Has anybody replaced the undercar shield on a Gen III?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Wilf Brim, Jan 12, 2018.

  1. Wilf Brim

    Wilf Brim Junior Member

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    Hi all:

    My just over 50,000 mile 2014 Prius 4 was 2 days past the 50k service and I heard first a whistling, then bumping from the right side of the vehicle, which went away. I heard a scraping at low speed later. It took me about a day to realize that the underbody cover had either fallen off or been ripped off on that side. Right now it's dangling and scraping at low speeds, probably gets pushed off the road at speed by wind.

    In other threads from other years I've seen dealerships will charge ~300 for the part and 100-200 to install. I found a part (can't post linky, sorry) for like 60 bucks plus shipping. I'm not that mechanically inclined, but can do simple stuff (oil changes and the like). I have jack and jack stand, so I can get under the vehicle.

    Has anybody here done this? How hard is it? I know that there are some bolts and some plastic rivets/clips. I'm guessing that at least some of the rivets will need to be replaced. Does anybody have a source for them? And where to get the tool to remove said rivets?

    Any help appreciated. I can post a pic, if desired, but there isn't much to see: just imagine the back right of the underbody panel hanging down and ripped up from where it's been dragging.
     
    #1 Wilf Brim, Jan 12, 2018
  2. FrankB

    FrankB Member

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    I've done it with the $60 replacement, it's not hard. As you said, plastic rivets and some 10mm bolts. I got the rivets off of amazon and ebay. I use a screwdriver to remove the rivets but I've read a paint can opener is good as well.
     
    #2 FrankB, Jan 12, 2018
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  3. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    You don’t need a picture. Just the panel and the plastic “rivets.” You can reuse the existing rivets, but it’s better to buy new because they get beat up over time.
    There are two sizes of rivets used. Your dealer will have the info. Honestly, there are no gotchas at all. I’ve removed a few times for transmission oil and coolant changes. There are about three ten millimeter nuts and a bunch of plastic rivets. I like to go from rear of car to front.
     
    #3 Rebound, Jan 12, 2018
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  4. Bay Stater

    Bay Stater Senior Member

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    Who performed the 50K service? If it was the dealership then they can be held liable for not reinstalling the plastic undercover shield correctly.
     
    #4 Bay Stater, Jan 12, 2018
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    There's a good chance you're missing some of the plastic push-in fasteners. There's two main kinds between the panel and the car, and a third kind I believe, between the "oil change flap" and adjacent plastic of the panel. There's also 6 10 mm (socket size) bolts. Mechanics using/abusing that oil change flap (it's a piss poor design, brittle plastic with a failure prone hinge) is one reason for failures I think, and/or they rush too much if they're removing/replacing the full panel, break or lose fasteners, just slam it back on

    I've had ours off, completely, maybe 18 times now, once for each oil change (every 6 months), and sundry other times, for various reasons. The key to longevity I think, is to maintain the fasteners.

    Removal or install, if you have all the fasteners, takes about 5 minutes. One thing: every time you remove the plastic fasteners, wash them in hot/soapy water, sluice out the grit. Then they will last.

    Anyway, raise the front of the car, see what you're dealing with, take a tally of fasteners, how many if any are missing. Go from there. I've attached a pdf with info on the parts numbers.
     

    Attached Files:

    #5 Mendel Leisk, Jan 12, 2018
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  6. Tande

    Tande Active Member

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    This .....like most tools, makes the job a little more "Fun" ....
     
    #6 Tande, Jan 12, 2018
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  7. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    I bought a pair of those. You still have to pry the fastener with a small screwdriver, enough for the pliers to grip, and then you can use those pliers to cleanly remove the fastener.
     
    #7 Rebound, Jan 12, 2018
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  8. Jimi1976

    Jimi1976 Active Member

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    Mine is held on by zip ties....those plastic rivets are crap.
     
    #8 Jimi1976, Jan 13, 2018
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