1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Checking for highway debris damage

Discussion in 'Prius v Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by J L, Aug 5, 2014.

  1. J L

    J L Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 5, 2014
    30
    0
    0
    Location:
    Northern VA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Well I'll start off by saying I am a satisfied owner of a 2013 Toyota Prius v with 3600 miles on the odometer. The car has been dependable and reliable so far.

    I was driving home from North Carolina today on Interstate 85 when some heavy wind blew unsecured plywood off of a pickup truck; the plywood landed in fragments on my lane and with traffic in each adjacent lane and no time to slow down, I winced and ran over at least a few large pieces of the plywood. The noise was horrible, but I guess part of it is due to the reduced sound insulation on the floor pan.

    I pulled into a gas station and inspected for bodywork and tire damage. Seeing no obvious damage, I proceeded 300 miles home watching for the tire pressure or other warning lights, but saw none.

    I have the day off from work so I'm going to do a more thorough analysis underneath (with jack stands, of course) and check the wheels for misalignment or play. I'm prepared to see at least some scratches to the undercarriage.

    The owners manual says not to place the jack on the axles or control arms, but is there absolutely no other alternative jack point besides the notches on the sides? I don't want additional scratches on the frame and deal with potential rust later.

    And also, are there any particularly weak spots on the Prius v undercarriage worth checking for damage? The fuel tank seemed to be okay because there were no leaks, but I could be wrong.
     
  2. Okinawa

    Okinawa Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2013
    1,333
    317
    0
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    If I were you I would take the car to the Toyota dealer and have them put it on the lift and check it out.
     
  3. J L

    J L Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 5, 2014
    30
    0
    0
    Location:
    Northern VA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three

    Eventually, I will during the next oil change. But for the time being, I want to prevent bigger headaches from occurring in the future and at least find out what damage has been done. Thanks for the feedback
     
  4. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2008
    7,475
    4,373
    7
    Location:
    Texas Hill Country
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    I would take it to a neighborhood oil change place and have them check it. Probably the worse that is likely are the plastic covers under the engine could be loose or might be missing altogether. If they are loose, I would want them resecured before I lost them. As far as the jack points, use them exactly as in the manual. There is a front center jack point under the engine in addition to the sides. But really, just take it in to one of those drive through oil change places (no jacking needed) and have them look. Probably for free. Then later to the dealer for another free inspection but there you will wait.

    jack points.jpg jack floor.jpg

    Floor jack adapter for side rails:
    http://www.autoparts2020.com/rsdev/part_detail.jsp?PART_HDR_ID=102279
     
    #4 rjparker, Aug 5, 2014
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2014
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,474
    38,105
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    These are the points I'm using now, on our 3rd gen hatchback. Don't know how they'd translate to the V, but fwiw:

    Prius 2010 Underside Photo - jackstand points.jpg

    The front points (right side) are at the leading edge of a rectangular rail.

    The rear points are a reinforced zone, just ahead of rubber plugs filling a slot opening. Those plugs are put in at the dealership, my understanding from their parts department was that the slots were for some sort of locator pin, used in transit. For both the front and rear points the steel is reinforced, thick.

    I concur the official jacking points are not suited for regular jackstand bearing. If you look at the shape of the supplied scissor jack, it becomes clear what shape is needed. And, I've used the scissor jack once with a flat, and found that single use caused a bit of punch in, and that was on a rear wheel, less load.
     
  6. J L

    J L Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 5, 2014
    30
    0
    0
    Location:
    Northern VA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    The Gas tank
    Thanks for that image. But I have two questions. One, what function do those two black covers between the axles (left and right of the exhaust pipe) serve? And two, but is the fuel tank made out of plastic? I'm not too worried about plywood damaging the drive axles or brake lines, but I'd at least like to avoid future rust from road salt and rainwater, and not have to go through a fuel tank replacement.
     
  7. J L

    J L Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 5, 2014
    30
    0
    0
    Location:
    Northern VA
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Thanks for the feedback. I didn't hear or see anything fall off after glancing in the rearview mirror, but I'll have the shops take a look.
     
  8. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    3,902
    1,064
    0
    Location:
    New Yawk
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    It usually sounds worse than it is; you'd immediately know if you snagged anything significant.

    If all the splash/inspection/undertray panels were secure, just expect gouges and scratches on the panels.
     
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,474
    38,105
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    The covers are primarily for aerodynamics. I believe there's hybrid battery cables enclosed as well, so they offer some protection for those as well.

    I think the tank is plastic, you should be able to reach it with a hand, even without raising the car. Rap it, see how it sounds/feels.
     
  10. miscrms

    miscrms Plug Envious Member

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2007
    2,076
    523
    5
    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    I'd look over the AC condenser while you're at it. Assuming its the same as the Gen2, its position low and in front of the radiator tends to make it a bit susceptible to road debris, but more usually rocks or things that are already airborne.
     
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,474
    38,105
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring