The light in the trunk - where is the switch and how do remove the cover

I am guessing the switch is at the latch, visible if you undo the trunk lid liner. The round plastic clips that hold the liner in place are a real pain to pry out. (You have to do that to change the license plate bulbs too.) If you stop at a Toyota dealer and buy a bag of the nicer clips, part number 90467-07117, and use those instead of the originals when you button it back up, you'll never have to cuss at it again.

The nicer clips have a center pin that you just push in till it clicks, then the clip pulls right out. To install the clip, push the center pin back through till it sticks out, then just insert the clip and push the pin down flush. Sweet.

I keep a bag of those around, and pretty much any body clip I ever have to pull out that isn't that kind gets replaced with that kind.

A look at the wiring diagram might be needed to see if the same switch/wire that governs your trunk light also affects the theft alarm.

-Chap

 

The switch is in the latch (bottom part). You can just jam a screwdriver in there to turn it off (lodge it in there to keep it off. I used a 1/4" drive rachet when I was working on mine.

 

Not sure the etiquette here - but I wonder if you can tell me more about replacing the license plate bulbs. Trying to do this on my own, but not sure of the steps. The pictures in the owner's manual are not very specific. Any advice?
Anna

 

The sheet of fuzzy lining inside the trunk lid is held in place by a bunch of round plastic clips around the edges. You only need to pry out enough of them to fold the fuzzy lining back so you can see into the trunk lid where the license bulbs are. Then you should see two small socket-bases sticking out of the license plate light housing. You can twist/pull each one out, pull the bulb out of the socket, push a new bulb into the socket, and reinsert the socket into the housing.

Then you just re-clip the fuzzy liner back to the trunk lid. If you're like me, you will have been so irritated by prying out the original plastic clips that it will make you mad just thinking of putting them back in. That's why I went to the dealer and bought a bag of 10 or 20 different style clips (part number 90467-07117) that can functionally replace those original nasty clips. (They can pretty much replace any of the other clip styles that fit in a 7 mm round hole.)

The nicer clips have a little stem in the center. To put them in, you just make sure the stem is sticking up, fit the clip gently in the hole, and press down the stem till it clicks. Next time you want to take them out (this is where it gets good), you just push the stem a little further in (another click) and then the clip is loose and will lift right out, no irritating prying. Then you just push the little stem back through so it sticks out the top again, ready to be put back in place.

-Chap

 

HI haven't had my classic Prius very long, but gotta say that I love those clips. Amazing what a little thoughtful engineering can come up with. I've been struggling with the American made clips on the big three for about 30 years. The ones on the Prius are so superior. Now if someone would come up with a center dash that was affordable and didn't turn into something that more fragile than dried pasta. . .

 

By the way, for anyone worried about having to remove the dried pasta panel, there is a video on its gentle removal, and a standing PriusChat Scientific Proposition for those interested in trying to remove it without breakage.

-Chap

 

Yeah, I watched that video AFTER I shattered the upper left corner of my dash. It's a great video and probably would have saved my dash from being glued back together. Kinda reminds me of what they used to say about 'vettes after an accident. "Be sure you pick up the broken bits off the pavement--no matter how minute!"

Those wonder clips--90467-07117 are available from Amazon. I just ordered a pack of 25.

 

I've been trying to get a new dash, btw. Discontinued--if they could get them, the list is over $500, cheaper on the net. The dealer I talked to (Germain in Naples FL) said they couldn't ship it even if it was available.

 

Edit: Anna, sorry the comments below are for a 2nd gen. You have a first gen according to your signature (I just assumed 2nd gen because this the 2nd gen section of the forum). What I've written below may or may not be at all applicable.

This video shows the basic process, but don't just pull it off with your hands like is done in the video (you'll likely damage the panel)! I've replaced my licence plate bulbs with LED ones. The best tool to pop off the panel over the lights is a plastic panel prybar (don't know the exact name of the tool - panel popper?). They're a specialty tool for working on cars. If you don't have one (like me), you can use a large flathead screwdriver wrapped in a bunch of tape (to keep it from scratching plastic) to pop each point. It does take a good amount of force to pop each one. Once you have popped the first couple, you can pull on it by hand to get the final points.