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Running without upper splash shield

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by dorunron, Feb 22, 2014.

  1. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

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    Ok, I have searched and could not find a definitive answer.

    My question is this. Is it imperative that the upper splash shield be installed on the Prius at all times?

    I am trying to monitor the level in the radiator to see if there is a leak. I want to remove the splash shield and drive the Prius for an extended amount of time without the shield in place.

    Will this cause any sort of problem?

    Refer to item #27 in the picture below for more detail of the part I am asking about.

    Thanks,
    Ron

    splash shield.gif
     
    #1 dorunron, Feb 22, 2014
  2. Okinawa

    Okinawa Senior Member

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    If that is the splash shield that covers the oil pan it will not hurt anything to drive the car without it. I have a 2011 Prius. I had the oil changed at a Toyota dealer and the mechanic left the splash shield off. I happened to look under the car three months after the oil was changed and discovered it was missing. I drove the car a lot during that time.
     
    #2 Okinawa, Feb 22, 2014
  3. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

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    The shield I am referring is on a Gen II Prius. It is on top of the radiator. It is held in place with seven fasteners. It covers the radiator cap making removal of the shield imperative if one wants to check the level of the fluid in the radiator. Relying on visual check of the overflow bottle is not sufficient in all cases. It is best to check the level of the radiator itself by removing the cap when the system is cold.

    splash shield.JPG
     
    #3 dorunron, Feb 22, 2014
  4. Okinawa

    Okinawa Senior Member

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    #4 Okinawa, Feb 22, 2014
  5. Okinawa

    Okinawa Senior Member

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    #5 Okinawa, Feb 22, 2014
  6. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    #6 Patrick Wong, Feb 22, 2014
    dorunron likes this.
  7. RobertK

    RobertK Member

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    You have at least two choices:

    (1) You can run the car without the shield until the coolant level stabilizes.
    (2) You can put the shield in but leave the fasteners out. You can then pick up the shield to check the radiator level. You could always install one or two fasteners if you were worried about it flopping around or if it rattled.

    I did both for about a week after replacing my radiator fans without any problems. I checked the radiator level every day to make sure the radiator was full.

    I believe the main purpose of the shield is to improve the flow of air air through the radiator. I doubt it will make much difference unless the outside air temperature is high or you are using a lot of air conditioning. This time of year should not be a problem in the US.
     
    #7 RobertK, Feb 22, 2014
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