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What is this? It's behind the lower grill and has come loose.

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by LulzChicken, Feb 15, 2013.

  1. LulzChicken

    LulzChicken Prius Enthusiast

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    Hey guys, I noticed that this (see picture below) was loose. It's behind the lower grill. It does have a wire connected to it, but I can't tell what purpose it has. I don't have radar cruise control or any of those fancy features. It came unattached , but I managed to get it stable again. So, what is it? Sorry if this has been answered before. I looked around and even checked the manual to no avail. Thanks!

    By the way, I just noticed that my radiotor seems beat up pretty bad... Is this normal? Am I following too close, which could cause rocks to be kicked up by other vehicles?

    Thank you!

    1:
    [​IMG]

    2:
    [​IMG]
     
    #1 LulzChicken, Feb 15, 2013
  2. kcinhbca

    kcinhbca Junior Member

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    First thought is... Teperature sensor. I know Toyota locates them in the grill area. Unplug it and see if the the outside temp still registers.
     
    #2 kcinhbca, Feb 15, 2013
  3. LulzChicken

    LulzChicken Prius Enthusiast

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    I would unplug it, but I probably wouldn't ever be able to get it plugged back in. As far as I know, I think the temperature sensor is in the license plate area. That's what a service advisor told me once before. Thank you for your input!

    Does anyone else have any other ideas as to what this could be?
     
    #3 LulzChicken, Feb 15, 2013
  4. Dark_matter_doesn't

    Dark_matter_doesn't Prius Tinkerer

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    I'm fairly certain this is the outside temp sensor. If you take off the lower black cover just behind the bumper, you can get to the mounting point & bolt.
     
    #4 Dark_matter_doesn't, Feb 15, 2013
  5. NASCAR Mike

    NASCAR Mike Senior Member

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    It is the temperature sensor.

    Radiator looks normal. Unless it is leaking you are fine. When I wash my car I always spray water into the radiator grill to remove bugs and dirt. This will help with airflow through the coils.
     
    #5 NASCAR Mike, Feb 15, 2013
  6. Dark_matter_doesn't

    Dark_matter_doesn't Prius Tinkerer

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    #6 Dark_matter_doesn't, Feb 15, 2013
  7. gliderman

    gliderman Active Member

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    Bird on the grill! MMMMMGood! Slap a little BBQ sauce on that hooter and its really tasty.
     
    #7 gliderman, Feb 15, 2013
  8. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    It is your outside temp sensor. It just snaps in to a clip-type mount. You should be able to clip it back in the mount, unless for some reason the mount is broken.
     
    #8 jdcollins5, Feb 15, 2013
  9. LulzChicken

    LulzChicken Prius Enthusiast

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    Thank you for all of your input everyone. I was able to slip it back into place. Also, I appreciate the comments about my radiator. I try to keep it clean with my hose as well! That owl is a pretty funny .gif, thanks!
     
    #9 LulzChicken, Feb 15, 2013
  10. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    It keeps the rodents out of the cabin air filter.
     
    #10 JimN, Feb 16, 2013
  11. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Thats not the radiator its the air conditioning condenser coil. Substantially much more expensive than a radiator.
    Are you missing the bottom plastic valence plate under that condenser? Its there to prevent rocks from kicking up.

    BTW, its very dirty and will make the compressor work much harder to cool the car. Go to Home D and buy the pressurized can of ac coil cleaner with the blue top. Wet the condenser down and then spray the cleaner real good in the coils. Let it sit then rinse off. Do it twice a year.

    And lastly where can I get one of those radar cruise controls?:D
     
    #11 edthefox5, Feb 17, 2013
    LulzChicken likes this.
  12. gliderman

    gliderman Active Member

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    Bingo!
     
    #12 gliderman, Feb 17, 2013
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