How do you get the fuse box cover off

It's a little tricky the first time you do it, but not really that hard (that said, I snapped off one of the plastic tabs on mine when doing it on a cold February morning). There are two tabs at the top of the fusebox and one tab at the bottom.

The tabs at the top come off quite easily - for the one on the bottom, reach just under the tab and push and it should also release and come off.

 

I have this vague memory of someone saying that they simply squeeze somewhere and it comes off quite easily; however, I can't find that with a search. As I remember, it was buried pretty deeply in a thread.

Anyone else remember this, or am I still hallucinating from PC withdrawal?

I don't have my Prius yet, so I can't go check this out.

 

Found it -- Post #32 by priusham on this thread
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=1...30&#entry182530

 

priusham said:
"When I jumped my Prius this week, I THOUGHT the fuse box was going to be difficult to open because the molding for the latches looks really complicated.

Yet, all I did was squeeze the side of the cover and it lifted right off. I mean, I was actually suprized at how simple it was. I'm not sure what problems you others are having with it, but it surely was not at all 'difficult" to remove or replace. "

Squeezing didn't work for me. The top clips open easily but the bottom one is much harder to release.

 

Maybe I'm confused here, but I'm pretty certain that the thin lower edge of mine had a push-in "button" to release the catch, then it just came up, with the top two catches just freeing themselves as you lift the cover.

Edit...

Okay, I've checked, and I was right. The lower edge of the lid is about 3cm wide, and has a central raised ridge about 1½cm wide. This is the top of a sprung tab with a catch at the bottom - pushing/squeezing it (not very hard) releases it. So just depress that tab and pull the lower edge upwards, and the whole lid comes straight off easily.

To refit, just hook the two tabs at the top first, then press down the lower edge.

 

Did you read my post, Oxo? There aren't any hinges. Just two deep catches at the top, plus one shallow one at the bottom, which is designed to be the one you release.

I had no trouble opening releasing the bottom catch on mine just now, in the cold. You only need to push one finger down on the 1.5cm x 1.5cm area in the middle of the bottom lid edge (ie applying a force towards the back of the car), then pull up with that same finger. As with most of the catches on the car, it would be blindingly obvious, if only you could actually see the lower edge of the box.

As for the arrow, I'm not sure what that is indicating, except possibly the slot for bonnet support rod?

 

Thanks KMO!

I tried figuring this out a few weeks ago and was overcome with frustration (and cold) before I got the cover off. The manual wasn't very helpful either. I just got back in from my second attempt and following your instructions did the trick.

Thanks again,

Dave

 

Mine, too. An annotated picture (or two) would probably help immensely, being worth a thousand words (or two). It IS difficult to put even simple procedures as this one into just the right words that everyone will understand.

{Just discovered that these posts are 15 years old, but the procedure is likely to be needed by a driver (or two) in 2021. Like. say, me!}

 

With your left hand, place your thumb at the upper ~ 1 inch area of the cover, curl your fingers so they go behind the cover (toward the fire wall) and place them slightly below the joint where the cover meets the fuse box. Use your fingertips to push the side of the fuse box back toward you and lift upward. The fuse box plastic should flex toward you, allowing your fingertips to grip under the cover and slightly flexing the cover away from the fuse box at the same time. That gap is typically enough to let the latches separate, allowing the cover to be lifted at the top.
ORRRR..you can just reach down to one snap (which is part of the plastic cover), put your fingertip under it and pry it slightly toward the firewall while lifting. Then do the other one.

For the bottom latch, slide your finger down the top portion of the latch until you feel where it passes through the bottom slot. Use your finger to push the upper latch toward the firewall. The upper latch will flex toward the firewall, disengaging the 'snap' from the slot, allowing the cover to be lifted.

 

or you can just take your right hand put it on the top edge of the cover while lifting the top cover off press in right below the cover to release the edge lock of the cover comes right off.