What are they for?

[wwu123]

I just noticed in front of the inverter my 2002 classic Prius there are two hollow metal nipples mounted pointing upwards, connected to small black hoses running one around each side of the inverter. The right nipple has a little rubber cover, the left one is bare.

Does anyone know what these are for, and if the car or its performance is suffering from presumably a missing cover on the left one? I'm guessing there are merely there to connect a hose to bleed/add a gas or fluid for some type of maintenance. But if they are part of some emission controls thing, the missing cover might be affecting something.

[IFixEm]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(wwu123 @ May 6 2006, 06:45 PM) [snapback]250925[/snapback]</div>

I just noticed in front of the inverter my 2002 classic Prius there are two hollow metal nipples mounted pointing upwards, connected to small black hoses running one around each side of the inverter. The right nipple has a little rubber cover, the left one is bare.

Does anyone know what these are for, and if the car or its performance is suffering from presumably a missing cover on the left one? I'm guessing there are merely there to connect a hose to bleed/add a gas or fluid for some type of maintenance. But if they are part of some emission controls thing, the missing cover might be affecting something.
[/b]

Yes, good guess. They are indeed the dust caps on the bleeder screws for the inverter/hv transaxle side of the cooling system. The bleeders are used to puge air when filling that part of the prius cooling system. If you are in an area where salt (air or road) is an issue, then a new "dust cap for any ol' brake bleeder screw" at napa will work. Tis not an emmision related item. The affect is no effect.
Regards, Mike