# Help Me Sabotage a Prius



## Guest (Jul 10, 2011)

Anyone mechanical?

If I want a small town bimbo who is evil but stupid to sabotage a Prius, how would she go about it?

I love cars but I don't know much about the finer mechanics.  Cutting brakes is so 60s... and I have no idea if modern brake systems even work that way anymore.

I want the bimbo to try to get the heroine killed but fail because she's stupid.  Totally stuck.


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## PMartelly (May 1, 2011)

LOL I love the title of this thread. 

I have no idea how to sabotage a Prius, but hopefully someone will!


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## Guest (Jul 10, 2011)

With all due respect and love to the Prius owners out there.  LOL


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## Guest (Jul 10, 2011)

I know how but I'm not telling...because I drive a Prius.


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## PMartelly (May 1, 2011)

Lol i'm sad that said bimbo is trying to kill of the heroine with the Prius. Any heroine with a Prius I like. lol


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## Jerri Kay Lincoln (Jun 18, 2011)

Sugar in the gas tank . . . ?


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

I think the fact that you are struggling to come up with an idea would make it unlikely that a dumb bimbo would come up with one. This could lead to a discrepancy in plot.


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## SpearsII (Jan 16, 2010)

A nicely maintained well kept Russian or Chinese model RPG-7 would do the trick...wait what type of story is this?


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## southerntype (Aug 17, 2010)

This is tricky because hybrids have big dangerous batteries.  A saboteur might do him or herself harm messing with it. 

But I doubt administering a Louisville Slugger to the engine would do it any good, so there's that. Is the sabotage meant to kill the vehicle's operator, or simply disable the car?

As an aside, I once had a rental Prius that annoyed me in some ways, but I loved in others, such as the dash feeling like a spaceship. I began calling it "the stolen Prius" and posting facebook statuses chronicling my adventures with it. When I said I did donuts in a parking lot as fast as I could go, I was telling the truth.  When I said I took the "stolen Prius" to the river and torched it, well, that wasn't so true. Still, I had a lot of fun in the Prius.

But I think we need more info here, right? Are you killing the driver or disabling the car?


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## ashel (May 29, 2011)

Chad Winters (#102) said:


> I think the fact that you are struggling to come up with an idea would make it unlikely that a dumb bimbo would come up with one. This could lead to a discrepancy in plot.


This. Although I think it could be funny if she's an idiot savant. Just a complete ditz, except with electronics. Im thinking of that episode of Daria where they go paint balling, and Brittany the cheerleader is a very enthusiastic military genius.


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## PMartelly (May 1, 2011)

genevieveaclark said:


> This. Although I think it could be funny if she's an idiot savant. Just a complete ditz, except with electronics. Im thinking of that episode of Daria where they go paint balling, and Brittany the cheerleader is a very enthusiastic military genius.


I. LOVE . DARIA !


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## greenpen (May 30, 2011)

JerriLincoln said:


> Sugar in the gas tank . . . ?


Hardly likely to kill anybody. ROTFLMAO!


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

oliewankanobe said:


> Anyone mechanical?
> 
> If I want a small town bimbo who is evil but stupid to sabotage a Prius, how would she go about it?
> 
> ...


OK, with the bimbo, we're not talking about the brightest bulb on the tree, so her inspiration needs to be something that 1) isn't too clever, 2) probably isn't her own idea, 3) doesn't take much mechanical know-how to pull off, and 4) fails to do the job.

I'll suggest this:

Have to watch Beverly Hills Cop on TBS.

Have her put a couple bananas in the tailpipe of the Prius, as Eddie Murphy does in that movie, which will cause problems but not be fatal.

And she can rationalize that she thought it MIGHT have become fatal if her intended victim kept trying to start the car enough. Because, you know, Hollywood always gets it wrong anyway. That type of thinking/mentality...

A bit silly, a bit of comedy, but... I don't know, if it works for you, do something like that. 

P.S. I'm sure Jason would be totally willing to experiment with a couple banana's and his own Prius, to research this for you... LOL!


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## greenpen (May 30, 2011)

oliewankanobe said:


> Anyone mechanical?
> 
> If I want a small town bimbo who is evil but stupid to sabotage a Prius, how would she go about it?
> 
> ...


