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

Wheel cover gripe

Discussion in 'Prime Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by ezrastiles, Dec 15, 2020.

  1. ezrastiles

    ezrastiles Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2019
    4
    1
    0
    Location:
    Boston
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    Love my 2020 Prime overall, and not looking for any advice. Just here to gripe about the wheel covers. I get that they're supposed to improve efficiency, but did any of these engineers ever try to fill the tires with the covers on and those stubby little valve stems? Oh my god. Half the time the cap falls in the little crevice between the wheel and the cover.

    Ended up just removing all four of them. Better for MPG to be vigilant about tire pressure I think, than never fill up the tires for fear of losing a stem cap.
     
    #1 ezrastiles, Dec 15, 2020
    Bob Comer likes this.
  2. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,964
    8,840
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    LOL　Yap, I have lost a cap or two only to discover a few days later on my driveway. I now have a huge and ugly external TPMS sensor stem cap on. It can still fit in the crevice, but much easier to find it.
     
    #2 Salamander_King, Dec 15, 2020
  3. pghyndman

    pghyndman Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2018
    498
    464
    0
    Location:
    CT shoreline
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    Excellent! Slap some OEM covers into the center hubs, and call it a day (about $40-$50 on ebay)[​IMG]
     
    #3 pghyndman, Dec 15, 2020
    Merkey likes this.
  4. Dennis_MA

    Dennis_MA Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2012
    185
    109
    0
    Location:
    Amherst, MA
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    Always happens to me on the coldest day of the year. The cold weather decreases tire pressure enough to trip the light. I think the dealer sets the tire pressure too low. I know to check them in the warmer weather now.
     
    #4 Dennis_MA, Dec 17, 2020
  5. Kenny94945

    Kenny94945 Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2016
    769
    394
    0
    Location:
    Sausalito
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Four
    You not alone.
    I too have dropped the valve stem caps into the area behind the wheel covers, necessity cover removal.

    Best advise for adding tire pressure/ air... do the job sober :)
     
    #5 Kenny94945, Dec 17, 2020
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,703
    38,240
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Anyone remember the name of the elderly Hawaiian PriusChat member who occasionally makes review/tip videos. He recently started a new ID here, due to problems logging in? Same name but 02 suffix? His name is Prius[something]02?? Like PriusMike02.

    Anyway, he posted a video, made a little bent card paper trough: place below the valve when removing. If you drop it it falls away from the wheel.

    Addendum: had him in my YouTube Subscriptions, didn't find that video (may not still be up), but anyway:

    Wonderful Wandering Topics - YouTube

    Addendum02L:

    Found the video:



    If someone remembers his PriusChat name, please post. I'd like to follow him so I'm not relying on flakey memory, lol.

    Addendum 03: @priusjimmy02?

    Addendum 04: @JImmyPriNew. :)
     
    #6 Mendel Leisk, Dec 17, 2020
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2020
    jerrymildred likes this.
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)