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

Hybrid battery cooling fan filter, where to buy & how often to change?

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by GalaxyRain, Jun 2, 2021.

  1. GalaxyRain

    GalaxyRain Member

    Joined:
    May 17, 2021
    35
    25
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius
    Model:
    LE AWD-e
    So how often do you all clean versus change your cooling fan filters and where do you buy them? When I take my car in for regular maintenance (i.e. oil changes) will they at least vacuum it out?
     
    PtPri likes this.
  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
    if it is foam, just wash it. no, they will not vacuum it out.

    unless you carry shedding pets, it's no big deal. more important to keep the grille clear
     
  3. GalaxyRain

    GalaxyRain Member

    Joined:
    May 17, 2021
    35
    25
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius
    Model:
    LE AWD-e
    I don’t but I just figured I’d do it myself because I thought I read something about dealerships wanting to charge $300+ dollars if they actually change it. The maintenance manual says to inspect it every 5K and clean it every 20K but I don’t see any harm in cleaning or even changing it sooner if it’s only like a $10 part. I build computers and I know it’s important to keep the intake/cooling fans clean.
     
    shawnj90, PtPri and bisco like this.
  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
    of course, the dealer has them. sometimes cheaper online or you can look for aftermarket using the part number.
    there are a nuber of low price dealers online. check camelback and olathe toyota just to mention a couple.
     
  5. GalaxyRain

    GalaxyRain Member

    Joined:
    May 17, 2021
    35
    25
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius
    Model:
    LE AWD-e
    By camelback do you mean CamelCamelCamel? The only camelbak I know of makes water bottles and hydration packs :)

    Is there a way to find the part number without taking out my filter? If I just search for 2021 Prius cooling fan filter will I find it?
     
    bisco likes this.
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    camelback toyota.
    more than likely. it may not even be on the filter. you can also ask a dealer parts counter, while asking the price.
     
    GalaxyRain likes this.
  7. thomassster

    thomassster Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2015
    238
    80
    0
    Location:
    Colorado, US
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius
    Model:
    XLE AWD-e
    Traction battery fan filter | Page 2 | PriusChat

    Dealership should have it. If you typically don’t have passengers and keep the back not that dirty, the filter wouldn’t be bad. If you have pets and passengers, check every 6 months-year. Pets that shed are biggest culprits for those clogs. I checked at year 2 and it was still extremely clean.
     
    PtPri likes this.
  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,470
    38,103
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    $300 to change a filter seems preposterous (my word of the day). Maybe it was for full clean out of the ductwork and fan itself too?

    Not sure how effective the filter is, but a full cleaning, of everything, is warranted at least once, if only to see where you’re at. It might be just a little dusty, or virtually a hair ball, depending on situation. Shedding dogs for example. With a few tools it’s readily DIY’able.
     
  9. CooCooCaChoo

    CooCooCaChoo Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2015
    886
    493
    0
    Location:
    Cow-lee-fornia
    Vehicle:
    2023 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    I changed it late last year after owning the car for over three years, at the time, and it was barely dirty. Then again, I'm the only person in the car 99.9% of the time.
     
  10. Eug

    Eug Swollen Member

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2004
    956
    211
    0
    Location:
    Earth (for now)
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Technology
    Does anyone know the part number for the 2012 Prius Plug-in hybrid battery cooling intake vent filter in Canada? Is it the same as the non-Plug-ins?

    In the US, the part number is G92DH-47010 for the regular Prius. Amazon.ca no longer carries it but I see it on eBay.ca, albeit with high shipping charges to Canada. Maybe I'll just get it from the dealer for simplicity's sake, as it likely will be relatively inexpensive.
     
  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    there are two inlets, one below the rear seat drivers side. i've never pulled the grilles off to see if there are filters on both or either.

    idk if this fits the seatback grille, how it compares in price, and what it costs to ship to canada

    airfiforpr20.html
     
    #11 bisco, Jul 23, 2022
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2022
  12. Hidyho

    Hidyho Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2010
    2,698
    529
    0
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Just cleaned my 2018 and filter looked almost as good as new, barely anything in the filter.
     
    Mambo Dave likes this.
  13. Mambo Dave

    Mambo Dave Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2019
    640
    305
    0
    Location:
    33312
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius
    Model:
    L Eco
    2019 with 40k miles, about as clean as new
     
  14. Doug McC

    Doug McC Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2022
    940
    343
    0
    Location:
    Midwest
    Vehicle:
    2022 Prius
    Model:
    XLE
    It is basically a paper filter (at least on the 2022) and extremely simple to remove and clean (as long as you are reasonable careful, since it can be torn). I have been checking mine once a month or so to establish how long it takes to get dirty and with a White German Shepherd Dog that is currently blowing her coat, I just this month cleaned it (after taking delivery on Feb. 11). The Car Care Nut has a video on doing it and the duct work layout of the cooling system (which may prove informative), and he advises to check it every month or so until you establish how often you need to clean it based on your circumstances. To me, it takes 5 minutes or so, and is so simple it should be like checking your oil level. The more often you do it the less likely you will have problems.
     
  15. Fubar XIII

    Fubar XIII Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 29, 2021
    24
    22
    0
    Location:
    Sarasota, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I've run into this issue twice now in 230,000 mi, really beats the MPG down, like into the 40s from normal mid- to upper 50s.
    First time got an error msg on dash, stopped into dealer (literally on my way home), they checked the codes - for $179 - and cleaned the duct work for a total of about $225 (code test incl.). The 2nd time it occurred, the service person informed me it was a maintenance issue & should be check every 5k & cleaned every 20k mi.
    I drive Uber so LOTS of people and some pets in the back every day. I hit 5k every two months. Still don't know how to access the filter but if it's a PM thing, it shouldn't be too hard to access. As I'm finally changing brake pads & also rotating tires tomorrow, I'm going looking. In fact, I came on today just to ask about this issue.
     
  16. Doug McC

    Doug McC Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2022
    940
    343
    0
    Location:
    Midwest
    Vehicle:
    2022 Prius
    Model:
    XLE
    There are quite a few YouTube videos on doing it and your owners manual explains how to do it also. Look inside the rear passenger door in front of the seat near the floor. You will see the grill for it. DO NOT BLOW AIR INTO IT.