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Trunk leak: Where exactly is the drain plug under 12V battery?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by AaronPDX, Feb 28, 2018.

  1. AaronPDX

    AaronPDX Junior Member

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    I've read so many helpful posts here about the leak issue. Mine's a 2008. Unfortunately there's an inch or more of water under my 12v battery and I see no drain plug from the underside -- and visibility from above is minimal, without removing battery which I'd really rather not do unless necessary. Can this mystery drain plug I keep reading about be located from below? If so, can someone tell me explicitly where?

    Thanks!
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    if there is a drain plug, it has to be visible from below. it's not that big an area, take a look around.
    but you really should remove the battery and clean things up.
     
  3. AaronPDX

    AaronPDX Junior Member

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    I agree, it should be obvious. I've already taken a look around, and It's not obvious for me. Yet others state it exists. Hence this post.
    I'll see if I can take out the battery tomorrow.
     
  4. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    I took the photo below from the following page. Interesting reading -- the battery was stuck in a block of ice. The photo is fairly far down the page. Here's the pix.
    and a link to the page:

    Prius 12V Battery Replacement and the Ice Pick

    He says it is a rubber plug and you can see the pavement below in this pix. He says he left it out when he re-installed the battery.


    [​IMG]
     
    #4 Stevewoods, Mar 1, 2018
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2018
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  5. AaronPDX

    AaronPDX Junior Member

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    Thank you Steve! That is a helpful pic, and now when I'm underneath I'll at least have a relative idea of where the plug is... Fingers crossed and hoping it's removable from below...?!
     
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Just pull the battery, then throw a towel in there? Remove, wring out, repeat as needed.
     
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  7. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    What mendel, you don't like the guy's description of siphoning out the melted ice water and spitting it on the ground?
     
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  8. AaronPDX

    AaronPDX Junior Member

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    Update: Found it! Not as obvious as I hoped with that picture in hand (that being taken from above, and me being positioned below with very little head clearance), but the rubber material was obvious and a bit of prying with a screwdriver loosened it enough to let a drip start flowing. Drained at least a quart of water! No battery removal required!

    I then pryed up the 2 weather seals on the roof sides, and cleaned underneath. Both rear edges of the rain channel/gutter/trough seem to have microfractures as reported elsewhere in this forum. So I cleaned with isopropyl and a toothbrush, dried and applied silicone sealant, which proved a little tricky since it's transparent and I was relying on ambient outdoor (Oregon winter) light. Not to mention you need a super-thin swab tool to get at the channel in its thinnest portion.

    Pix:

    Plug, removed:
    plug.JPG

    Plug location -- near the R rear wheel. (Someone please confirm that's the right hole! I took several pics really awkwardly with my phone down there and it was hard to tell) plug loc? .JPG

    Spare tire well: I removed plugs there in anticipation of more rain, replacing with plastic with a hole in center for drainage, duct taped. Temporary measure only, I hope!

    wheel well.JPG

    Fracture, rear left side:

    fracture L.JPG

    Fracture, rear right side:
    fracture R.JPG
     
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  9. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    Guess I should probably check our battery well. But, it is cold outside and I am inside nice and warm and dry -- sipping a "Papa Doble" <The Hemingway recipe> and listening to "Old and in the Way."

    “I drink to make other people more interesting.” –Ernest Hemingway

     
    #9 Stevewoods, Mar 1, 2018
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2018
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