My 7k miles Prius has broken down on me !

Ok, thanks for the update!

Now that I've seen the pics for myself - what is the point of the tab anyway? Why not just cut it off with an angle grinder! Can anyone who has actually fixed the problem on their Prius speculate as to the purpose of the tab?

And what models does this affect?
Is the plate used on my brand new '06?

(I'll take a look tonight - my wife will think I'm nuts)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ari @ Sep 19 2006, 11:32 AM) [snapback]321836[/snapback]</div>

Hobbit maintains that the plate is on backwards and that the tab is meant to cover something at the top. (If you saw all of his pictures you saw one that has the plate on correctly.)

I checked mine and there is no way it could be a problem as there is almost an inch between the cable which is firmly held in place and the tab which barely protrudes. That leaves unanswered whether or not what the tab is supposed to protect is protected.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ari @ Sep 19 2006, 05:32 PM) [snapback]321836[/snapback]</div>

Hi Ari,

The tab is the sized of other tabs that plastic cable brackets mount on. It appears to me, that with the plate in the right direction, a plastic cable bracket would reach out and position the cable in question, from the tab. The bracket was apparently value-engineered out, which is OK, as long as the plate gets put on in the right driection, not upside down and reverse as it was on my car.

 

Techno-fandom is having some showstopper Apache issues these days.
The maintainer says that it's getting stuck in a state where all of
its threads are in CLOSE_WAIT tcp state or some such; there's some
linux kernel-level "sysctl" mucking that's probably needed but he
also thinks that backing off a version or two of Apache is needed.
Anyone more familiar with this, I'll gladly take and pass on ideas.
.
Now, to try and stay on topic ... any updates on what's actually
wrong with the car in question??
.
_H*

 

The plate is upside down on my car, too - I checked just by reaching under the car from the front. Now the question is, what to do about it. It seems like a lot of trouble to tear everything apart just to put it back the right way, so right now I'm leaning toward just cutting off the tab with a dremel tool. I'll be doing an oil change this weekend so I'll see how hard it would be to cut when the car is on ramps.

 

I am so happy for you- that is great! Hopefully they will replace your car so you won't have to worry about it again.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ari @ Sep 19 2006, 11:46 AM) [snapback]321675[/snapback]</div>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the first time I've had a look at this post (Replying to My 7k miles Prius has broken down on me!)

I'm surprised at the complaint that the 'Hobbit' link wouldn't open. I tried the link that I think you are referrring to & it worked for me tonight. The link in question, is on page 2 of this post. It is in a comment with the title "hobbit Aug 16 2006, 07:37 PM".

 

So... .

I just bought my 2006 Prius, what are the chances this is wrong with my car as well? You guys have me scared now. If the manufacturing plant is distributing the wrong instructions still we should assume... everyone's got this part installed backwards?

Has even one person checked their car and found it's installed properly?

Is there any way for me to go to the dealer and ask them to check this, for free? Or does this need to become a larger issue, like a Recall, for it to get that far?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fphinney @ Sep 23 2006, 02:31 AM) [snapback]323806[/snapback]</div>

It wasn't opening a few days ago. It is now.

Thanks...

I also wonder if I should have plate looked at also..I have an appointment this week with service.

terri

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(terri @ Sep 23 2006, 09:31 AM) [snapback]323862[/snapback]</div>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Terri -

I looked under my Prius this morning. (We bought it new 6/06.) It had the inspection plate on backwards. I jacked it up & put blocks under the wheels. The two bolts are quite snug. Had to work at getting them loose. The top one isn't real easy to get at. The job took about a half hour. I would like to know if some tech at the factory could explain why they obviously installed hundreds (or thousands) of those plates like that? I'm convinced that the way plate was installed, was trouble waiting to happen!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fphinney @ Sep 23 2006, 05:19 PM) [snapback]324022[/snapback]</div>

Thanks!! I'm going on Thursday...I have printed out the instructions to take with me on Thursday to Toyota....can have them look at least?

terri

 

I don't know whether it's the website or my computer, but I can't seem to open the link: http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/starthole/. I tried the cache version with pic, which also doesn't show any pictures (just show text and broken image icons). Can someone post a Word doc with all the info and pic in it, please?

 

I could not open any of the links showing the problem with the plate so I drove the prius up on the ramps and there is was, see pictures inclosed. One picture shows location of oil filter, black with rain spots, and fan in the front. The other shows the cable and how close it is to the tab on the plate. I'm going to use silcone caulk to joint the two and keep an eye on how long that lasts. At the moment it's not a problem, with 35k on the clock of our 05 the cable doesn't seem to have made contact but I can see the potential.

 

Well I decided to take a look under the silver bullet. I couldnt fit under it so i took some blind pics and to my surprise look what I found. Ill have the dealer take care of it while they do the first oil change in around 500miles ie. 1 week

 

I wonder if this problem will end up appearing on the 2007 models as well? Definitely will have to take a look when mine come in Nov.

 

I don't know what the ECU is, but it doesn't really sound to me like they found a problem and corrected that problem?! I would be nervous. But you are right, at least they tried- if it happens again, I would push for the lemon law, or for them to buy it back.

 

ECU = Electronic Control Unit. ECU is bascailly the computer that controls certain part of the car. See http://priuschat.com/Acronyms-and-Abbrevia...ary-t13051.html

I'll try to look up the pic showing location of the ECU's in the shop manual when I have time tonight.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius_fr @ Sep 25 2006, 02:21 PM) [snapback]324768[/snapback]</div>

Read the DIY "headlight switch EV mod". It shows the ECU over in the top right corner behind the glovebox.