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Battery Fan Cleaning

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Cacti, Jul 2, 2010.

  1. Cacti

    Cacti Poleikleng

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    Luscious Garage | Blog | Prius battery cooling fan cleaning, P0A82

    Luscious Garage

    "The second generation Prius, model years 2004-2009, does not have a filter for the battery cooling fan, and this is a problem. Instead the fan itself becomes the filter, located upstream of the battery, collecting particulates over time. Because it is not a service item (i.e. never checked) the fan eventually clogs. This causes battery overheating and premature failure. Common on taxi cabs, which are running 24/7 in harsh conditions with lots of backseat passengers (where the fan intake is located), the HV battery typically dies by 150,000 miles."

    Has anyone done this? Is it an easy procedure?

    Cacti
     
  2. kenmce

    kenmce High Voltage Member

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    Their logic is clear. If your fan looks like that, then it should be cleaned. I've never looked at mine, don't know how hard it is to access.
     
  3. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    My query is - is the battery vent filter a replaceable item? I can see mine starting to get blocked with fluff etc
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    they do nice work and are ahead of the curve most of the time.
     
  5. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

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    I plan to clean mine at Carolyn's recommended mileage (60k). I'm at 38k, so that will be ~ 2 yrs from now.

    I seem to recall a thread for a Gen 2 where someone had battery codes that were caused by dog hair in the fan.
     
  6. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    I'm also keen to give mine a clean. Does anyone know if there's some kind of guide or something available to show me how to access this fan?
     
  7. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

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    The factory service manual shows how to remove the fan. For the 2004 manual, the procedure starts on page 21-119. The 2004 manual was available as a download from a European website at one time; I don't know if it still is. You can also sign up for the Toyota subscription site to access the factory service manual. In the US, it is $15 for 2 days.
     
  8. jreed

    jreed Member

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    The attached pdf shows the blower fan diagnosis, removal and installation instructions.:)
     

    Attached Files:

    2004priusgal, SFO, wrothgar and 20 others like this.
  9. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Thanks very much jreed. :)
     
  10. kenmce

    kenmce High Voltage Member

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    I don't believe there is one. No reason you can't make one though.


    Damn, This car has codes for everything!
     
  11. 2009Prius

    2009Prius A Wimpy DIYer

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    Yes the thread is here
    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...-fur-dirt-causing-major-battery-problems.html
    where the owner cut a piece of home heating vent filter and fit it inside the HV battery vent grill. I am too lazy so I just tape a piece of filter on the outside. :)

    No instruction is complete without photos. :) I recently pulled open the trunk with the HV battery fan exposed (not disassembled) for a different purpose - mouse proofing. See this post
    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...ng/71909-diary-wimpy-diyer-2.html#post1141598
    and the one following it.

    Have fun! :)
     
    KK6PD likes this.
  12. roverguy78

    roverguy78 Elite Lurking Member

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    This really makes you wonder if this could explain quite a few battery failures. It makes sense.
     
  13. Cacti

    Cacti Poleikleng

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    Can you actually hear the HV battery fan while it is running?

    Cacti
     
  14. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Yes, when it is running at full speed which is not too frequently.
     
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i have never heard it to my knowledge, at least not over the road/tire noise. that pdf was a great breakdown, makes the 90 bucks look like a bargain.:)
     
  16. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Does the 2010 have an easily replaceable filter for the battery fan?
     
  17. Chippy01

    Chippy01 Junior Member

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    I have just got myself a 2007 Prius, and judging by the interior the PO must have had a dog. Although most of the hair that is present is in the loading area and not in the passenger compartment, I would like to check out my fan in case of contamination.
    It looks simple enough to get to it from the pdf, but the last instruction has me wondering.


    At the bottom of the pdf is this instruction:-

    14. PERFORM INITIALIZATION​
    (a) Perform initialization (see page ​
    IN-32).

    NOTICE:
    Certain systems need to be initialized after
    disconnecting and reconnecting the cable from
    the negative (-) battery terminal.

    What actually needs to be initialized?
     
  18. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Driver's side power window auto up/down
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    May lose trip odometer and MFD mpg reading
     
  19. Chippy01

    Chippy01 Junior Member

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    How about Nav destinations and phone numbers? Will they be deleted as well?
    I don't want to disconnect the battery and reconnect a couple of hours later to find everything dead - including the car!!!
     
  20. pafoss

    pafoss Plug-in Member

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    Okay, so for those of us who will be having the dealer perform the work, 2 questions:

    1) Do I ask for an HV battery fan replacement or can they just do a cleaning?
    2) How much should I be prepared to pay?

    Mine's an 04 with 115K miles on her.