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Issues- Alignment, Flooding, Rodents

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Redpoint5, Nov 7, 2016.

  1. Redpoint5

    Redpoint5 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2013
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    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I bought my 2012 plug-in Prius almost 2 years ago and it came with a reconstructed title due to a front passenger side collision.

    A couple weeks ago a Jeep backed into the parked car and broke the front bumper and foam energy absorber.

    [​IMG]

    The next day, after a hard rain, my wife found the rear passenger floor pan to be flooded with water.

    [​IMG]

    It doesn't make sense that the minor collision would cause this problem, but it didn't exist before. I don't think I can get insurance to pay to fix it since there is no evidence that the collision caused the problem.

    A few months ago I smelled something dead in the car and discovered a small mouse. The death smell went away, but a musty smell has lingered ever since.

    [​IMG]

    I'm now beginning to suspect that a small amount of water began to infiltrate the car right about the same time as the mouse, and that the musty smell was caused from that instead of the dead carcass. Somehow getting backed into perpetuated whatever entery point the water had found.

    Anyhow, it seems to me the water is leaking in from the front passenger side firewall area (near the previous collilsion area), and flowing into the back when it's parked uphill.

    Rear footwell with seat and drain plugs removed
    [​IMG]

    Front footwell
    [​IMG]

    The padding was soaked, and I've mostly got them dry now by using a space heater. I'm wondering if the smell will go away if I throw some baking powerder in there and then vacuum it out later? Hopefully I don't have to replace the padding.

    To address the mouse infiltration, my dad used spray adhesive and a plastic mesh over various vents. I'm hoping the critters don't chew through it, although I'll at least have evidence of their point of entry if they do. I've had at least 4 occasions where there was evidence of rodent infiltration.

    Left rear quarter panel vent covered with plastic screen.
    [​IMG]

    Finally, my last problem was discovered while taking a wheel off to look for the source of water infiltration. Both of my front tires are wearing the inside tread much faster than the outside. This is after about 35,000 miles. My suspicion was the alignment was toe-out.

    [​IMG]

    What do you think about this before and after alignment? It shows that it was slightly out of spec toe-out, but would that account for this much uneven wear? The car tracked straight before the alignment, and now requires slightly more steering effort to drive straight on the freeway, which doesn't really make sense.

    [​IMG]

    I've got 2 more weeks to fix the leak and put everything back together before my wife takes it for a month in Klammath Falls.
     
  2. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    A co-worker had a young daughter who had a small accident that messed up the front bumper, radiator and lights in her small Suzuki. Shortly after all the repairs, it developed a leak that eventually was determined to be coming from the windshield gasket.

    FWIW
     
    Redpoint5 likes this.
  3. qdllc

    qdllc Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2013
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    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    After an accident FIGHT for all of it to be fixed under the insurance policy. It wasn't there before the accident. It was there after the accident. That's enough to tie it up in court long enough that the carrier would rather pay to fix it than pay to fight it.

    Modern cars have UNIBODY construction, and a minor hit in one place can have adverse effects elsewhere if it warps the way the panels come together. It doesn't take much misalignment for a door seal to stop being effective.
     
  4. IMkenNY

    IMkenNY Im just being nosy

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2012
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    Location:
    Tropical Buffalo NY
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    I find its far easier to prevent rodents from coming in compared to water.
    Water can find its way in through small pin holes or seam cracks.
    Coloring water with various food colorings and spraying onto suspect areas of the Prius may help you locate a hard to find leak.
    If you could only get WikiLeaks to help you out with this dilemma :)
     
    bisco and Redpoint5 like this.
  5. tankyuong

    tankyuong Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2012
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    Location:
    Central MO
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    II
    rent an air ozonater for smells
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
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    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    my wife had a small front end bumper thumper. just a cracked bumper skin. body shop put a new one on, $700. but one side wouldn't stay fastened. so they thought it was defective, and put another one on. same thing again.
    i suspect there's more damage than they are seeing. and some larger need to be corrected to get everything aligned right. no idea how they are going to figure it out though.