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Extraction from a Prius after a wreck?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by donee, Oct 1, 2007.

  1. donee

    donee New Member

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    Hi Gaelyn,

    Your post is messed up somehow, but I will answer anyway. The Orange colored coaxial cables (shielded with a ground shield braid under an orange jacket) carry the HV (High Voltage) current from the battery assembly behind the passenger seat to the front of the car. on the underside of the chasis, within a nylon cover. In case of a collision, emergency workers are instructed to pull relays in the relay box under the hood, on the driver side. This will disable the HV relay in the battery box. Additionally, the HV system has both postive and negative cables, and all the HV system is floating above chasis. If there is any leakage current to chasis, a Ground Fault Interupter causes the HV relay to open. So, if the car goes into water, and the cables are torn up in the process, the Ground Fault Interupter (just like in your bathroom outlets) trips, and disconnects the cables from the battery.

    Detailed proceedures are available on the Toyota web site.
     
    #1 donee, Oct 1, 2007
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Here's the Emergency Response Manual. Please share it with your collegues.

    Hmmm, maybe too big to upload?
    Here's the URL where you can download all the emergency response guides for Toyota hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells, etc.
    https://techinfo.toyota.com/techInfoPortal/...&_nfpb=true
     
    #2 efusco, Oct 1, 2007
  3. JackDodge

    JackDodge Gold Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Oct 1 2007, 09:02 PM) [snapback]520082[/snapback]</div>
    Also:

    http://www.extrication.com/ERG.htm

    Related links
    http://trucks.about.com/od/hybridcar/a/toyota_hybrids.htm
    http://trucks.about.com/cs/safetyissues/a/...id_accident.htm
    http://car-reviews.automobile.com/news/are...ays-toyota/247/

    The electrical cables don't run through the doors, they run underneath the car which you wouldn't be cutting through anyway. EMS workers have been training on dealing with hybrids for years. From the automobile.com article url'd above: "Toyota has also made sure all high voltage cables and components are 'heavily insulated, shielded, isolated and the cables are painted bright orange for easy identification.'"
     
    #3 JackDodge, Oct 2, 2007
  4. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    that reminds me, i gotta ask my dad if they have info for dealing with hybrids. he's an EMT in a small town up north but i've seen a few prius up there.
     
    #4 galaxee, Oct 2, 2007
  5. ekpolk

    ekpolk What could possibly...

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    I just had to fend off another one of those "mysterious Prius can kill EMS guys" attacks in another forum. I sanpped the crude picture below for illustration. The HV cables run from the battery in the rear, to the front, in a semi-opaque white nylon "tray" that runs the length of the car, on its bottom, which runs parallel to and beneath the driver's left leg (or thereabouts). Other than that, unless you're cutting on the bottom of the car, it's going to be pretty much like rescuing someone from any other car.
    [​IMG]
    That's a picture of the white-ish nylon tray. You can just see the orange cables showing through the nylon/plastic material. Don't cut into this, and you'll be fine.
     
    #5 ekpolk, Oct 2, 2007
  6. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    At any rate, even if you cut through the cable, you would immediately trip the ground fault system which would disconnect the battery -inside- its' steel case. Further, if the car was in a serious enough accident to fire the airbags, that relay inside the battery steel case would already be tripped. It disconnects both +ve and -ve leads as well.

    If you want to electrocute yourself, don't bother with a Prius. It's almost impossible. Go to any 115V outlet. Much easier. ;)
     
    #6 David Beale, Oct 2, 2007
  7. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    And it's extrication, not extraction...sorry I'm feeling picky.
     
    #7 efusco, Oct 2, 2007
  8. Gaelyn37

    Gaelyn37 Gaelyn

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Oct 2 2007, 09:32 AM) [snapback]520358[/snapback]</div>

    Thanks for all the advice on "extrication". We all hope that it will never happen, but is important for those who might be involved to be aware of.
     
    #8 Gaelyn37, Oct 2, 2007
  9. JackDodge

    JackDodge Gold Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Gaelyn @ Oct 2 2007, 01:31 PM) [snapback]520392[/snapback]</div>
    Ya know, Gaelyn, I'll bet that if you contacted a local Toyota dealership, they might be able to give your EMS people a demonstration or Toyota itself seems to have a program set up to brief you on the particulars.
     
    #9 JackDodge, Oct 2, 2007
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