Loosen off the air filter from the carburettor, take a spark plug out of the head, leave it attached to HT lead and stick it in the open carb air inlet. Soon as she turns key in ignition. KABOOM! If you want the brakes to fail. just put a paper towel in the brake fluid reservoir and replace cap. Takes a while. If you just want to destroy car put grinding paste in the engine oil filler cap. Really nasty, remove spark plugs and drop in a couple of ball bearings through the hole of each one, then replace spark plugs. Job done. I am not a criminal!


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## ASparrow (Oct 12, 2009)

I drive a Prius and something about the floor mat makes it prone to get stuck over the accelerator pedal, keeping it partially depressed. This has happened to me twice before I folded the front of the mat under.  Thus I found myself accelerating with no foot on the pedal, quite disconcerting.

Turning off the ignition without putting it in Park is also supposed to be damaging to the battery somehow.

Yet another way to sabotage one is simply high curbing. The front end has an air dam that sits very low to the ground. If I park too far forward against such a curb or snow back, the whole panel rips right off.


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## lazyjayn (May 18, 2011)

greenpen said:


> Loosen off the air filter from the carburettor, take a spark plug out of the head, leave it attached to HT lead and stick it in the open carb air inlet. Soon as she turns key in ignition. KABOOM! If you want the brakes to fail. just put a paper towel in the brake fluid reservoir and replace cap. Takes a while. If you just want to destroy car put grinding paste in the engine oil filler cap. Really nasty, remove spark plugs and drop in a couple of ball bearings through the hole of each one, then replace spark plugs. Job done. I am not a criminal!


Cars don't have carburetors anymore. They have fuel injection systems. Learned this when asking if there was a way to make (2000) car perform better at altitude.


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## IndiaLeeBooks (Apr 10, 2011)

genevieveaclark said:


> This. Although I think it could be funny if she's an idiot savant. Just a complete ditz, except with electronics. Im thinking of that episode of Daria where they go paint balling, and Brittany the cheerleader is a very enthusiastic military genius.


Please excuse me for professing my love to you, especially since we don't know each other but encountering any Daria reference just makes my week.


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## greenpen (May 30, 2011)

lazyjayn said:


> Cars don't have carburetors anymore. They have fuel injection systems. Learned this when asking if there was a way to make (2000) car perform better at altitude.


My 2005 Smart passion has a carburettor.


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## Dr. Laurence Brown (Jun 23, 2011)

I'm no mechanic myself, but this is an interesting thread and good or bad it's giving me ideas of my own!


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## greenpen (May 30, 2011)

lazyjayn said:


> Cars don't have carburetors anymore. They have fuel injection systems. Learned this when asking if there was a way to make (2000) car perform better at altitude.


Were you trying to make it fly?


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## lazyjayn (May 18, 2011)

I was living in the mountains (~7500') and going over 10,000+ foot passes. Less air=less power. Cars with carbs can be adjusted. Was sad to learn that (on gas cars in the US, at least) they hadn't been used in years. That's ok, I learned to ignore the bad noise it made in 4th while trying to hold speed going uphill.

So, pretty much, yes.


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## BrentNichols (Mar 18, 2011)

Rubber tube going from the exhaust pipe to a window, fill the car with carbon monoxide.  Highly unlikely to work, but plausible to a not-too-bright villain.  Maybe to make the rubber hose less conspicuous it could loop up to the trunk instead.  Lots of reasons it won't work, but having it work isn't the point.


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## ashel (May 29, 2011)

@PMartelly: RIGHT?

@IndiaLee: Ha! It's cool, I'll take whatever professions of love come my way.

I actually haven't seen Daria in a while, and I'm kinda afraid to, because - and forgive me - what if it doesn't live up to my memory? That'll be tragic. Man, I wonder if Netflix instant as t...

@lazyjayn: um, you could supercharge it? But like, in a backwoods kind of way? So basically a fan tied down to the engine? I really don't recommend this at all, unless you wanted to amuse yourself, and didn't mind being stuck in the mountains.


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## Tom Junior (Apr 4, 2011)

genevieveaclark said:


> This. Although I think it could be funny if she's an idiot savant. Just a complete ditz, except with electronics. Im thinking of that episode of Daria where they go paint balling, and Brittany the cheerleader is a very enthusiastic military genius.


Daria....I loved that show! And there's something to be said for a seemingly 'ditzy' character being a vicious evll genius in disguise!



greenpen said:


> Loosen off the air filter from the carburettor, take a spark plug out of the head, leave it attached to HT lead and stick it in the open carb air inlet. Soon as she turns key in ignition. KABOOM! If you want the brakes to fail. just put a paper towel in the brake fluid reservoir and replace cap. Takes a while. If you just want to destroy car put grinding paste in the engine oil filler cap. Really nasty, remove spark plugs and drop in a couple of ball bearings through the hole of each one, then replace spark plugs. Job done. I am not a criminal!


