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There I fixed it... Gen 2 Manual Hatch Release Pull Mod

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by AndyZaa, Sep 2, 2021.

  1. AndyZaa

    AndyZaa Junior Member

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    It's always struck me as crazy that the manual hatch release requires you to turn yourself into a pretzel taking up the carpet and the trunk cover (while squirming around the hatch area with the parts), and then grope for the hard-to-locate release lever. I lived with it though until I began planning to use my Prii as a camper / stealth sleeper. The risk mitigator in me just shuddered at the thought of being stuck in the hatch area without a way to bail out quickly.

    I saw a couple of folks who wired up an accessory remote lock/unlock button, and one who routed a pull through the trunk cover. I wanted something that worked manually in case of electrical failure, and that didn't require disassembly every time you have to access the trunk area. So I came up with this simple quick fix.

    I looped 7 strand paracord through the existing slot in the lever. The next part is a little tricky - you have to find a spot to drill a hole in the plastic casing where the angle at which you pull the lever is smooth and results in easy movement of the latch release mechanism. The spot shown in the photo seems perfect - the latch releases easily and moves back and forth without restriction. The last two photos show the finished placement. The loop is in between the plastic casing and the trunk cover & carpet. Nothing to disassemble and the paracord is nice and slippery so a gentle pull pops the latch every time. Now I can sleep knowing I have a quick way to pop out the back easily.

    01.JPG 02.JPG 03.JPG 04.JPG 05.JPG
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    well done!(y)
     
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  3. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    There are so many stickies needed, and this is one of them (y)
     
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  4. Another

    Another Senior Member

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    What a great idea. Why the geniuses at Toyota could not have done this after twenty years is beyond belief.
    Only suggestion I would make is a 1" metal grommet or bushing to minimize abrasion.
     
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  5. Another

    Another Senior Member

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    I had been having occasional weird problems with the hatch release of late that made me finally get around to trying this the other day, but in the process I did something a bit different that seems to work better for me.

    Instead of using paracord, which when I first tried it seemed to pull the lever off axis and looked like it would eventually bend the lever or the lever mount, I used an old neck lanyard with a metal ring at the end that I got from a trade show and was in a drawer. The metal ring easily fits into the hole on the lever.

    The use of the ring allows the force of the lanyard pull to be self aligning upward and works very well. The lanyard is long enough that I can easily get to it without crawling all the way back. It lies flat and doesn’t get tangled up in anything so far. There may be better ideas but the lanyard was available and free. The flat lanyard also easily slides alongside the plastic trim and obviates the need to drill any holes.

    Toyota should be ashamed of itself for not doing something to fix this.

    And Kudos to @AndyZaa for the initial tip on using the paracord else I never would have delved into it.
     
    #5 Another, Aug 13, 2022
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2022
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  6. Another

    Another Senior Member

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    This is odd. Did the Gen 1 have an up front hatch release?
    Why the hell would Toyota have removed it in Gen 2?

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/152624128300

    If so, does anyone have a link to the hatch cabling diagram for the Gen 1?
     
  7. Another

    Another Senior Member

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  8. AndyZaa

    AndyZaa Junior Member

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    Interesting. I can only imagine it was removed to reduce cost. It looks purely mechanical which means a long cable from the front of the car to the rear hatch release. Although from the diagram it looks like it might be mounted in the rear compartment. Let us know how you make out. For me, the pull cord fits my need (and ambition).
     
  9. Another

    Another Senior Member

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    I think the Gen1 was a trunk not a hatch, I don't know.
    In any event, I'll look into it and report back.