1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Prius HV Battery Fan, temp start?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by alex rodriguez, Jun 3, 2016.

  1. alex rodriguez

    alex rodriguez Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 21, 2014
    39
    7
    0
    Location:
    Phoenix,AZ
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I am curious as to when the HV battery fan should start (certain degree?). I live in Phoenix and today it was 115F and on my drive after work I didn't hear it turn on at all. My Prius was under a tree with shade (but had sun hitting for most of the morning). I remember last year it would always on and most people could agree that its a sound you don't notice at first when in the car.

    Thank you for responses in advance?
    This site is the best
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    should be on, i wonder if the motor has burned out?
     
  3. alex rodriguez

    alex rodriguez Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 21, 2014
    39
    7
    0
    Location:
    Phoenix,AZ
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    is there anyway to check? it worries me and kinda scares me to be driving it if the fan isn't running. Last summer (since its extremely hot here) it always was roaring full blast but today i couldn't hear anything. Tomorrow its suppose to get up to 119F so i could only imagine how hot it will be on the inside of the car :(
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    you can put a volt meter on to to see if it's getting power. an ohm meter will tell you if the motor is burned out. that would be unusual, not sure i have heard of it happening before.
     
  5. alex rodriguez

    alex rodriguez Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 21, 2014
    39
    7
    0
    Location:
    Phoenix,AZ
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    gonna go outside and double check again and have someone with me sit at the back and see if they can hear it at all.
     
  6. S Keith

    S Keith Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2015
    799
    327
    0
    Location:
    AZ
    Vehicle:
    2003 Prius
    Everything is fine.

    Didn't hear it at all on my drive home (in Phoenix). 115°F on the gauge. The battery is a mass of insulated nickel that is slow to heat/cool in ambient conditions. It's unlikely the battery reached 115°F. Additionally, 115°F isn't particularly high for the battery either. It starts to dial back usage in that area, but it performs well.

    The fan is very quiet on settings 1-4. It will be on 1-3 most of the time. You can kinda hear it on 5, and 6 is when everybody goes, "Wth is that sound?" If you're running your A/C, you barely hear 6.

    Run your A/C and keep yourself comfortable. Do that, and the battery is comfortable too.
     
  7. alex rodriguez

    alex rodriguez Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 21, 2014
    39
    7
    0
    Location:
    Phoenix,AZ
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Went to go get food and I went in the back and it must be on a very low setting cause i could barely feel it or hear it but it was working :)
     
    bisco likes this.
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    perfect.(y)
     
    alex rodriguez likes this.
  9. S Keith

    S Keith Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2015
    799
    327
    0
    Location:
    AZ
    Vehicle:
    2003 Prius
    NiMH doesn't feel the heat quite like we do. Parking in the shade, using a front windshield shade and keeping the windows cracked 1/2 inch goes a long way towards keeping the interior cooler than just parked in the sun willy-nilly.
     
    #9 S Keith, Jun 3, 2016
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2016
    SFO and alex rodriguez like this.
  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,474
    38,106
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Scangauge II, with XGauges programmed in, will show battery temp and fan speed. Keep in mind: even with cool ambient temps the battery temp will climb.

    In my (3rd gen) experience, driving in cool evening, the battery will be around 35C. Any higher and the fan will come on, at lowest speed. Highest I've seen is around 45C, with fan around 3~4 (out of 6?). Even then, I've yet to hear it, fwiw.

    Worst case I've found: extended drive on hot day, park and let it sit in sun, get back in and drive some more. Also, found AC use made little or no diff to battery temp.
     
    #10 Mendel Leisk, Jun 3, 2016
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2016
    alex rodriguez likes this.