Low height: scratching the underside on dirt road

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by pakitt, Dec 28, 2010.

  1. pakitt

    pakitt Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    2,173
    1,313
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    A couple of days ago I was driving on a dirt road, with 2 passengers and I scratched the underside twice (!!) - the noises were not that nice.
    Did this happen to anybody else? what type of damage, if any, can be made when scratching hard?
    I hope I didn't damage badly the car - at least I know that oil is not coming out of the engine since the engine bay is (almost) completely sealed by a sheet of metal... ;)

    The dirt road had more dirt, gravel and small stones than "medium sized" ones (ie. >5cm/2in diameter).
     
    #1 pakitt, Dec 28, 2010
  2. jhinsc

    jhinsc Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2010
    1,167
    259
    0
    Location:
    South Carolina
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    On a fairly level dirt road, you shouldn't have any problems. Almost sounds like you were on a dirt trail vs road. Did you bottom out on the road or was it rocks that were kicked up by the tires and hitting the bottom side?
     
    #2 jhinsc, Dec 28, 2010
  3. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2010
    4,539
    1,436
    9
    Location:
    Northern California
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    The Prius does have less ground clearance than the average car but there is a suspension available in some countries that gives a little more ground clearance. I believe Australia gets the higher ground clearance.
     
    #3 xs650, Dec 28, 2010
  4. pakitt

    pakitt Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    2,173
    1,313
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    There has been a lot of rain and the dirt road had "2 tracks" and a risen middle section - so to say - that's where I scratched it...I bottomed out on the road - unfortunately I don't think it was rocks, at least that I could recognise from the noise, that were kicked up by the tires... :Cry::Cry::Cry:
     
    #4 pakitt, Dec 28, 2010
  5. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2009
    4,050
    730
    5
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    The thing I dislike about the gen iii is that you have ground clearance issues like this, yet the wheel gap is so freaking huge. Just looks funky.
     
    #5 macmaster05, Dec 28, 2010
  6. JamesBurke

    JamesBurke Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 19, 2009
    1,222
    493
    27
    Location:
    Morgantown, WV
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Slow down so you don't bounce, drive to one side to put the tire ruts/tracks more under the center of the car. This might require steering into the berm. If it's your road/drive get it graded. Use a vehicle more suited to unimproved roads like a PU or SUV.

    Once on the west mesa outside of Santa Fe, NM I went 2 miles stuck in the ruts on a BLM road. Berms to high and the track to narrow to turn around. It was either forward or back to the next washout and even then it was almost to slick to turn around. And this was in 4x4 SUV. Caliche can be as slick as Teflon when wet.
     
    #6 JamesBurke, Dec 28, 2010
  7. pakitt

    pakitt Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    2,173
    1,313
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    @JamesBurke: thanks for the advice - I practically never drive on dirt roads - only this one, once in a while. I was really astonished about the fact that the Prius drives *so* low, and therefore I could not really react in time to avoid it - the first time I thought "bad luck" the second time I was like more "Wth" :)
    When I drove back going back home, on the same roads, I did exactly as you said and nothing happened (maybe because the underside had been pushed up on the first pass... :D)
     
    #7 pakitt, Dec 28, 2010
  8. jhinsc

    jhinsc Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2010
    1,167
    259
    0
    Location:
    South Carolina
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Thanks for the heads up! Sorry you had to experience this and I hope you don't have any serious damage.:(
     
    #8 jhinsc, Dec 28, 2010
  9. pakitt

    pakitt Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    2,173
    1,313
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    I don't think so - thanks for the kind words - I checked the oil today and it's still all there...
    I was driving around Florence just a few minutes ago, in town and went into a pothole I did not see and I didn't like the noise of the suspensions....but I don't think anything happened. I am pretty sure I am not used to this considering that where I live (Munich) it is all pretty much high quality roads/tarmac.
     
    #9 pakitt, Dec 28, 2010
  10. tumbleweed

    tumbleweed Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2005
    4,067
    690
    0
    Location:
    Eastern Oregon
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    There are a couple of plastic or fiber covers under the engine/transaxle and four more further back. They are for aerodynamics but they do help protect the car if you scrape something. The noises you heard were probably just rocks and dirt hitting the covers. I drive on gravel and dirt roads from time to time and I hear those noises, so far no damage whatever.

    Almost all newer cars are short on ground clearance, I was pleasantly surprised to find my Prius actually has almost as inch more ground clearance than my BMW did.
     
    #10 tumbleweed, Dec 30, 2010
  11. tonyrenier

    tonyrenier I grew up, but it's still red!

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2009
    362
    44
    13
    Location:
    Green Bay, WI
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I'd get it on a lift for peace of mind.
    Good luck!
     
    #11 tonyrenier, Dec 30, 2010
  12. pakitt

    pakitt Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    2,173
    1,313
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    Will have it on a lift as soon as I get back home and I can have it checked by my Toyota dealer...
    My worst "fear" is that the scratches will expose metal that can corrode on the covers...We'll see...
     
    #12 pakitt, Dec 30, 2010
  13. pakitt

    pakitt Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    2,173
    1,313
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    #13 pakitt, Dec 30, 2010
  14. pakitt

    pakitt Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2009
    2,173
    1,313
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    I have had the chance today to "look" the underside by kneeling down on the floor and could not notice any clear scratching. I have also noticed that the underside is covered with plastic covers, not metal. Since plastic can vibrate more easily than metal, I suppose that made the scratching sound worse than it was.
    It appears that no damage has been done and that if scratching has been done, it was on plastic parts not subject to corrosion.
    It looked better than I thought... :)
     
    #14 pakitt, Dec 31, 2010
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)