Emergency towing hole in front bumper..

Use the edge of a credit card or such like.

 

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No way, I had the same question and looked/felt under the bumper. You can't get to the inside of the plug.

I've not popped mine since I'm afraid doing so might scrape the bumper or something if I'm not careful. I did see a similar plug on another Japanese car. The plug had a small indentation on the outside edge. It looked like it was intended to be popped with a flat head screwdriver.

 

When mine conked on me last November, the flat-bed tow operator was afraid of doing damage to my car as he couldn't find any "strong" tow points under the front to pull the car up onto the deck.

I got the tow eye out of the back and he used a very small, thin wide blade screwdriver to pop the cover off. Screwed the tow eye in, put the CVT in N, and he easily pulled the Prius up onto the deck.

He then removed the tow eye and popped the cover back on. I've looked at the trim cover very closely and there isn't so much as a nick in it.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to find a suitable wide, thin flat-blade screwdriver or other tool and put it in the Prius next to the tow eye. Just in case you need it so you won't end up butchering the trim cover.

 

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Tony:

I got a small woodworking tool but it most closely matches the tool the tow operator used.

Like anything else, it certainly pays to have this stuff ready before you need it.

Eg: have you tried out the scissor jack supplied with the car? My God what a POS! I found a neat little hydraulic 1.5 ton floor jack on sale at Canadian Tire that even comes with a hard plastic carry case. It's much faster than the scissor jack and seems much more sturdy.

You don't need anything larger for a car like a Prius. I went to NAPA to find a rubber insert for the lifting cup so I wouldn't damage the lifting points on the car, though a piece of 2x4 would work too. Oh, I also changed the hydraulic fluid to a semi-synthetic fluid so the jack will still work in winter.

After hearing the horror stories about dead 12v batteries here, I also got a 700amp booster box at Canadian Tire, also on sale. I've had to use it a couple of times now to help boost other motorists and it works well. If you're in BFE and your 12v battery conks, it sure beats a long walk. Just remember to charge it once a month. I mark on my calender the first Saturday of the new month "charge booster box" to make up for my Junior Alzheimer's.

How about a large rated ABC fire extinguisher? It can make all the difference between a minor event and a major tragedy. Ditto for a well-stocked first aid kit and an emergency supply kit (Water, MRE, flares, etc).

Have you tried those new LED flashlights? I picked one up at SIR (Large sporting goods warehouse here in Winnipeg) last fall and what an improvement over traditional flashlights. The battery lasts one h*** of a lot longer!

 

Mine is Inova. I think S.I.R. also carries Maglite too.

 

S.I.R. had them in blue, white, and red. I took white. It works well.

 

DAVID:

A lot of folks never plan for an emergency, be it financial, health, car, whatever. Then it catches them by surprise.

I suppose if you live in a major urban environment and your car conks, no big deal. Unless you're in a massive blizzard and CAA (AAA in Canada) can't get to you for 6 hours.

Driving in BFE, the proper emergency equipment can make the difference between a PITA inconvenience and a *major* problem. Especially at temps of -40.

Even though people raised around here *should* know better, it made the news a few times this winter when folks driving especially during a blizzard got stranded. The gas line froze or they slid off the road or whatever. Then it became a crisis as they only had light clothing on and were freezing to death.

Oh yeah, I also keep an old snowmobile suit in car too. And an old pair of coveralls so if I *do* have a flat tire, I won't get too dirty changing it.

 

Hi All,

Good thing that the Prius has so much storage space. With all the extras that are being carried by some on a regular basis 16.9 cubic feet goes fast!

Great tips though, I will be adding a fire extinguisher to my storage cubby over the spare tire.

Take care,

Tisza

 

Tony:

Geez I never even thought of that. Good tip!

 

I got one of those vehicle fire extiguishers from Walmart and it has a weird velcro on it that allows it to stick to the vehicle carpet. I have it on the passenger side of the center hump and it stays there just fine without getting in the way of any passengers. That way the fire extinguisher is within arm's reach in an emergency (can be used as a club if I have to break the windows to get out).