Is any part of a Gen 3 level when the car is "level" ?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by ChapmanF, Oct 20, 2016.

  1. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    A bunch of maintenance tasks, from headlight aiming to yaw sensor calibration to transaxle fluid checking, etc., depend on the car being "level".

    For those of us who don't have convenient paved areas with no slope, from the repair manual wheel alignment "measure vehicle height" procedure, it can be inferred that "level" is when the center of the rear axle beam bushing bolt is 82 mm higher than the center of the front no. 1 lower suspension arm bushing bolt. (Again, this assumes the pavement is level, but could be checked with a water level in any case.)

    But checking that would involve slithering around with a water level, and I'm not even sure you can see the front suspension arm bolt without pulling off the engine under covers....

    So, I'm wondering, has anybody been through this exercise and found that any flat surface in or on the car actually turns out to be level when the car is "level" according to the alignment height spec?

    If so, that would mean you could just drop an ordinary level on that surface and save some hassle.

    I thought maybe the door sills would, but that didn't seem to be the case. The rear floorboard over the aux battery seemed like it might be a contender. Still, I'm wondering what anyone else has found.

    -Chap
     
    #1 ChapmanF, Oct 20, 2016
  2. Bill the Engineer

    Bill the Engineer Senior Member

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    The ground under the car needs to be level, not the car.

    Bill the Engineer
     
    #2 Bill the Engineer, Oct 20, 2016
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  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    For transaxle fluid change I put a level on the pinch weld at bottom of rocker panel. It's not that critical though. For the other direction I'd figure if your slab is laterally level, and your jackstands have the same extension, and they're on sim points at both sides, you're pretty close. Check with a level on underside of rear suspension cross beam?
     
    #3 Mendel Leisk, Oct 20, 2016
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  4. BruceInOKC

    BruceInOKC Member

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    Does the rocker panel mean the same thing as the door sill? That's what I put the level on.
     
    #4 BruceInOKC, Oct 23, 2016
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Rocker panel is that mass, beteeen the door sill and the underside. I'm clueless as to the terms origin, should google. :oops:
     
    #5 Mendel Leisk, Oct 24, 2016
  6. Wolfman33

    Wolfman33 Member

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    It's a good question. My driveway isn't level, so should I set the rear jack stands one inch higher than the front or two, or maybe three? Since I don't know, where can I measure on the car to see if I got it level?

    I don't have 4 matching stands. I have two pairs, one smaller and one larger. So in the past I set the stands in the driveway and laid a 2x4 across them and measured the level of the 2x4. But it was an assumption that i got the car the same. Its a good idea to gind a known level spot in the car to check from. I'm interested in the answer.
     
    #6 Wolfman33, Oct 24, 2016
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