Remind to never, ever, piss you off.


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## lazyjayn (May 18, 2011)

@genevieveaclark: No longer have that car--spent some serious time out of the country, gave it to my sister. At least it was a manual. I can't imagine trying to drive an automatic in the mountains. Got used to downshifting for uphills, then I'd make up time on the downhill and flat bits. Well, somewhat. Next car I have will *not* have a governor on it. Pleh.

Also, Daria, yes!


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

ditzy genius? in "The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland age 42 3/4" Barbara had one of the ladies pee into her ex's cologne bottle. Made me laugh soooo hard.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Hmm...

Slightly less comedic, but plausible for a ditz intent on murder...

Crazy-glue on the car key.

As soon as it's inserted in the car, it's stuck there forever, basically.

(And she'd have to have an electronic door lock so the victim doesn't insert it in the car door first.)

The ditz's reasoning? "She won't be able to turn off the car and she'll crash."

The reason it won't work (obviously): She can turn off the car, just can't get the key out. Car's rendered a bit useless and not secure, but nothing more serious than needing a new starter/steering column would result...


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## lazyjayn (May 18, 2011)

Why not dump some kind of liquid on the computery bits. I mean, if you spill liquid on your computer at home it lets the magic smoke out. Of course, cars are designed to get wet, but...

Um... Diesel in the gas tank would just wreck the car.... Um... Unscrew the tyres? I don't know....


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## greenpen (May 30, 2011)

lazyjayn said:


> Why not dump some kind of liquid on the computery bits. I mean, if you spill liquid on your computer at home it lets the magic smoke out. Of course, cars are designed to get wet, but...
> 
> Um... Diesel in the gas tank would just wreck the car.... Um... Unscrew the tyres? I don't know....


It's better if you were to take the wheel nuts and replace them the wrong way round so the tapered end is facing outwards. I found out many years ago that with the nuts tightened up as normal, you don't notice a thing, but a few miles down the road and they start to loosen themselves off. First indication you have is when the car starts to shudder., which is when most normal people woul stop the car and take a look, but if you're in a hurry.................


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

CraigInTwinCities said:


> Hmm...
> 
> Slightly less comedic, but plausible for a ditz intent on murder...
> 
> ...


Wouldn't the glue dry long before she stuck it in? I know mine dries in like a minute, plus it would stick to anything it touched after the glue was administered (purse, countertop, fingers, )


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## Klip (Mar 7, 2011)

CraigInTwinCities said:


> Hmm...
> 
> Slightly less comedic, but plausible for a ditz intent on murder...
> 
> ...


Actually I think that's really funny. If you could get past the problem of the glue probably drying too fast, this could be done in a really amusing way - with the "victim" being baffled as to why the key is stuck, but not in any real danger.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

modwitch said:


> Prius's don't have keys (except for emergencies when the keyless start doesn't work). So you'd have to disable the keyless starter somehow.


Hmm... Crazy Glue the keyless starter, then? (She's have to break into the locked car undetected.) Same rationale, but all it'd do is drain the battery, maybe, or something.

I don't know... guess I'm not good as a ditzy murderer.

I still like the Eddie Murphy banana up the tailpipe trick for this.


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## jnfr (Mar 26, 2011)

Boy I'm thinking about the inside of our (2004) Prius and I can't imagine having access to much of anything in there, because this huge honking battery sits right up top. Unless she wants to put acid in the window washer tank or something, and that wouldn't last long. I'm not even sure they have spark plugs. They must, right? But you sure can't access them very easily.

Maybe she could somehow rig the battery to electrify the car frame? That might be doable, but it's not very ditzy.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Would magnets mess with the battery?


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## Emily King (Jun 9, 2009)

I have a Prius. Stock from the dealer, whenever you put the blasted thing in reverse, it BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP's until you are out of reverse. Ugh. Annoying. In order to disable this and make it only beep once when you put it in reverse (models pre-2010), it requires a complex set of random button pushing (ala cheat codes in video games). You could feasibly have her screw up something in it by doing a complex random button pushing and it would be completely feasible to mess up something on the computer.

