Gen3 Prius Underbody Panels

[johalareewi]

Went through a ford the other day which was a bit deeper than expected, and one of the underbody panels was dragged off. I managed to recover the panel and Mr T said they should be able to refit it.

However, when at Mr T they decided that they couldn't refit it (something about an oil cap flap missing?) and a new one was well over £300 so they advised to leave it off.

Over on Prius chat, it would seem that the underbody panels just make the Prius a bit more aerodynamic so not having them will reduce the mpg a little bit. is that they same experience here?

[Chris Dance]

I do not understand about the oil cap flap? Is the missimg panel underneath the engine?

How will affect the price of the car when you come to sell it without the underbody panel? I suspect a dealer buying the car would knock a few hundred pounds off.

£300 for an oil cap flap seems a lot. What is its purpose?

[Chris Dance]

Further to my last comments I have just found this on the internet:

The one difference between changing oil in a
Toyota Prius and changing it in a conventional gasoline car is that a
flap blocks access to the oil tank. The purpose of the flap is to keep
the heat in the engine-battery area, which allows more Battery use over
gasoline use. The flap opens wide, so it helps to elevate the car
several inches first. This isn't necessary, but it does allow the oil to
empty into a drain pan placed underneath the flap.

From the above it seems you would use more fuel!! However there are guys on Prius Chat that are driving without the "flap" and it makes no difference to the performance.

£300 is a lot of money for a plastic cover.

[johalareewi]

This thread kind of sums it up.

http://priuschat.com/threads/oil-drain-access-panel-gone-whats-my-mpg-hit.102242/

[timberwolf]

Have I got this straight, Snows has advised that they will not refit the whole panel because of one small section being missing, i.e. the oil filler cap? The oil filler cap section of the panel, that could easily snap off anyway at the hands of a mechanic, e.g. during a past service (probably by a mechanic or trainee at Snows changing the oil on the car, and then not admitting the damage because Snows would have been liable) rather than during your recent high speed amphibious(?) expedition.

BTW think about speed vs drag, distance driven, etc. For the owners that noticed very little change in mpg, what was the typical use of the car, a short drive to the grocery store, or a high speed commute along the highway?

[johalareewi]

Have I got this straight, Snows has advised that they will not refit the whole panel because of one small section being missing

Possibly. Or maybe the panel that came off is the flap, which has now snapped off.

I still have the panel and know a man with a pit so will see if I can get underneath and take a look myself.

[johalareewi]

Got the car up on a lift and the answer is B.

The bit that came off is the flap. The rest of the underbody panel is still attached to the car.

So Mr T can't refit the flap because the hinge is broken.

Looking at the size and position of the flap, the mpg change due to the flap aerodynamics is likely to be small.

But, it does cover a large hole (and the flap has insulation on it) so could well play a major part in keeping the engine warm.

Luckily, we managed to fashion a new hinge from cable ties and clip the flap back in.

However, there are a few of the Mr T plastic clips (that hold the underbody panel in place) missing.

Does anyone know a good place to get some more clips?

[Chris Dance]

Other than ordering the plastic clips from Toyota. You could try E-Bay or search the internet for Toyota parts. A friend wanted a part for his Hyunda van he found it on E Bay. The Hyunda dealer said it was a hard to get as it had to be imported!!

Try this link you may find the clips you want:

http://www.saledoo.co.uk/panel-clips?t=su-3-300688_5337150821

[timberwolf]

Glad to hear it was B. Would it have killed the dealer to explain that?

Maybe this thread on PC will help identify a similar part? http://priuschat.com/threads/pleas-helpt-to-figure-out-clips-fastner-for-engine-splash-shield-2010-toyota-prius.126513/

[johalareewi]

Glad to hear it was B. Would it have killed the dealer to explain that?

Probably not but I guess the person phoning me up was reading the notes from the mechanic.

Thanks for the links Chris and Timberwolf.

I will follow those up.

I also have a follow up courtesy call from Mr T, so maybe they can send me some clips.

Edit:

Handy link to PDF for gen3 underbody panel...

http://priuschat.com/attachments/tsb-for-engine-underpanel-pdf.51497/

NOTE

There are three types of clips:

• 11 plastic to thin metal (Part No: 90467-07201)

• 2 plastic to thinner metal (Part No: 90467-09227)

• 1 plastic to plastic (Part No: 90467-07166)

Clips are not interchangeable. See Figure 1 for specific clip locations.

The 11 clips go round the outside of the main panel.

The other 3 clips are used on the flap

Update:

Another handy thread...

http://priuschat.com/threads/oil-change-door-permanent-solution.90903/