Gen 2 Prius with aftermarket? hybrid battery filter

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Xcooper, Jan 1, 2021.

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  1. Xcooper

    Xcooper New Member

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    Hi all - I’m a new Prius owner - or more accurately, my college kid bought one which means I’m now in charge for of maintenance :)

    We did some test using the Dr Prius app at time of purchase which suggested the hybrid battery was weak. Also, diagnosed a bad aux (12V) battery. Price was negotiated accordingly and purchased.

    I’ve replaced the aux battery and wanted to clean out the fan in case it was dirty and contributing to hybrid battery degradation.

    After removing the trim panel, it appears that the inlet to the fan has possibly an aftermarket filter screwed in (screws are one way - don’t back out).

    Anyone else seen this? I’m curious if it is possibly too restrictive? I’ve attached picture. From this forum I’ve read that the gen 2 does not have a filter but this one looks a step up from a DIY attempt.

    Any other advice?
     

    Attached Files:

    #1 Xcooper, Jan 1, 2021
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  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    That filter is not aftermarket, it's OEM from the factory.

    If the car is running good and everything checks out to be good, you should just buy a brand new hv battery and get another 10 years of trouble free driving out of it. If it's weak, it'll fail in the very near future if it's from 2008
     
    #2 JC91006, Jan 2, 2021
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  3. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    You can pull the intake off entirely to get to the fan, and clean that:



    If the filter looks dirty you could vacuum it and remove most of the contamination. Be careful that your vacuum isn't so powerful that it tears a hole in the filter. If that might be a problem see if you have some stiff wire mesh around, smooth - no sharp bits, and place that between the filter and the vacuum. Given the choice it would be better to blow the contamination out from the other side of the filter, but unless you want to figure out how to remove those screws, that isn't an option in this instance. Well, unless you want to pull the intake all the way off and seal something to where the fan plugs in and try pumping air through it that way. Since it wasn't designed for that the filter could easily burst outwards. Probably safer to vacuum it.
     
    #3 pasadena_commut, Jan 2, 2021
  4. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    That filter does nothing significant on a Gen2. The air supply is drawn from the end of that duct, unfiltered, straight from the passenger side of the rear seat backrest through that little plastic grating in the side trim. If something completely blocks that duct, like if you throw a towel over it, there will be some airflow pulled in through that filter, from the area behind the side trim panel that covers the passenger sidewall of the trunk. Perhaps this filter just keeps the fan from sucking in sound deadening material.
     
    #4 TMR-JWAP, Jan 2, 2021
  5. Xcooper

    Xcooper New Member

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    Thanks for all the help. I ended up taking the ducting off and inspecting the fan. It looked very clean so I put it all back together. I was impressed at how nicely everything fit and how quick it went together. The trim pliers was a great recommendation from another post.

    The forum has been very helpful for a new owner. Thanks!
     
    #5 Xcooper, Jan 3, 2021
  6. happy hybrid

    happy hybrid New Member

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    I'm confused. If the service centre says they need to replace the filter on my 2005 Prius when they replace the hybrid battery, are they making a mistake? It doesn't sound like there is a filter.
     
    #6 happy hybrid, Sep 17, 2021
  7. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    There was no filter from the factory. Toyota later thought a filter was a good idea so they made one that they install when they replace the HV battery.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #7 mr_guy_mann, Sep 19, 2021
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