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Prius Repair Heads-up?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by 06mike, Dec 15, 2010.

  1. 06mike

    06mike Junior Member

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    Our 08 Prius ingested iron rod thrown up by truck in front of us. Rod went through black grill, penetrated A/C condensor, warped radiator behind condensor and broke various braces infront of/supporting the condensor. It also severed a plastic electrical connector located in the front of the condensor. The sensor appears to have been the "outside" temperature gauge as the temp is no longer displayed in the MFD. All items mentioned need replaced but the Toyota dealer feels they can replace the plastic end connector in lieu of replacing the entire wiring harness. The wiring harness alone is estimated at $3200. Anything I need to watch for or be concerned with on this repair?
     
    #1 06mike, Dec 15, 2010
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  2. Hal W

    Hal W New Member

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    That is not good.Better it hit there rather than up a few feet. Lots of damage done to some very important items. Hope everything works out for you. How long for the repair? H
     
    #2 Hal W, Dec 15, 2010
  3. 06mike

    06mike Junior Member

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    You are right. A foot higher and the pipe probably would have went through the windshield.
    No estimated completion date yet. Waiting for the insurance OK and then the parts will be ordered out of Houston.
    My greastest concern is the electrical connector in front of the condensor. Could be minor or major. Nothing in between.
     
    #3 06mike, Dec 15, 2010
  4. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Thats horrible but rather lucky for you health wise.

    Just make sure you see the insurance payout to see if there billing the insurance company for a harness and giving you a splice. Its probably a nightmare to replace that entire harness and a connector replacement is OK if done correctly. Just take a good look at it when there done and if not happy with it take a good picture of it if you can and post it here and let us look at it. Hopefully it will be a connector and not a big goobered up ball of tape splice.
    Sometimes best way to do it is replace both ends with a new style of connector rather than try to interface/match one connector. A pair of matched aftermarket is sometimes cleaner.
    Good Luck.
     
    #4 edthefox5, Dec 15, 2010
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  5. drew_flux

    drew_flux Junior Member

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    toyota has a list of all connectors and terminals in the repair manual. i replaced the tps connector and 2 terminal for a local panel guy, when the local dealer told hom full harness only.
     
    #5 drew_flux, Dec 16, 2010
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  6. sub3marathonman

    sub3marathonman Active Member

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    I would OK it if they are only replacing the plastic end connector, but if they are splicing 30 wires from a junkyard harness end connector I would not allow it. It is my understanding that you are legally entitled to original equipment parts on the repair.
     
    #6 sub3marathonman, Dec 16, 2010
  7. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    I looked at the harness in the service manual and its not to bad. Looks like its limited to the engine compartment.
     
    #7 edthefox5, Dec 16, 2010
  8. 06mike

    06mike Junior Member

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    I appreciate the service manual research.. Good to know the harness is limited to the engine compartment, but I wonder why the $3 grand cost for such a small harness?
     
    #8 06mike, Dec 17, 2010
  9. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    1. It is good that your dealer is attempting to save money on the repair by installing a new connector. If it is later found necessary to replace the harness, it is possible that if you shop around you may be able to find a better price on the wiring harness, for example at toyotaworld.com

    2. I assume that you are filing an insurance claim for this damage, so once the $ value of the repair exceeds your deductible, then the insurance company is the party (and not you) that has a financial interest in the ultimate cost of the repair.

    3. There is no aftermarket source for the wiring harness (although it is possible to buy a used harness from a salvage vehicle) so you can expect the pricing for a new part to be high.

    4. Regarding what to watch out for, note that if the wiring harness is replaced, this will require removing the cowl that runs across the engine compartment and disassembly of the dashboard. So you might look out for rattling noises that had not been previously present. Some owners have trouble with AC proper functionality at highway speeds, if the radiator fans are reversed upon reassembly. Other owners have trouble with lack of cabin heat because of air left in the engine coolant when the radiator is replaced. Other than that, if there are no warning lights on and the car has no driveability issues, then you should be good.
     
    #9 Patrick Wong, Dec 17, 2010
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  10. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Your welcome. I measure the harness hassle replacement by where it goes in the car and how hard it would be to install. It appears it is part of the engine harness which although very very busy with about 50 sensors its limited to the engine area only. Lots of sensors.
    I also see a part number for just that ambient temp sensor connector:
    96980-11070 but cannot resolve it on Toyota's parts site.

    But $3000 is correct to replace the harness:

    http://www.partswebsite.com/toyotap...tid=30256&subcatid=33228&section=3&type=parts
     
    #10 edthefox5, Dec 17, 2010
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