understand why it's so dirty since it's not kicking up dirt from the road!
     
    #29 PriusRos, Apr 14, 2016
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  10. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    That's correct. I did a test at the park. Drove thru puddles, and my clean door sills were immediately dirty again. My small rear window gets very dirty, too. Even in clear dry weather. :confused:
     
    #30 Coast Cruiser, Apr 14, 2016
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  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Welcome to physics! It's actually not rain running between the body and the spoiler. It's actually to do with air flow (and why it's dirty even though it's not kicking up dirt).

    As you travel forward, you push air around your vehicle. At the back of the vehicle, you leave a vacuum of air (where your vehicle used to be) and of course air will rush back to fill the void. Air will flow around the car in the front and wrap around behind your car. Any airborne particles will then be attached to the back of the car.
     
    #31 Tideland Prius, Apr 14, 2016
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  12. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    I'll just keep staring at this picture... the last time the White Knight was clean and shiny!:)

    image.jpg
     
    #32 Coast Cruiser, Apr 14, 2016
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  13. PriusRos

    PriusRos A Fairly Senior Member - 2016 Prius Owner

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    White Knight, huh? My car's name is Blizz. She's a girl. The last one was Greylord.
     
    #33 PriusRos, Apr 14, 2016
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  14. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    image.jpg Those were the days... :ROFLMAO: (y)















    Merged.


    Good name.

    Mine started out as a female. She was "Penelope" at delivery. (Don't laugh.)
    But somehow she evolved...:cool:
     
    #34 Coast Cruiser, Apr 14, 2016
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  15. PriusRos

    PriusRos A Fairly Senior Member - 2016 Prius Owner

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    I guess a there's nothing preventing a girl from becoming a knight!
     
    #35 PriusRos, Apr 14, 2016
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  16. krmcg

    krmcg Lowered Blizzard Pearl Beauty

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    Mine is Salty. My black Avalon is Pepper.
     
    #36 krmcg, Apr 15, 2016
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  17. DonDNH

    DonDNH Senior Member

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    If you think that window get mucked up by dirt, wait till you get some snow. Snow clings onto that small window and can get an inch or two thick if the snow is sticky.
     
    #37 DonDNH, Apr 15, 2016
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  18. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    I live in Canada. I'm more than aware about the usefulness of that lower rear window in the winter.

    DSCN4257.jpg DSCN3803_mod.jpg
     
    #38 Tideland Prius, Apr 15, 2016
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  19. E46Prius

    E46Prius Active Member

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    I have the same problem on my Lexus. Those sills get extremely dirty with water/dirt stains. I have to constantly wipe them
     
    #39 E46Prius, Apr 29, 2016
  20. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    Re: Door Sill Protectors

    If anybody is interested, I got an email from juicedhybrid.com. They say they will have door sill protectors for the 2016 Gen4, on their website Monday. (He didn't specify what kind.)
     
    #40 Coast Cruiser, Apr 29, 2016
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