What is the plug for in the rear bumper on the drivers side? I pulled it out to look behind it, and nothing.

I thought maybe it was for a rear foglight...Best guess I could come up with.

you are suppose to have two plugs, both left and right. they are to insure the hatch doesnt hit anything

No, I am referrin to a removable plug that is color matched to the bumper that is flush. It is installed opposite the exhaust side on the bumper surface. I assure you it has nothing to do with the operation of the hatch as it comes nowhere near the bottom surface of the bumper.

Ok, this is the only picture I could find short notice...Go to the opposite side of the exhaust cutout, and go up aout a half inch.(scale to the picture)

It's a square plug color matched to the car.

http://www.scionlife.com/gallery/data/500/2894Cimg0485_resized.jpg

oh thats a part of a tie down, when they ship the car. atleast thats what i hear

I was thinking maybe it was where a rear fog light was placed, but then cheaply removed for the US market, but I have yet to see a JDM bB with a rear fog.

The answer, Grasshopper, is in your owner's manual. (Yeah, I know, real men don't read manuals)

In with the jack is a steel loop with a threaded shaft. You pop off the cap on your bumber cover (there's one on the front, too, that you must not have noticed yet) and screw the loop into the hole in the actual metal bumper. This gives you a tow hook in case you need to be pulled out of the ditch or something.

The answer, Grasshopper, is in your owner's manual. (Yeah, I know, real men don't read manuals)

In with the jack is a steel loop with a threaded shaft. You pop off the cap on your bumber cover (there's one on the front, too, that you must not have noticed yet) and screw the loop into the hole in the actual metal bumper. This gives you a tow hook in case you need to be pulled out of the ditch or something.


^^^^^^^^ we have a winner

old punk is right, they are not for tie downs (those are weled tabs under the car)

The answer, Grasshopper, is in your owner's manual. (Yeah, I know, real men don't read manuals)

In with the jack is a steel loop with a threaded shaft. You pop off the cap on your bumber cover (there's one on the front, too, that you must not have noticed yet) and screw the loop into the hole in the actual metal bumper. This gives you a tow hook in case you need to be pulled out of the ditch or something.


^^^^^^^^ we have a winner

old punk is right, they are not for tie downs (those are weled tabs under the car)
First of all I got to say, WHOO HOO, you used my pic. Second they are tie downs. That's how you can tell every vehicle that comes from Japan. You take the bolt with the hole at the end and screw it in there and that's what they use to tie them down to the ship. I do suppose that you could use it for towing though. But the main reason is for the tiedown. There are so many cars on the ship, that it would become a pain in the butt to have to get under every car to find the hook to tie it down, where as this is a whole lot easier and faster.

Nice avatar, xbbox. Represent that Deep South.

oh man i thought that was where i would wind it up at! :lol:

Well, I'm happy I know what's it's for now. I think im going to try and flush mount a rear fog in that spot. I doubt I'll be trying to tie down my vehicle on a flat bed anytime soon.

Nice avatar, xbbox. Represent that Deep South.
DSS in the hissousss

Sorry, xbbox, but you're mostly wrong.

If you stick your head under the rear end you'll see two metal plates sticking down with holes in them. One is next to the muffler and the other is in the same position on the other side of the car. These are the anchor points for shipping. These are what every car shipped from overseas (Asia or Europe) has. These are what is used to anchor the car to a transporter or flatbed tow truck.

The eyelet that screws into the bumber wouldn't be strong enough. The forces generated by a ship tossing in high seas would strip the threads or snap the eyelet off. (A story in Car & Driver a few years ago told about a car breaking loose in rough seas in a shipment of Benzes, Beemers, Porches, Audis, VWs, Volvos, Saabs, and Ferraris. The car rolled and slid into other cars, breaking them loose and allowing them to smash into more cars. There was nothing the crew could do until the sea calmed.) However, it's strong enough to pull your car out of a ditch if you have to.

Toyota provides the screw-in eyelet for towing because a tow chain/cable/rope hooked to the shipping anchors would mess up the bottom of the xB's extra low bumper cover.

Go read pages 163-165 in your owner's manual.

old punk is right,folks,read tha manuel.

The answer, Grasshopper, is in your owner's manual. (Yeah, I know, real men don't read manuals)

In with the jack is a steel loop with a threaded shaft. You pop off the cap on your bumber cover (there's one on the front, too, that you must not have noticed yet) and screw the loop into the hole in the actual metal bumper. This gives you a tow hook in case you need to be pulled out of the ditch or something.^^^ Agreed.. plus if was for a tie down why only on one side.. they would need to tie down both sides...

but it is there for if you get stuck so you can get towed out just in case someone decides to go off roading with the box..

I'm so sorry, I was wrong. Please forgive me. :oops:

The answer, Grasshopper, is in your owner's manual. (Yeah, I know, real men don't read manuals)

In with the jack is a steel loop with a threaded shaft. You pop off the cap on your bumber cover (there's one on the front, too, that you must not have noticed yet) and screw the loop into the hole in the actual metal bumper. This gives you a tow hook in case you need to be pulled out of the ditch or something.


^^^^^^^^ we have a winner

old punk is right, they are not for tie downs (those are weled tabs under the car)

the winner and still champion......OLD PUNK!!!

Old Punk is right. I work in a body shop and know wrecker drivers & I have a friend that works the port here (Houston- Gulf of Mexico.) The hook that screws in is indeed for emergency use.
If it were used for a tie down on the ship, the manufacturer would risk some dock worker scratching the new finish.

My 2 pesos.

I am starting to feel like old punk is my dad.

In the south, cool, older, relaxed, friendly, always right, a good guy, unique opinions, not a push over, pays attention, and HE ROCKS!!!

Carry on!

Oh, and thank you to the MOD that allowed this duplicate post to continue as it has allowed people that are interested in this subject to speak of it, rather than force them to view an old and stale post.

The answer, Grasshopper, is in your owner's manual. (Yeah, I know, real men don't read manuals)

In with the jack is a steel loop with a threaded shaft. You pop off the cap on your bumber cover (there's one on the front, too, that you must not have noticed yet) and screw the loop into the hole in the actual metal bumper. This gives you a tow hook in case you need to be pulled out of the ditch or something.
Read my manual today on this point (sorry; not very manly).

I noted that the manual says if you need to be emergency towed with the hook, and you have an Automatic Tranny, you should only use the Front Hook.

Pulling out of a ditch is probably OK with the rear hook, but towing the xB for any distance with the rear hook would probably damage the AT (so says the manual).

:P RPM