2020 Prius Prime Sitting Since 2/29/2020 Due to Covid

I can attest to alcohol phase separation.
If you ever get a tank of bad watery gas the alcohol + water drops to the bottom and plugs your fuel filter.


However in normal use his statement is a myth

 

Yes, I'm seeing multiple warnings about phase separation from absorbing too much water. But not without that water.

 

No, the opposite. With an "on-board" charger, typically installed, all that comes out through the grill is the 120 volt AC plug, and that just runs to the charger. You could join any-or-all of the prongs and nothing's going to happen, you're definitely not shorting out the 12 volt: it's on the other side of the charger.

Judging from the pics, NOCO does not supply a protector for the AC plug. It's not mandatory (per previous paragraph), but it'd be nice if they did, mainly to keep the plug clean, free of salt crust in winter, etcetera.

I've posted a question on Amazon regarding this, on the (CDN) product page.

There are aftermarket protectors, but a bit of gamble, because there can be slight variation in plug dim's I think:

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/block-heater-plug-cover-0300019p.html

 

Thank you for clarifying that. Most chargers have built-in reverse polarity detection, so I thought the charger would protect it but wasn't sure.

 

I have looked up the spec on the NOCO 4amp on-board charger. It turned out this charger is designed for marine use, and it has IP68 waterproof certification. The overall dimension and weight are not particularly small. For automobile use where the charger is fixed under the hood, it may not require this much of waterproofness. I am now looking into BlueTooth or WiFi-enabled charger/maintainer which can be monitored without opening the hood.

One thing I did find is that they sell AC port plug. If I can find a location on the car where I can drill a hole to install the AC port, it makes it much easier and secure to plug in the extension cord. Question is where the port can be installed? I don't want to try it on the steel body part but the plastic part may not be strong enough.

 

Fog light blanking plate?

 

Yeah, that may work. Worth exploring. Usually, that plate is not a strong plastic but if I can find and install a modified fog light housing to accommodate AC plug port, it may work.

I am also thinking about behind the front license plate by installing a flip-up holder.