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Beginner here. Restoring all clips, removing rust, deep cleaning a 2011 Prius w/83K miles

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Erin and the pets, Nov 15, 2021.

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  1. Erin and the pets

    Erin and the pets New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2021
    3
    1
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    Location:
    chamblee, ga
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    It all started when my gas tank got a few tiny holes and I paid a mechanic $100 just to show me a picture of my gas tank and tell me it'll be $1000 to replace the whole thing.

    I started researching car sh*t for the first time ever and temporarily fixed it for $7 with QUICKSTEEL. Then I took the backseats out and started building it into a camper.

    But it started leaking again, even worse, a month later, so I took the whole damn thing out and soldered it and stuck it back in and it was extremely satisfying to do. Now I'm a greasemonkey trying to restore my 2011 to look brand-new and I aspire to take it to antique car shows in 50 years.

    I was horrified to see all the rust and debris under my car, and I discovered ChrisFix amongst all this, so I've gone down this path of stripping my car to free it of all the rust and dirt that I can and fix problems before they start. I'm kinda creating problems that didn't exist, though. I'm sure you all can relate...

    I've lost track of which bolts go where and some random plastic pieces, like this portion from the cowl. I love the puzzle piecing but sometimes I just want to cheat, you know?

    There's another (fender? bumper?) piece I forgot to grab a picture of before writing this. And the clips holding the fuel filler tube shield located in the left rear well. Shouldn't have broken that clip.

    Are there any in-depth, extremely detailed photos of just what a 3rd Gen Prius should look like, and what all the parts are? I love looking at the exploded diagrams that parts dealers have, but they're barely helpful. What about where to buy trim clips by the handful?

    I love the undercarriage pic I saw Mendel posted, but are there any with way way more detail, like, bolt-level detail? Why don't parts dealers have better photos for chrisfixssake? I've started making a detailed video of my gas tank debacle including the exploded diagram and detailed photos of everything I questioned about while doing that project, in case any one else feels the same way, but only about gas tanks. "Erin Got Tools" is my current name on youtube.

    Anyway.


    TL;DR where does this go, please show a pic of it where it belongs in the car. 3rd gen IMG_9547.JPG IMG_9548.JPG IMG_9549.JPG
     
    #1 Erin and the pets, Nov 15, 2021
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    110,133
    50,050
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    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    welcome!
    congrats on work well done, and wanting to bring your car back to showroom condition. i can't help with your requests, but just a suggestion. jump on the egr circuit cleaning asap, so you won't have to deal with replacing the engine.
    all the best!(y)
     
    #2 bisco, Nov 15, 2021
    Erin and the pets and dig4dirt like this.
  3. tellyourdogisaidhi

    tellyourdogisaidhi Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2021
    10
    5
    0
    Location:
    Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    That plastic piece gets clipped into the metal tray on your cowl on the passenger side.
     
    #3 tellyourdogisaidhi, Nov 16, 2021
  4. dig4dirt

    dig4dirt MoonGlow

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2012
    1,150
    741
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    Location:
    Lancaster Co PA
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    #4 dig4dirt, Nov 16, 2021
  5. Erin and the pets

    Erin and the pets New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2021
    3
    1
    0
    Location:
    chamblee, ga
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Thanks! Alright, I'll look into the egr circuit then!
     
    #5 Erin and the pets, Nov 16, 2021
    bisco likes this.
  6. wr69

    wr69 Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2014
    141
    77
    0
    Location:
    portland, or
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Am attaching a photo of the inside of windshield cowl, with the two black air intake vents. they somewhat direct air through the vented cowl cover and into the fresh air intake hole in the cabin/firewall. Your baffle looks to be in good condition. Often, they are chewed through by mice and rodents climbing into the car through the side (by the hood hinges). Look up mouse-proofing your Prius for some ideas on how to protect the area with wire mesh to prevent this - if you think there are mice/rats in your area. I have done this in a slightly different way by affixing mesh to the baffles themselves. Will post a how-to when i get around to compiling it. BTW... the baffles have a weak hinged flap on them to facilitate getting the cowl tray out of the car; i.e., bend the baffle flaps, pull the big metal cowl tray. pop out the baffles from the tray.

    For the rivet clips - i presume you are referring too - here is a batch I got from amazon to replace the ones that fell out on the gravelguard (engine under shield). I lost track of the different holes and which ones work for which, so just kind of wing it and pop'em in and make sure they are snug. the key thing to watch out for is some rivets are a bit long and go into thicker metal. some are shorter and go into thinner backing material. Search for this on amazon:

    Dr.Roc Replacement for Toyota Lexus 90467-10183 90467-07201 90467-10188 52161-02020, Bumper Fender Liner Grill Trim Panel Retainer Fasteners Rivets Clips with Fastener Remover
     

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    #6 wr69, Nov 21, 2021
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2021
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