Strange bit of Toyota design

[Yugguy1970]

For the most part I've found both the Rav and the Yaris to be well designed and well put together.

Apart from the siting of the screen wash filler tube in the Yaris.

Right underneath it is an electrical junction box that would get covered in fluid if you missed the pour.

I've taken to putting a cloth over it to protect it when I'm filling the screenwash.

Seems very odd.

[Bernard Foy]

To be honest Guy I haven’t noticed. I don’t think that I’ve lifted up the bonnet since I got the car. I must be slipping up in my old age 😏

[Yugguy1970]

My wife goes cross country to work and uses loads of screenwash as it's farming country.

[TonyHSD]

Probably the box is well insulated, everything under bonnet can get a lots of water splash when driving in heavy rain so should be alright 👍

[atkiman]

I bought a plastic funnel for the washer fluid. 

[Big_D]

1 hour ago, Yugguy1970 said:

For the most part I've found both the Rav and the Yaris to be well designed and well put together.

Apart from the siting of the screen wash filler tube in the Yaris.

Right underneath it is an electrical junction box that would get covered in fluid if you missed the pour.

I've taken to putting a cloth over it to protect it when I'm filling the screenwash.

Seems very odd.

What year Yaris is this? 

[Yugguy1970]

2021.

[RickyC]

I think that another crazy thing in new Yaris bonnet is the ice cooling fluid reservoir.

Have you never tried to check the coolant level ?

[Hibird]

13 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

Probably the box is well insulated, everything under bonnet can get a lots of water splash when driving in heavy rain so should be alright 👍

Preventing water ingress into supposedly sealed electrical connections has and always will be a challenge. As prevention is way better than cure taking precuations to keep water away during filling can only be a good idea.

[Catlover]

3 hours ago, RickyC said:

I think that another crazy thing in new Yaris bonnet is the ice cooling fluid reservoir.

Have you never tried to check the coolant level ?

Photo?

[flash22]

The coolant level is fun to check even on the gen 3 either a mirror on a stick or torch required

as for washer fluid, a cloth around the neck and a wireless/Bluetooth funnel

[Big_D]

13 hours ago, Yugguy1970 said:

2021.

Thanks. I'll need to make a plan for when ours arrives 👍

[forkingabout]

The strange bits of Toyota design also happen on there counter balance forklifts - a couple of examples. 

Cupholder with a drain hole - right above a fuse card inside the dash.

Grease nipple for the steering rack & steering angle sensor you cannot get to either without first removing the counter weight.

 

[Bernard Foy]

On 3/1/2022 at 7:39 PM, Yugguy1970 said:

For the most part I've found both the Rav and the Yaris to be well designed and well put together.

Apart from the siting of the screen wash filler tube in the Yaris.

Right underneath it is an electrical junction box that would get covered in fluid if you missed the pour.

I've taken to putting a cloth over it to protect it when I'm filling the screenwash.

Seems very odd.

I’ve had a look today, and yes you are correct, but I wouldn’t be worried as much about the sealed box directly underneath as much as the completely open wires and connections directly below and a little to the left of the filler neck of the screen wash container. It’s very likely to get water or screen wash fluid spills on it. I have a plastic filler which I used today.

[Red_Corolla]

Ever since my driving habits changed from daily short drives to occasional long ones, I don't top it up between services. I had a BMW that would do over 20k all on one bottle full 😆

[Yugguy1970]

Yes that's what I meant Bernard, the junction box with the wires.

I mean yes it's a first world problem 😀  but it just seemed unusual for Toyota.  

[AlJ]

Yes, I noticed that the first time I topped up the screenwash. Quite odd, isn't it? So far, no disasters but yes, a cheap plastic funnel has crossed my mind as well as others. I think I'll invest in one... "just in case". 😉

[Bernard Foy]

1 hour ago, AlJ said:

Yes, I noticed that the first time I topped up the screenwash. Quite odd, isn't it? So far, no disasters but yes, a cheap plastic funnel has crossed my mind as well as others. I think I'll invest in one... "just in case". 😉

Yes it’s a must have Alan because as sure as grass grows it will get fluids spilled over it electric connections. Luckily I had a filler in the garage which I’ve had for over fifty years, as I’ve always been tinkering around with cars and vintage tractors all my life.

[Starensis]

From what I can remember, it’s a earth block. The angle of means it won’t be affected by water.

I had a car once and front crash sensor was directly under filler cap. Never had any issues either.

[Mikw]

On 3/2/2022 at 8:16 AM, RickyC said:

I think that another crazy thing in new Yaris bonnet is the ice cooling fluid reservoir.

Have you never tried to check the coolant level ?

It's almost impossibe! I put a torch down there and all i know is i have SOME coolant fluid. It's really hard to see.

[Bernard Foy]

Maybe Toyota are very confident that there will never be any need to check it🤔😂.

[Starensis]

Having been involved within Toyota design 25 years ago, I can say these issues would have been raised by Processing and Quality teams. These get reviewed by Design engineering ( in this case - Electrical ), who have obvioulsy deemed it to be OK due it's sealed nature and no historical issues with this type of junction on other vehicles.

Time will tell if they're right not to re-position it.

[Big_D]

On 3/3/2022 at 6:49 PM, Starensis said:

From what I can remember, it’s a earth block. The angle of means it won’t be affected by water.

I had a car once and front crash sensor was directly under filler cap. Never had any issues either.

Even if it is only an earth block, this can still cause corrosion and then issues.

 

BTW. My funnel arrived today. Now the wait for the car continues

[RickyC]

On 3/4/2022 at 12:01 AM, Mikw said:

It's almost impossibe! I put a torch down there and all i know is i have SOME coolant fluid. It's really hard to see.

Exactly.

However with some effort you can see the H tab but the L tab is impossible to see.

Luckily the coolant fluid is fluorescent so it can be easlly seen when illuminated with a torch.  

But I see that the level is lower than H

I wonder if H tab should be checked only as a max level when refilling the coolant. 

I asked to Toyota dealer when I made the yearly check and he said that I should open the metal cap ( high pressure cap ) and check if I see fluid insteaf than using the procedure indicated in the user guide.

On 3/4/2022 at 12:00 PM, Bernard Foy said:

Maybe Toyota are very confident that there will never be any need to check it🤔😂.

Probably many users will never check fluid levels, but if Toyota has reported the procedures to check and refill the coolant fluid in end user manual probably it could be safe to check it periodically an it's expected that end users take care of it.

[Yugguy1970]

Yes I can imagine it's sealed and Toyota are not daft but it just makes me wince at the idea of splashing fluid onto electrical connectors. 

For the sake of my sanity 🤣 I'll use a cloth or a funnel