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Plastic charge port cover issue

Discussion in 'Prime Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by GT4Prius, Sep 23, 2017.

  1. GT4Prius

    GT4Prius Active Member

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    20170923_190149.jpg 20170922_170823.jpg

    My charge port cover will no longer stay put, in its parked place when the charge port is in use.

    I put it in its parking place and it stays there for a short while, but the design means that the plastic tether is in tension and springs the cap out.

    As well as looking untidy, and annoyingly hitting the car bodywork when it springs out, it then gets the inside of the cover wet if it rains.

    See before and after photos.

    Does anyone else experience this? Note that the European car has a slightly different looking arrangement judging by the Toyota U.S. video about charging the Prime, with the parked cap sitting at 90 degrees from the position used on my car.

    I am wondering what to do about it. Any ideas? Only a niggle I suppose but annoying nevertheless, especially on a car that is only 6 months old.

    I could put some sort of padding in there I guess but that might hold water which would not be good.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    does the attachment point on the car swivel?
     
  3. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    Mine looks nothing like that. UK difference, perhaps? Cap.jpg
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    that looks like added flexibility would not tend to pull it away.
     
  5. jungleland1972

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    Yeah, my cap is similar but the part it docks into is different. Mine is more like this (it's not my pic): [​IMG]
     
  6. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    We have ours attached to the right-side to keep it in place during charging.
     
  7. GT4Prius

    GT4Prius Active Member

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    Mine is just like your pic.

    Does yours stay put?

    The problem is that the tether is designed so as to work perfectly when it's covering the charge port, but not when it is parked in the right hand space during charging.

    The tether does not swivel in any way at the cap end. Only where it is attached to the car.

    Here is another view of mine.

    20170924_102722.jpg

    Below is the position that the cap tether wants, but the cap parking holder doesn't allow.

    20170924_102843.jpg

    Seems like faulty design to me. Either the tether needs to have a vertically rotating attachment to the cap, or the cap parking place needs to be rotated by 90 degrees clockwise.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #7 GT4Prius, Sep 25, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2017
  8. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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    Actually the space to the right of the J-1772 receptacle is for a fast charger plug, which comes on the cars in Japan only.:D
     
  9. GT4Prius

    GT4Prius Active Member

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    I know that Japanese cars have an extra socket, but on non Japanese cars the space is used for parking the charge port cover and there is a receptacle for that purpose.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  10. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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    do you have documentation to support this assertion?
     
  11. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    Owner's manual, page 117.

    upload_2017-9-25_13-0-8.png
     
  12. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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    Wow! I checked mine out and it looks like the receptacle that holds the cover is too large to hold the cover on mine, that's what led me to assume that the receptacle was designed for a fast charger connection.:confused:
     
  13. My plastic charge port cover also slides out easily... except unless I insert the plastic cover oriented at a diagonal, so that the handle part is twisted over pointing 1 o'clock and 7 o'clock. Then it slides in to the space on the right and there it stays put.
     
  14. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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  15. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    The dangling one is the cap for the EVSE plug.
     
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  16. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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    ohhhh, dang! I knew that! (facepalm)
     
  17. Oh that one? That's easy, from page 137, step 5:

    [​IMG]

    Have a nice charge!
     
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  18. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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    I'm not too good with steps:cry:
     
  19. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    I've yet to see one person use the hook for the factory EVSE plug cover. All the photos and videos I've seen had them dangling against the paint.
     
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  20. VTBIGDOG

    VTBIGDOG Active Member

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    The manual says to attach it to the cord

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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