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Part of belly pan coming off

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by ItsNotAboutTheMoney, Dec 23, 2012.

  1. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney EditProfOptInfoCustomUser Title

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    We were returning home yesterday evening and shortly before we got home we suddenly heard a kind of a flapping noise. It was quieter as I slowed down. Control was unaffected.

    This morning I looked for something loose and discovered a piece of the belly pan had come loose:

    2012-12-23 11.55.24.jpg 2012-12-23 11.56.01.jpg 2012-12-23 11.56.31.jpg

    I don't have ramps so I can't get underneath to remove it. Can anyone tell me exactly the piece that'd be needed so I can call the dealer on Monday to see if they have a replacement piece in? Fortunately I'm off work on Monday so If our local dealer doesn't have the piece in I'll just roll it down the street to a neighborhood garage so they can remove it, order the piece and then fit it on Friday. (They'll work on the non-hybrid parts of the Prius).

    Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
     
  2. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    The part is the Engine Undercover for oil drain. The part is held in place with plastic push pins. You can probably have them re-install the cover by replacing the push pins.

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you!
     
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    That's a small flap (typically bent down at it's hinge point for access to the engine oil filter and engine oil drain bolt) that's part of the larger plastic panel covering the engine compartment. The only replacement option is the full panel. Going from memory, it's somewhere between $300 and $400.

    Judging from the pictures, the edge touching the ground is the aforementioned "hinge point". The remaining points of attachment are the fasteners.

    The problem with this flap is the plastic is relatively hard and brittle, and repeated bending at the "hinge point" turns it into the "crack point".

    My personal approach to preserving the panel is to not open this flap. Instead I remove the whole panel, and do my own oil changes. If you do get the whole panel replaced, that would be my suggestion.

    Alternately, you can reattach the broken hinge with zip ties or some sort of hinge and pop rivets.
     
  4. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney EditProfOptInfoCustomUser Title

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    OK thanks, I'll try and get the garage to re-secure the hinge. It'd suck to have a replacement blow the annual fuel savings.
     
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    You're welcome. Before you drive any more, see if you can get that flap off the road, maybe with some generous pieces of packing tape.

    Driving as-is it will get chewed up pretty fast, or snapped right off, losing the remaining fasteners, tearing out the fastener holes, all matter of mayhem.

    Here's a couple of pics:

    5D_054-007.jpg 5D_054-008.jpg
     
  6. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney EditProfOptInfoCustomUser Title

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    I'll try. Fortunately, even if I can't the garage is only 0.3mi away on residential roads and I should be able to roll there slowly.
     
  7. Colm

    Colm Member

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    Did you get this resolved?