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Can the latch that keeps the back hatch shut be repaired?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Steve_in_NJ, Oct 30, 2016.

  1. Steve_in_NJ

    Steve_in_NJ Junior Member

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    The latch that keeps my back hatch shut stopped working. The hatch doesn't lock at all. The latch is NOT stuck in the locked position. The latch mechanism can rotate to the "lock" position, but it will not lock! I can push it down to the locked position manually and it just springs back up. Bottom line is, even with the car locked, the hatch is not. I can open it anytime.

    Is there a fix? Has anyone taken this thing apart? Is this repairable? What part of the mechanism actually locks the latch in place once the hoop pushes the latch down?

    Here's what happens...take a look.
     
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Have tried pricing a replacement?
     
  3. Steve_in_NJ

    Steve_in_NJ Junior Member

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    Yes. Over the phone, the parts guy at my local dealership said about $250 for the part, which as usual sounds like it's too much for a thing like this.
     
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  4. Jimi1976

    Jimi1976 Active Member

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    Probably not an issue with the latch itself, but rather the wiring leading to it.
    Check wiring between car frame and hatch (rubber boots).
    Probably a broken wire. 5 minute repair, and probably free (assuming you have a splice in your toolbox).
     
  5. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I would not jump to suspect the wiring: the latch is electrically actuated, yes, but the actuator is what opens it. With no power, or an open circuit, it ought to stay latched.

    (A simple enough test would be: disconnect the 12 volt battery ground. Now will it stay latched?)

    Since you've priced the replacement, you now know the maximum amount you have at risk if you try to repair it and fail. So give it a try, you'll probably succeed. I would suspect something purely mechanical at the latch itself, maybe even the grease around the motor has gotten gummy and it is stuck in the actuated position.

    The only difficulty I foresee would be if the thing is stamped/riveted/otherwise stuck together in a way that's a PITA to take apart.

    -Chap
     
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  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Seems like everything these days, right on the edge of what the market will bear. :(
     
  7. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I've found it pretty hard to predict the prices of dealer parts. There are some that I just assume are going to be exorbitant, and then I look them up and price them and they're quite reasonable, and then there are others that go the other way.

    For example, Toyota 0w-20 oil is the best deal on a 0w-20 full synthetic you can find in my town.

    I suspect that where a lot of us end up thinking the dealer is trying to fleece us is, we're thinking:

    as we all learned from our lemonade stands, but Toyota's thinking:

    or something like that, where maybe the cost-to-manufacture isn't even a large component of the total, especially for things that are big, awkwardly shaped, expensive to warehouse or ship, used in relatively few car models, etc. This latch doesn't seem big or hard to warehouse or ship, but then I can't remember any other post about one going bad, so I wonder how many of them are even in distributor inventory, or where they have to come from? I suppose they must see some damaged in rear-enders....

    -Chap
     
  8. Jimi1976

    Jimi1976 Active Member

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    Doesn't hurt to check the wiring. Eliminate the small stuff first before buying parts.
    Speaking of parts - I would avoid the dealer. Find a junkyard, search online (I'm sure that latch can be purchased for under $75 through several online retailers).
     
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Same here, by far. All I ever use.
     
  10. Jimi1976

    Jimi1976 Active Member

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    How much is 5qt at your dealer?
     
  11. Wolfman33

    Wolfman33 Member

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    I had the same problem on my VW New Beetle. The mechanism needed a good cleaning. I know it's not the same car, but it sounds like the same problem. I did this same fix on my VW. It was quick and easy. It's worth a try.

     
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I'm buying bulk liters of Toyota 0W20 for $4.50 (Can). Bottled liters are $5.91.

    (Doing the math, with the bulk price I believe that would put 5 US quarts at $21.48 in Canadian Dollars, and assuming a 0.75 currency conversion: $16.11 US dollars.)
     
    #12 Mendel Leisk, Oct 30, 2016
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2016
  13. Steve_in_NJ

    Steve_in_NJ Junior Member

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    Well I don't know what the entire mechanism looks like yet, but I will certainly look for something similar to the VW setup. As soon as it stops raining I will give it a go... Also I wonder what's hiding under all that black tape that covers the left side of the latch? Guess I ought to find out. I Will report back and include pictures if possible.
     
  14. Steve_in_NJ

    Steve_in_NJ Junior Member

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    OK, I pulled the latch off the car (3 bolts) and took a peek underneath. I hit the button on the hatch and saw that the mechanism had a range of motion of about 1/8th inch. I did that several times, gave it a drop or two of oil, and repeated until - it started moving in its full range of motion! That moment's effort was all it took to get it moving properly.

    Here's what it looks like now that it's working...
     
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  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    So it's all good now? Thanks for sharing this. (y)
     
  16. Steve_in_NJ

    Steve_in_NJ Junior Member

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    Yes, all good. No more alarms about "key detected in vehicle" every time I hit a bump and the hatch bounces a bit. Not to mention now the hatch locks!
     
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  17. Wolfman33

    Wolfman33 Member

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    That is good news. :)
     
  18. Jimi1976

    Jimi1976 Active Member

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    Nice work!