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

Why does the car come with a jack and other tire changing tools

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by EyePrime, Feb 4, 2019.

  1. EyePrime

    EyePrime Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2018
    268
    115
    7
    Location:
    Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    In the owners manual, they show how the scissor jack is under the rear seat and there is a breaker bar/socket wrench that fits on the lug nuts.
    But why? The car doesn't have a spare tire to repair on the side of the road so technically its just dead weight.

    How would this jack and breaker bar help me in any way if I already have a hydraulic jack and decent tools for switching the tires (Winter/Summer), Im considering taking them out of my car.
     
    road2cycle likes this.
  2. schja01

    schja01 One of very few in Chicagoland

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2005
    1,731
    1,154
    0
    Location:
    Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    Good question.
    I purchased a spare so I'm glad to have them.
    They add weight to the car so it's a bit surprising Toyota would
    include something that wouldn't normally be of use.

    Just a WAG:
    If you get a flat and you can't follow the procedure to drive the car to distribute the goop in the tire you could jack up the car and spin the tire by hand. At least a rear tire. So the sealant coats the inside of the tire uniformly to keep the tire balanced?
    Seems a bit of a stretch if I do say so myself.
     
    EyePrime likes this.
  3. EyePrime

    EyePrime Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2018
    268
    115
    7
    Location:
    Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Im thinking its maybe a law to include the breaker bar and scissor jack
     
  4. schja01

    schja01 One of very few in Chicagoland

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2005
    1,731
    1,154
    0
    Location:
    Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    Need to see of those cars that come with run flats as standard equipment come with jack and wrench.
     
  5. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    9,083
    5,795
    0
    Location:
    Undisclosed Location
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I'm just going to think, that the weight of those tools have to be non-impactful as far as MPG and efficiency.
    So?
    I think it's better to have than not have, even if the most important part of changing a flat tire is missing, with the absence of a spare.
    You can write some semi-complicated scenarios where having a scissor jack and breaker bar would still be of value.

    For me however, they turn out being more like "Scooby Doo" cartoon scenarios, where you use the tools to capture "Old Man Jenkins" who's been posing as the ghost of a Pirate.
     
    EyePrime likes this.
  6. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    FYI, our 2005 AWD Sienna that came with run-flat OEM, did NOT come with a jack and wrench. Optional spare tire kit did include that. So, that means, there is no law requiring a jack and wrench in every car, at least not back then in 2005.

    BTW, I do too carry a full-size spare in the back of PRIME now, so having a jack and wrench are good thing. At least they are hidden in the compartment that does not take any more space in the cargo.
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I think you have to jack it up to use the compressor and goop
     
    pghyndman and Trollbait like this.
  8. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Not according to Toyota.
     
    bisco likes this.
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    only on the mirai, the hydrogen does the heavy lifting:p
     
  10. eroeder

    eroeder Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2011
    72
    22
    0
    Location:
    Dallas
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    Wow,
    Some folks carry a full spare? Cargo area is not that big, I guess they don’t need space for daily needs.
     
  11. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    OK, just for you! ;)
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,474
    38,106
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    ^ Hmm, no mention of jacking it up.

    Nice rims.

    (There's no way I would do this btw. In that scenario, a plug-repair kit would be much less "invasive". I would dub it permanently repair, but it's debatable.)
     
    Trollbait likes this.
  13. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    On the contrary, I usually need full cargo space in my PRIME for cargo, but not for people. I can live with a two-seater. My PRIME's rear seats are almost never used, so I have them folded down all the time. I place a full-size spare behind the front passenger seat. The headrest of the rear seat has to be removed, but with this set-up, the full-size spare is very tightly wedged in. Unless you have a roll-over, the tire is not going to fly out.

    IMG_20180920_175807.jpg seats
     
    #13 Salamander_King, Feb 4, 2019
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2019
    SeattleBebop1, KrPtNk and walterm like this.
  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    i want to see someone do it in real life. in the dark. in the rain. in the mud. in the middle of nowhere.

    don't forget to apply those stickers!:p
     
    WilDavis likes this.
  15. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    In those situations, I would have a hard time changing a tire. Period. I will call AAA.;)
     
  16. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2009
    5,850
    4,017
    0
    Location:
    Westminster, Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
  17. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2009
    5,850
    4,017
    0
    Location:
    Westminster, Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    I just changed a tire for someone, in the dark, on the ice, using tools that came with the car with which I was unfamiliar.

    Took about 10 minutes.
     
    bisco likes this.
  18. Washingtonian

    Washingtonian Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2017
    710
    608
    0
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I wonder if that sealant goop will destroy the TPMS in the rim. I believe that it also destroys the tire by making it non repairable. Obviously a plug-in repair kit is a better solution.
     
  19. JGC61

    JGC61 Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2011
    214
    101
    6
    Location:
    Long Island
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    Where did you purchase the tire cover?
    Thanks
     
  20. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2006
    21,597
    11,224
    0
    Location:
    eastern Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Manufacturers are moving to electric parking brakes because it save 13 or fewer pounds.

    Considering past experience with cheap compressors, I'd jack up the car just to reduce the work on the factory supplied one.