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Drilled into a sensor

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Kim_N, Aug 17, 2022.

  1. Kim_N

    Kim_N New Member

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    My partner was doing a camper build for his Prius. He drilled into the the metal sheet covering the sensors to the hybrid battery and punctured one of these black box where I circled red in the photo. I'm assuming this is the temperature sensor but wanted to confirm. What is this part called and what is its function? How important is it to get this part replaced?

    IMG_20220817_101503.jpg
     
  2. prius16

    prius16 Active Member

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    Would your partner just blindly drill into a main AC panel in a house? That has ~240V and ~100amps.
    The battery box has higher voltage and amperage(current).

    Basically, bad things. Very bad things.
    That's not a sensor, that's the main relay (/ "contactor"), that isolates the battery it's voltage and it's current, from the wiring external to the battery box.

    Code:
    https://www.google.com/search?q=2006+prius+contactor&source=lnms&tbm=isch
    
    https://priuschat.com/threads/rebuilt-2006-prius-battery.133010/
    
    https://priuschat.com/threads/hv-voltage-when-service-plug-is-removed.134379/#post-1915413
    
    

    I don't know the proper procedure to replace the traction battery contactor. Others likely do.
    Also do a google search: replace prius contactor

    Also realize that the traction battery voltage and traction battery current can very easily kill a person.
    Do not under estimate how deadly the traction battery can be.


    Good Luck.
     
  3. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    I'm assuming maybe badly that you have the orange plug in the front of the battery removed That's number one. If not and you haven't been shocked and nothing's happened you might want to remove that pretty quickly and then maybe you can inspect the hole that's drilled in that black plastic. Of course the main question right now is if none of this has been done has you have you tried to start the car and ready it just because you didn't know or you knew when you drilled into this that's what happened and nothing was connected or inserted?
     
  4. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    If he drilled anything into the metal battery cover, I would get a replacement cover after inspecting everything for damage.

    Your partner was stupid and lucky. That cover is not there to mount things to.

    Ad mentioned, the black device is a High Voltage contactor (relay). You should have safety gear and a "inch-pound" torque wrench if you were to attempt replacement (get a copy of the service manual) Or tow the car to a shop that can do it.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  5. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    A friend of mine at work always used to say "you just can't make this sht up". This is another reason it's a great thing that the HV system is isolated from the car body. That makes it further from a Darwin Award than it actually appears, lol.

    I'm glad everyone is ok, as an inch or so to the side and he could have made contact with the parts that have high voltage at all times. The section you have circled only has voltage when the car is in READY. Hopefully you weren't in ready, but it doesn't really matter now. At least everyone is looking back in hindsight and saying how lucky they were, and not sitting a hospital.

    Are you able to provide better lighting and clearer photo of the damage? Did the hole go in from the top or from the side? Is it a full penetration hole? or just a scuff mark on the outside? Does the car still go to READY condition?

    Photos of the case hole and relay hole will help greatly. I have dozens of those relays in the shop, including a couple damaged/failed ones. If you can provide good photos, I can take one apart to see what is internal at the area of damage. It's been a few years since I busted one open, but I seem to remember there not being much inside, compared to the size of it. It may just be a void or just solid plastic. If so, no harm done.
     
    #5 TMR-JWAP, Aug 18, 2022
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2022
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  6. Kim_N

    Kim_N New Member

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    Thank you all for your concern. I understand how extremely stupid this all is and have given my share of scolding. Now knowing all this I'm extremely grateful nothing happened. We're looking into it right now.

    He did turn it on ready mode and even drove it around before knowing the damage, nothing happened. Car is running fine. Nothing seemed to happen to the main relay or battery (yet).


    The only way to show where exactly its drilled is to take the relay out and we're obviously not to be trusted after this incident. I pulled these images online and marked in red where he screwed into. Its more on the middle right side. Probably went in at about half an inch so it definitely penetrated. Car is still able to go on ready.

    215378_1D829A88-1B24-46C5-86B3-7A808506EF2E.jpeg
    s-l1600.jpg
     
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  7. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    Or not.

    If the box contains the moving metal arm and stationary contact for that relay, and they are exposed (being inside a box, why wouldn't they be?), then any little bits of plastic which dropped in might later cause a problem by blocking that contact. I can imagine scenarios where the plastic bit is just big enough to prevent full contact, and just small enough to pass a substantial current, or the two contacts are so close they arc, so that the plastic bit melts or goes up in flames, and then the resulting goo glues the two contacts together.

    Also, who knows what those contacts are going to do now that they are exposed to humidity and such, which was previously kept out by the plastic case.

    In short, I would replace that part. Then again, it would never have crossed my mind to drill anywhere near an assembled and fully charged HV battery.
     
  8. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    I assume the red dot is the drill hole. If so you must replace that relay.

    Also that little tin bracket that goes across both leads and grounds there shield to the chassis goes in a certain way also. It must go back in correctly.
     
  9. alftoy

    alftoy Senior Member

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  10. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Damage to the relay will all depend on the amount of penetration. Did it just scuff the label and looks like a hole? Did it penetrate just enough to hit the potting material? Did it penetrate deep enough to hit the coil? The coil is a single wire wrap of fine wire. Break the wire in any spot and the coil would no longer function, unless by miracle the damaged ends manage to maintain continuity with another damaged end.

    What size drill bit? Here's a duplication using ~1/4 inch drill bit, so we can see the reality.

    outer.JPG inner.JPG
     
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