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When the battery is flat, it is impossible to open the tailgate and access the battery located in the rear boot. It's much easier this way.

It is difficult, but not impossible to open the tailgate when the battery is flat, at least on U.S. models, there is a manual tailgate release on the inside of the hatch, under a small access plate.
 

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I think there are no problems. My mechanic recommended it to me. The negative pole in this way comes into contact with the body of the car.
The ECU is bolted to the same strut tower, a few inches away. I suspect that if one measures continuity between the strut tower bolts and the ECU bolts there would be continuity. I too though that I would connect my negative clamp of my jump pack to the strut tower if I needed a jump until I read Toyota's notice of ECU damage.
 

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View attachment 192083
I would like to know if this alternative could be good for the negative pole.
No one can tell you with certainty that the area in your picture will not damage the ECU if used. The only safe way is to use the U shaped bracket on the passenger side of the engine as listed in the manual
 

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2022 Rav4 Prime SE, 2016 Leaf with upgraded 40kwh battery, 2014 Prius, 1965 F100 Inline 6
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I have a hard time understanding why the strut tower bolts are not OK.... I mean, the unibody of the vehicle is all fundamentally grounded together.

I get that routing the ground through the ECU bolt or housing might have caused some sort of current fluctuation that in turn damaged the ECU. But what is more magical about some U shaped bracket on the otherside of the engine versus a bolt sticking out of the strut tower. I mean, IF there were some sort of lesser resistance from some areas of the vehicle than other, we would end up with all sorts of mis-behavior. Modern vehicles are generally pretty well grounded and tied together.

Just musing.......
 

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2021 Prime XSE, former Prime SE [sold]
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I have a hard time understanding why the strut tower bolts are not OK.... I mean, the unibody of the vehicle is all fundamentally grounded together.

I get that routing the ground through the ECU bolt or housing might have caused some sort of current fluctuation that in turn damaged the ECU. But what is more magical about some U shaped bracket on the otherside of the engine versus a bolt sticking out of the strut tower. I mean, IF there were some sort of lesser resistance from some areas of the vehicle than other, we would end up with all sorts of mis-behavior. Modern vehicles are generally pretty well grounded and tied together.

Just musing.......
Agree. I wonder if the fried ECU's in that service bulletin are because the ECU didn't have ground to the strut tower for some reason for some cars, and current flowed through the bracket and the ECU in search of a better "ground". I can't imagine that attaching to any other bolts on the shock tower could ever cause a problem, nor is important in any way that a specific area of the engine block is safe while another is not. That's a huge chunk of metal with essentially zero impedance.

OR it was a bad ground on the ECU to strut tower, and the somebody reversed polarity in the jump. That would do it :)
 

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2023 Rav4 Prime XSE
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I have a hard time understanding why the strut tower bolts are not OK.... I mean, the unibody of the vehicle is all fundamentally grounded together.

I get that routing the ground through the ECU bolt or housing might have caused some sort of current fluctuation that in turn damaged the ECU. But what is more magical about some U shaped bracket on the otherside of the engine versus a bolt sticking out of the strut tower. I mean, IF there were some sort of lesser resistance from some areas of the vehicle than other, we would end up with all sorts of mis-behavior. Modern vehicles are generally pretty well grounded and tied together.

Just musing.......
I think this is a good question. I don't know the answer :p
 

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Is it possible that current from a jump pack will have a chance to dissipate more if it is on the other side of the engine before it reaches the ECU? I do not know if DC negative/ground works similar to AC neutral/ground where current can return on the neutral/ground. If so, that would explain why the ground point is on the opposite side of the engine from the ECU. Just a question, not a statement.

Both my Prius and Rav4 hybrid have their factory ground points on the opposite side of the engine from the ECU.
 

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as in, access the battery terminals in the trunk? I haven't looked carefully at that setup, can they be clamped onto?
How do you open the hatch when the battery is dead?
 
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