Another Prius Dies on the Highway

I'd try to find a junked Prius and cut the plug off the harness. Then remove the pins (there is a locking bar at the bottom of the plug), making a map of wire colors as you go. Unplug the wires from your connector one at a time and put into the new connector. It will probably take an hour or so with very tight access, but would be the least expensive repair that returns the car to 100% as good as new. I don't know about the harness price, but replacing a wiring harness in an assebled car is a nightmare - the $1000 installation is entirely believable.

Find someone with small hands if yours are large and you decide to go this route.

- Tom

 

ooh. ouch.

DH knew that harness was at least $1500 if not more.

if you're going to replace the whole harness, it's time to go junkyard searching... although i warn you, pulling that thing out on your own will be no small job. but it'll save you a good chunk of money.

try some of the ideas here first and let us know how it goes.

 

I don't know much about the Prius and I'm not going to pretend to. But paying $4k for a complete replacement just to fix an item that won't clamp down seems like an overkill. I agree with the Epoxy solution.

Get some JB Weld, find the piece of plastic that's broken and fix it. When my trunk broke in my Jetta, I took it apart and found a broken piece of plastic... one of the key moving parts that holds a lot of weight was plastic while I it should have been metal. Nonetheless, I tried some JB Weld and it's been working fine every since.

 

If the only problem is that the plug won't stay pushed in, why not just wrap a huge tie-wrap (or multiple ones chained together) around the ECU and the connector? Its not as permanent as JB Weld, and should do the trick, as long as you pull the tie-wraps really tight.

 

I'd try for your option 2. Please bear in mind I don't know what this thing looks like. It would be worth paying the shop to remove stuff to give you better access, if necessary.

I'd sure try one of these options before spending $4000 on a harness.

If wrapping the assemby is an possibility, I'd avoid perishable materials like rubber and tape (except to drive it home).

How about baling wire, or some other type of malleable, moderately stiff wire from the hardware store? Since you are working in "close quarters" a lighter wire would probably be preferable. You may be able to improvise a nice little harness that holds awkward shapes together. You can tighten wire down pretty well with pliers and it stays put. If necessary, you should be able to strip off some of the harness sheathing, and run your wire through the strands of the bundle, so it can't slip off. Then duct tape it back up so it is waterproof. There is something called liquid duct tape (which partially sets) that you could paint over the tape to fill any voids and keep it from unwrapping.

I'd ask the mechanic if a permanent glue has a downside like precluding diagnostic tests or dissasembly in the future and end up potentially costing you more. Then place your bet, knowing the odds. (I'd risk it if you can't make a harness). I suggest getting an old plug of the same material and making sure your chosen glue works, or trying other types. Maybe someone here knows what will work for sure.

I prefer wire to glue if feasable, because it's undoable.

I assume the car is runing now so you can drive it home to work on it, unless you need parts removed. If they won't let you work in their shop, ask them to push it somewhere where you can.

Good luck!

C

 

See, this is why I HATE going to dealerships. 5 damn days to get to the bottom of this, and an outrageous result.

...and they get away with it because there is always someone willing to just write out a check. Like the dealership CAN'T, or couldn't , find some way to keep it in, but rather, "Nope, we gotta replace the harness...it's our policy...liability, BLAH, BLAH, F'IN, BLAH". I wish natural disaters would take out places like this versus people's homes. :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:

 

Reaplcing an entire harness because one plug is bad is ludicrous! I replace aircraft electrical connectors all the time, and it's not hard. On the Prius, with so few (relatively) wires on the plug, it should take no more than one hour once the part is in hand.

It's simply a matter of unlocking each pin one-by-one and installing it in the new plug.

Or use zip-ties to put a pulling force on the plug so it doesn't back out, similar to the way a saddle is strapped to a horse.

 

with that quoted price - I'd personally take the "MacGyver" route.....some chewing gum, rubber band, ear wax, and a paper clip - and you'd be all set!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Boxster...WRX...Prius? @ Mar 30 2006, 10:40 AM) [snapback]232331[/snapback]</div>

that would be a great idea, but they don't just make those plugs... except in the case of manufacturing. DH said you wouldn't be able to get your hands on a new one within the year...

of course, there's still the junkyard route.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Mar 30 2006, 10:30 AM) [snapback]232375[/snapback]</div>

Do you have to use the same plug design? If you don't mind rewiring the male and female ends, any quality low resistance plug should do. If they are computer-sized wires carrying a light load, plugs from an old computer harness or electronics store might be fine. You can easily get all the stuff you need from on-line parts suppliers.

If the wires are too short to clip off the ends and reattach a different connector, I would solder on exensions to the wires from one plug and individually insulate them with shrink tubing. It might be a good idea to waterproof everything with silicone caulk.

This plug doesn't have any tricky crossovers or pigtails inside does it? Check with a continuty tester if there is any question. How many wires are there anyway? Anything that is done inside the plug can be done outside.

If you can't fix it yourself, it would be tons cheaper to keep renting a car for a week or two, have Toyota remove any parts necessary to gain access, pay to have the car towed to a computer/electronics guy to do the rewiring, and tow it back to Toyota for parts reinstallation than pay for the "factory" repair.

I'm definately going to get that extended warranty, now I see the cost of repairs!

C

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cgraham @ Mar 30 2006, 03:08 PM) [snapback]232441[/snapback]</div>

I believe that one of the connectors is built into the device. (Soldered onto the circuit board). It's not two cables with connectors that are mated together. In computer terms, think of the VGA socket on the back of the computer.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusham @ Mar 30 2006, 08:13 AM) [snapback]232272[/snapback]</div>

Without seeing the connectors it's hard to prescribe. But my first impulse would be to try to work with plastic cable straps, the kind that ratchet and lock as you pull up and tighten them. (They make great handcuffs.)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Mar 30 2006, 09:39 AM) [snapback]232305[/snapback]</div>

Check bcool 's post of today. You may be able to keep part of his "baby" alive via transplant.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusham @ Mar 30 2006, 05:13 AM) [snapback]232272[/snapback]</div>

Normally, I would suggest the man's handyman - duct tape - but in this case I would say superglue.

Man, that REALLY sucks. I burned up a wiring harness once and mine ran $2400 to replace, and that was 10 years ago. The price doesn't seem that far off.

 

To bad you could not just super-glue the plug back on, I mean you don't plan on removing it in the future do you? And then maybe you could blame it on the next guy who does. Well, be honest. It worked fine before they touched it.

 

Be sure to tell prospective buyers that you f890ed with the wiring :_)

 

this is interesting - I have just had to get mine towed because this happened hours after they 'upgraded' the ECU during a service, which they said they had instructions from toyota to do. I'm getting it back today and they tell me the reason mine died was because of a faulty generator revolution sensor.