For giggles, check out the steps required to disable the beep: http://www.wikihow.com/Disable-Reverse-Beep-in-a-Toyota-Prius


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## Emily King (Jun 9, 2009)

modwitch said:


> Wow, that's evil. Ours is a 2010, and the dealer did it in two seconds. Which is good, because that beep could have driven me to some serious Prius rage.


Mine is a 2010 - when I found out the "cheat code" wouldn't work for me, I was seriously p*ssed. One of my coworkers has a 2009 - he was SO grateful when I showed him how to turn off the beeping. The dealer did mine as well...


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I asked my 2 boys how a ditsy blond might fail at sabotaging a Prius..

they came up with, she unplugs it, thinking without a charge it won't work... forgetting that it uses gas also.


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## jnfr (Mar 26, 2011)

That's a good one, BTackitt. I like the software option as well. Even a ditzy person can mess with software.


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2011)

Emily King said:


> I have a Prius. Stock from the dealer, whenever you put the blasted thing in reverse, it BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP's until you are out of reverse. Ugh. Annoying. In order to disable this and make it only beep once when you put it in reverse (models pre-2010), it requires a complex set of random button pushing (ala cheat codes in video games). You could feasibly have her screw up something in it by doing a complex random button pushing and it would be completely feasible to mess up something on the computer.
> 
> For giggles, check out the steps required to disable the beep: http://www.wikihow.com/Disable-Reverse-Beep-in-a-Toyota-Prius


After living in Japan, where this kind of thing is really common and lots of cars have the external reverse beeping too, this doesn't annoy me at all.


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## Emily King (Jun 9, 2009)

Wait. A. Minute.  I've actually heard a girl complaining about all the hybrids out there in the world.  She's 100% convinced that because they're hybrid, there's going to be some massive virus that infects all of them.  You know, because they're "hybrid and have computers in them".  This was in a conversation with a bunch of engineers who tried to explain that all modern cars have computers and hybrid doesn't mean computer, but she was pretty adamant about her opinion that hybrid = susceptible to viruses.  Not sure that it helps here, but funny all the same. 

foreverjuly, the issue I have with it is that the beeping is internal... it would make a LOT more sense if it was external so people knew you were in reverse. Nope, we have to pretend we're in a giant dump truck.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Hmm.

New approach.

Have the ditzy girl convince the potential victim to hire THIS driver...


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## Steve Vernon (Feb 18, 2011)

I like the banana in the tailpipe idea - although when we were kids it was always a potato in the tailpipe. The banana might be more fun. Might leave room for a nasty double entendre.

You could also have her try vaselining the gas pedal or brake pedal or both - so that the driver would lose control...


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## ASparrow (Oct 12, 2009)

CraigInTwinCities said:


> Hmm...
> 
> Slightly less comedic, but plausible for a ditz intent on murder...
> 
> ...


One small problem. Prius's don't use a conventional key. My transponder never leaves my pocket. I just press an on/off button to start the car. Now how do I get all this glue off my pants?


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## Terrence OBrien (Oct 21, 2010)

Bimbo spreads four-pronged spikes on dangerous downhill section of road, but Prius has self-sealing tires? Check this with someone who actually knows what he's talking about. I don't.


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2011)

You folks are diabolical and I dig that about you.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

Emily King said:


> ...This was in a conversation with a bunch of engineers who tried to explain that all modern cars have computers and hybrid doesn't mean computer, but she was pretty adamant about her opinion that hybrid = susceptible to viruses. Not sure that it helps here, but funny all the same.


I'm pretty sure this was the concept behind CELL by Stephen King, except it was about smartphone viruses, not smart-car viruses.

Anyone ON a cellphone at a particular moment became "infected." Sort of a modern take on the zombie genre.

Fun tale...


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2011)

BTW if you type "how to sabotage a prius" into Google this thread is the second in the search list.  LMAO


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## greenpen (May 30, 2011)

oliewankanobe said:


> BTW if you type "how to sabotage a prius" into Google this thread is the second in the search list. LMAO


Don't tell Toyota


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## Tip10 (Apr 16, 2009)

Hmmm, perhaps devise a way to wrap several wraps of a thin copper wire around the radiator hose -- tying one end of the wire to one terminal on the battery and the other end to the other terminal through the ignition switch -- when the car is turned on the wire will heat up, burn through the radiator hose, drain all the water out of the radiator and cause the car to overheat.


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

oliewankanobe said:


> BTW if you type "how to sabotage a prius" into Google this thread is the second in the search list. LMAO


Also of note:

If you type "how to sabotage a Prius" into the FBI's Homeland Security Web site, there is a "most wanted" list that we're all now on. I Am Number Four!


