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60K cleaning now recommended for all battery blower fans....

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Stevewoods, Oct 9, 2015.

  1. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    Lucious Garage recommends Prius battery cooling fan cleaning every 60K

    Prius battery cooling fan cleaning, P0A82 - Luscious Garage | Hybrid Specialists

    I just did mine. Took me about two hours. I work slow and I had to keep referring back to my videos and manuals. Also, I was stumped on taking out the back seat until I saw the guy in the second video do it.

    Anyway, not that tough of job, and my fan at 90K was actually amazingly clean. Of course, my wife mostly drives the car and she never has the windows open, never has any pets in the car, and very seldom has backseat passengers.

    Other than the back seat, only other problem is that I managed to drop one of those black plastic trim buttons behind the 12v battery. My shop vac with a crevice attachment got it out and I did not have to remove the 12v (Thank HEAVEN).

    Tools needed Socket wrench 10 and 12 mm. A cheap Shopworks molding and trim tool set from NAPA ($6) and a pick to punch in the trim buttons for removal.

    I attached the battery blower PDF and three videos that I found helpful. The very last video -- just watch it for the first minute or two -- basically I only found it useful in that it gave me a good overview of what I was getting myself into -- that is a picture of all the parts and what they do -- the actual rest of the third video was no help at all.

    So, something everyone should do, esp., if like most of us, you have more than 60 on the car. Read the Luscious bit, it is eye-opening.

    In a week or so, I think I am going back in and putting a homemade filter just behind the passenger seat air intake.





     

    Attached Files:

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  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    wow. i wonder if the poll owners about pets and etc.?

    why are you installing a filter?
     
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  3. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    I'm assuming that is a Wow because I am obsessive/compulsive and work at the speed of a turtle> :D

    I've read some threads here about people putting in their own filters. Seems easy enough. And, as I said, I am O/C. :)
     
    #3 Stevewoods, Oct 9, 2015
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2015
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    :p no, it's just surprising that they found enough dirty fans to recommend it.
     
  5. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    I would be interested to know if "normal" drivers have much issue with it. Luscious mentions Bernese Mountain dogs, which are giants, and taxis, but I wonder about the average driver....

    Having said that, it seems as if it would be cheap insurance if it keeps the battery going -- esp. if you do it yourself. Lucious calls it a 30-minute job and I am sure many folks here could do it in 30 minutes. Myself, if I did it again, I could probably get it down to just under an hour...maybe 45 minutes. Maybe....
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    agreed, no harm in extra maintenance, especially for peace of mind.
     
  7. cyberpriusII

    cyberpriusII Prodigyplace says I'm Super Kris

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    Now I know what I am doing tomorrow!

    At least we still have decent weather here. Thank you, with the videos and all, looks as if it is something I can handle. I checked our local Napa and they have the trim tools in stock. I think I may try to cheap out and use a screwdriver, though.

    My issue is that most of my miles in my car are on dirt (or at least a lot of them are) and I did at times have pets in the car. Not real anxious to face that fan in the morning!

    One question, how heavy is that backseat? A couple of years ago, it was not a question I would ask, but I am now in a more of an office profession and am not throwing around 70-pound packs all day. I still run, but not sure about my upper body strength if I have to struggle to get 120 pounds of unyielding Prius seat out of the way in a small space.

    And, forgive me, but is it necessary to take out the backseat at all? For some reason, I do not see why it needs to come out?

    Thanks, again,
    kris
     
  8. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    If it's anything like my Gen 1 (or any other backseat I've ever dealt with), not at all. It's a giant foam block wrapped in upholstery. Takes a bit of a tug to spring the clips out, then you can just lob it at somebody to see if they panic and duck.

    -Chap
     
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  9. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    As Doctor C. said, the backseat is light enough that I think I could have carried it under one arm and ran for a touchdown.

    I was actually worried about "breaking" it, it was so lightweight and flimsy once I got it out of the car.
     
  10. Anas Almustafa

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    I think toyota should have the HV fan cleaning in the scheduled maintenance manual at least at 100k. thank you for sharing
     
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yup, and make it more accessible if possible. An instruction would be nice..., but we're a cunning, resourceful lot.
     
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  12. cyberpriusII

    cyberpriusII Prodigyplace says I'm Super Kris

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    I did it. It is easy. Thank you's to all of you who pitched in on here!

    I probably would have done better if I had purchased the trim tool kit, but I did not break any plastic clip things. Nor did I drop any plastic pieces behind the 12v battery -- that battery and I have an agreement after I put it in last year....

    Took me about an hour and 40 minutes, but I kept having guys coming up to me and asking if I needed any help. I guess I could have played Tomasina Sawyer and conned one of them into doing it for me, but that could have led to other complications. Not everyone is a gentleman such as our very own PriusChat Bob Wilson.

    Fan was actually not very dirty. So, I took Q-tips in alcohol and gently cleaned the vanes and ran a vacuum over the vanes -- now that whole vac thing was a project in itself....try doing that at an apartment complex.

    So, in the past couple of weeks, adjusted parking brake, cleaned fan....a few other things that I forgot about, but I think I am almost ready for winter.

    I did wimp out on the Transaxle fluid change. Toyota sent me a coupon for 10 percent off any service a few days ago, so I promptly called and made an appointment for the fluid change. They said about $80....
     
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  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    great price.(y)
     
  14. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Oh, I do not know: Tideland Prius got transaxle fluid change for a mere $79.99.
     
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    ya, but that's unusual, i think. seems most pay 100+, but i could be wrong.
     
  16. CooCooCaChoo

    CooCooCaChoo Active Member

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    Did they use the right fluid because that sounds exactly like the total price of fluids you need from Toyota to do the job.
     
  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I'm sure they did: this is Tideland, at a Toyota dealership.

    Checked: I picked up Toyota ATF-WS for $9.32 (CAN) per liter, 4 bottles are needed, with a comfortable margin. But yeah, $80 is a good deal, in particular because it's not their usual sort of service. Sadly.
     
  18. dbcassidy

    dbcassidy Toyota Hybrid Nation, 8 Million Strong

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    With 2 dogs, I installed a disposable cut to fit ac filter in the air intake. I took apart the blower fan and cleaned it. Very little debris found.

    DBCassidy
     
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  19. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    Re: Transaxle fluid change.

    When I called my Seattle Toy dealer a few weeks ago, they said it wasn't something they did really, but they could do it. The guy kept hemming and hawing and finally said less than $100. I don't know if that means $99.97 or what, but it seems the price is a bit open to demand. Wondering if the fluid price might have come down since oil prices are down so much....but, nah....this is a car dealer, right?
     
  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you had him on the ropes, you should have gone in for the kill while you had the chance!:p