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What are these floor vents in the Highlander?

Discussion in 'Toyota Hybrids and EVs' started by Haraald, Sep 22, 2017.

  1. Haraald

    Haraald New Member

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    there's a 3-holed one under the front seats and then three grilled ones underneath the second row seats; which is intake or outtake and what are they for? It's a 2017 hybrid
     
    #1 Haraald, Sep 22, 2017
  2. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    The rear floor vents are for the hybrid battery. They are the same for the Lexus RX450H.
     
    #2 Raytheeagle, Sep 22, 2017
  3. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    The ones under the front seats (I assume are pointing towards the rear?) are the rear seat heater ducts.

    The vents under the rear seats pointing forward are the hybrid battery vents.
     
    #3 Tideland Prius, Sep 22, 2017
  4. Haraald

    Haraald New Member

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    Thanks guys, so the rear heater ducts (under the front seats) BLOW air out, and the battery vents SUCK in? I'm just confused why the batteries would need to suck in interior air
     
    #4 Haraald, Sep 23, 2017
  5. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    They need to stay at a comfortable temperature and the interior air is nearby and easily accessible.
    In the summer this prevents the battery from getting too hot. In the winter the heat helps the battery perform better.
     
    #5 Prodigyplace, Sep 23, 2017
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  6. Haraald

    Haraald New Member

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    Don't mock me, but I'm building a tiny enclosed shower in mine to wash off after surfing and wanted to ventilate it.... any issues with sealing an intake duct fan around one of the heater ducts and a outtake duct fan around one of the battery vents? The out air would be very humid of course but I wash off in only a minute or two
     
    #6 Haraald, Sep 23, 2017
  7. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    I would not vent any moist air into the battery compartment at all.

    There was Camry hybrid that was believed to have a dead traction battery, but it turned out to just be corroded terminals.

    Any humidity can condense out of the air and end up where you don't want it.
     
    #7 Trollbait, Sep 25, 2017
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i don't think it would be an issue to send the moist air outside the vehicle. you don't need the floor vents for the battery, it just needs to suck interior air in.
     
    #8 bisco, Sep 25, 2017
  9. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    I believe the battery is air cooled (although some part of me is remember some sort of liquid cooling... maybe I'm thinking inverter). So I would try and avoid blocking the vent if at all possible. Also, it's drawing inside air because the engineers probably figured, "if it's comfortable for the passengers, it's comfortable for the battery". i.e. you're probably going to use the A/C or heater to moderate the temperature in the cabin and thus the battery will use cabin temperature. Note that the fan doesn't always run so it'll only operate as needed.

    If you're creating a humid environment, I'll try to vent the moisture out as soon as possible and avoid build up of moisture inside the cabin (there are other electronics as well, not just the battery, that any modern car has)
     
    #9 Tideland Prius, Sep 25, 2017
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