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2011)

ROFLMAO


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## Ethan Cobb (Jun 7, 2011)

Her steps:
1. Take the bolts off the tires.
2. Let victim drive away.
3. Wheels spin off while moving
4. Victim spins into a crazy spin of death.

Is it bad that I picture the ditzy blond laughing maniacally at all these suggestions?


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2011)

No, but it's FASCINATING that you made her blond.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

whoa.. I just went back and read your OP olie... I assumed blonde too... after you wrote bimbo... you never did say she was blonde.


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## Ethan Cobb (Jun 7, 2011)

Yep you totally got me!  I could have sworn you said blond.    I guess it is fun to see what the reader will invent.


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2011)

<-- brunette

Sometimes my "other" job makes me a PITA.

I love this discussion.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

what a PITA?  (besides a flatbread)


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## BarbaraSilkstone (Feb 18, 2010)

B. Tackitt,
Thank you so much for mentioning my character peeing in her ex-husband's cologne bottle. 
And thank you for that fabulous review on Red Adept.  

Suggestion... how about sabotaging the Prius by duct taping a dead fish to the air conditioning unit under the dashboard?

If you need more... just let me know. I got a bunch of 'em.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Chad Winters (#102) said:


> what a PITA? (besides a flatbread)


Pain In The Airport.

Something like that.


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## SBJones (Jun 13, 2011)

My friend had a problem with his Prius when he was in Reno.  It had something to do with the gas cap being on too tight or something.  It was the weirdest thing I had ever heard of.


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

Sugar in the gas tank?

Never mind.  She's going for murder and mayhem, not just mayhem


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2011)

Emily King said:


> Wait. A. Minute. I've actually heard a girl complaining about all the hybrids out there in the world. She's 100% convinced that because they're hybrid, there's going to be some massive virus that infects all of them. You know, because they're "hybrid and have computers in them". This was in a conversation with a bunch of engineers who tried to explain that all modern cars have computers and hybrid doesn't mean computer, but she was pretty adamant about her opinion that hybrid = susceptible to viruses. Not sure that it helps here, but funny all the same.
> 
> foreverjuly, the issue I have with it is that the beeping is internal... it would make a LOT more sense if it was external so people knew you were in reverse. *Nope, we have to pretend we're in a giant dump truck.*


First, that story of the girl who wouldn't listen to reason makes me sad about humanity. Second, I already pretend I'm driving a dump truck. I call my Prius "Battle Prius" and can't wait for the apocalypse to hit so we can go crazy.


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## Emily King (Jun 9, 2009)

foreverjuly said:


> First, that story of the girl who wouldn't listen to reason makes me sad about humanity. Second, I already pretend I'm driving a dump truck. I call my Prius "Battle Prius" and can't wait for the apocalypse to hit so we can go crazy.


Cracking up over here... I thought about getting flames painted on mine to make it look cool.

Another easy way to sabotage would to be to take the electronic key. Can't drive it without the key.


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## jnfr (Mar 26, 2011)

It goes crazy beeping if you even step out of the car with the electronic key in your pocket. Fussy little thing.



> Also of note:
> 
> If you type "how to sabotage a Prius" into the FBI's Homeland Security Web site, there is a "most wanted" list that we're all now on. I Am Number Four! Wink


I've already got an FBI file. Bring it!


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## Guest (Jul 13, 2011)

jnfr said:


> I've already got an FBI file. Bring it!


That's ballin!


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

This thread keeps reminding me of...


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## CraigInOregon (Aug 6, 2010)

foreverjuly said:


> First, that story of the girl who wouldn't listen to reason makes me sad about humanity. Second, I already pretend I'm driving a dump truck. I call my Prius "Battle Prius" and can't wait for the apocalypse to hit so we can go crazy.


So how goes the feasibility tests on some of our ideas, Mr. Prius Owner? Try some of these ideas out and let us know which comes close to being fatal but leaves you "wounded but alive."  LOL

...just don't pick the wrong one first... muahahahahahahahahaha


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## greenpen (May 30, 2011)

CraigInTwinCities said:


> So how goes the feasibility tests on some of our ideas, Mr. Prius Owner? Try some of these ideas out and let us know which comes close to being fatal but leaves you "wounded but alive."  LOL
> 
> ...just don't pick the wrong one first... muahahahahahahahahaha


I would add the proviso: "Don't try this at home, folks!"


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