Wedding ring down the steering column

Look on youtube there is a video on how to remove the steering wheel. You will need to do this in order to remove the area you need to get to where your ring would be. I have the same year and have removed the steering wheel to replace the clockspring.

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good catch

 

I doubt that any removal of the steering wheel will be needed. Do you think the ring ended up inside the plastic shrouds of the steering column itself (seems unlikely), or probably just followed them back and is somewhere above the instrument panel lower trim above your knees?

The panel right above your knees contains the knee airbag, and you don't want to disturb that if you don't have to, but you might get enough access above/around/behind it just by removing the trim on either side.

With most of this kind of stuff, it's a matter of knowing where to start, because the first piece isn't obvious; once the first piece is off, you kind of see where it was covering fasteners for the next piece, and so on.

For the left side of where you're getting to, the first piece is the driver's door scuff plate. Pull it straight up and off. Then you see how it held down the corner of your left cowl trim (the plastic to the side of your left ankle). There is a little plastic nut also holding that in place, up forward at the firewall. Remove that nut, then the cowl trim piece.

Then you see where that piece was covering a little screw at the bottom corner of the plastic panel with the light dimmer and other switches, so take that screw out, then that little panel. There are six claws and one clip around its edges, they'll all pop out when you tug it straight toward you. The dimmer and switches will still be on it, so it'll be hanging by some wires, but you might get it out of the way enough to feel around back in there for the wedding ring. There's another small panel to the right of it that you can also pop out.

If you can't get to it from that side, maybe work on the panels from the other side. Those start with the triangular black one around the shifter. Partly open the cup holder lid. Notice how the front edge goes down when you lift the lid? Turn your hand palm up and slip your fingers through the gap where that edge went down, get them under the shifter triangular piece, and push up till it pops out. Lift it over the shift knob and out of the way, and you see how it was holding down the large plastic piece that includes the up holder and goes up by the near edges of the glove box doors. Pop that whole thing out and set it aside.

That frees up the finish piece around the radio and climate controls, which you next pop out and move slightly out of the way (the wires for the mile/km switch etc. will still be attached). Then I think you can pop right out the panel with the power button in it (again move out of the way with the wires attached), and there's another little one below that.

Ideally that'll give you enough access from the left and/or right to feel around for the ring.

You don't need any tools other than your fingers for any of that removal, other than the one screw I mentioned.

If your luck holds, you won't have to deal with the knee airbag panel itself. If it comes to that, my advice would be to connect with the repair manual (more info) and follow the steps rather carefully, including the battery disconnection, waiting for the airbag system discharge, and knowing how to handle the bag and the right way to set it down.

 

Dec 16, 2019...Original Post.
I hope the OP has already resolved this problem.

 

Maybe that ring is still lost and he can get it now. Hmmm?

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According to profile, joined on the same day, just to ask about this problem.
Didn't sound like it was something the OP was going to take their time about. Wanted to know what to do right then.
I'm betting on 1/2 a year later, the OP has resolved the problem.

But yeah, I have no idea what happened last December. Maybe the ring is still missing, maybe the OP found it. Just pointing out that maybe we shouldn't expect to find out- because this is an old post. Plus according to the OP's profile, this single post and entry is the ONLY activity they have logged on Prius Chat.
I'm putting a BIGGER bet on issue resolved.

Usually Prius Chat is very responsive as a community to answering questions like this.
Surprised this post would go so long without any response from the community.

 

Well great job there McGruff the crime dog. I dont think any other members would do all that research before posting and Im not gonna either but I tell you what I will do, its answer any post and maybe just maybe it will help someone.

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Excuse me for just pointing out it was 1/2 a year old.
Or as Steve Martin use to say EXUUUUUUSE ME!

Sorry you took it so personal.

 

I don't mean to sound snarky...I guess I am.
But whenever I see a thread like this, which has been revived after a long period of time, I often just mention that it is an older thread.
I myself have replied to threads and then looked up and realized they were sometimes YEARS old. It happens.

I just point it out, because sometimes I don't know if someone even knows to look for the date.
If you don't you can become in danger of resurrecting dead threads like the Night King resurrected armies in the Game of Thrones.

So nothing against being helpful, but it's good to check the date of the post you're responding to.

I also would say, I've seen people come back and respond to responses after months, even years. So you never know.