after a collision - airbags, batteries, etc.

You should be nervous about having an independent mechanic do the work if that individual is not a Toyota hybrid specialist.

Regarding airbag replacement, that alone will cost $2K+ if you use new parts which is Toyota's repair policy. You could use salvage parts but who knows whether the bags will deploy if the car is in a future collision.

If you determine the car's market value from kbb.com or edmunds.com, I think you will find that the likely cost of repair will exceed the market value, so you would be better off towing the car to a salvage yard. Good luck with your decision.

 

As long as the airbag controller sees one or more airbags deployed the HV and traction battery ECUs won't let the car run. You'll have get the airbag ECU happy with either new airbags or spoof the sensors with resistors.

Mechanical things, you'll need to have the steering and CVT shafts and wheels checked. The alignment will have to be checked.

My understanding is you'll need OEM parts. Check with Google for Champion Toyota parts who may have a listing and price. My understanding is they are pricy.

We have a thread about independent shops with a pointer to those with trained, hybrid mechanics. You'll need to make that decision.

It isn't a 'time' thing but a usage. In particular, 'heat is the enemy.' It can be removed and tested but with the airbags deployed, it is nearly impossible to tell.

If you and your son had indicated an interest in 'do it yourself,' I would suggest:

• Auto Enginuity ($400 + your laptop) - this provides enough coverage to check the ECUs including airbag so you can read out the health and status.
• Maintenance manuals ($100-300) - these are your road-map to the car for any repairs.

If you have a trusted mechanic, negotiate to see if you provide these assets, will he use them?

Another important asset is training and these folks have a lot of resources for the independent mechanic. Personally, I would buy the books but not pay him to study. He gets his payback for doing the work.

Now I suspect you are looking at some substantial costs and you need to compare the alternative of salvage. Start with Blue book values and look at Ebay to see what folks are selling, completed sales.

GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson

 

I have resurrected a few first gen and second gen Prius cars from front end collisions, Including the one I drive daily and various other non-prius cars.

Used Airbags are perfectly reliable. Extensive studies have been done by the Automotive Recyclers Association www.a-r-a.org. The airbag system on the prius is not different from other toyota's from the same era. In fact, some of the parts interchange widely across the product line.

You do have to know what you are doing to do airbag replacement. So your mechanic should have experience in this area. It is possible (but not likely) to deploy an airbag while working on it and get hurt pretty bad.

You will need the following parts: Both airbags, a clockspring, an airbag computer, two front crash sensors, two front seat belts. This full kit is available used for a few hundred dollars (like $600 I think, but I would have to check.)

Beyond the normal body work and axles, subframe etc. there are some unique things about the Prius to look out for. You do need a Prius experienced shop for these:

1) The inverter case can easily be cracked in a front end collision (especially if the drivers side corner gets pushed in toward the center of the car.

2) There are connectors on the transaxle and the inverter that can get broken or cracked. Can cause a hard failure or an intermittent problem.

3) The inverter cooling system can be damaged: The inverter water pump is vulnerable, behind the driver side headlight. The inverter cooling system reservoir is almost certainly cracked.

To do the job right, the shop needs Techstream or another scan tool system to read the codes, diagnose failures, verify functionality etc. (I don't know if the non-Techstream tools get into the airbag system.)

The dealer will probably not install used airbags so if you want your car fixed you will probably need to find an independent shop or salvage rebuilder to do it. Otherwise it will get very expensive very quickly.

Oh, another thing to look for is a cracked intake manifold. It is vulnerable on the Prius. (as well as on the Echo and Yaris). That will give you the "engine failed to start" code and can send you looking for other issues.

PM me if you like, I would be happy to help. Post or send a picture of the damage and we can dial in a bit closer.

Eric
Adopt A Part
1-800-296-2211

 

That is some good advice, but this sounds like a total loss to me unless you're very handy. Rebuilding a first gen Prius this late is risky business financially. I had it done on an 01 back in 05 and everything worked out fine, but I chose not to replace air bags quoted at $3371. parts and labor. My insurance co. could care less and the premium difference was $1. I'm just saying it's an option when you want to keep that Gen I Prius alive. We're still driving the 01 now with 103K miles on it.

 

Update: 01 Prius now has 117,300 miles on it. The HV battery lasted 11 years and 111,240 miles. I rebuilt it Nov 2011 using 2010 cell modules. That is another thread.

 

Please, please can ANYONE tell me where a clockspring is on a 2002 Prius. I had both airbag deploy when a hit and run driver hit our car. I cannot find a clockspring on this car. Where is it???
I have replaced the driver airbag, the passenger airbag, the airbag computer, and both front seat belts.

Second question: How can I tell if I need to replace the front airbag sensors???

Please help.

Alan Weis

 

The "clockspring" is what we figuratively call the wound-up cable assembly on the steering column, just behind the steering wheel, that carries the airbag (and also cruise control) wiring so the steering wheel can turn. It looks a lot like a big clockspring. I think it can be bought separately, or as part of the 'combo switch' assembly (the headlights/turn signals/wipers switch).

-Chap

 

Thank you for the reply!