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Liquid in hybrid battery air vent

Discussion in 'Prius c Main Forum' started by Ofanew87, Sep 1, 2012.

  1. Ofanew87

    Ofanew87 New Member

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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Three
    Hello everyone. So my brother accidently dropped a cup of Thai iced tea right by the air vent, behind the driver's seat under the passenger rear seat and I was wondering, is it still safe to drive? Has anyone accidently spilled liquid near the air vent? I immeadeatedly stopped at the nearest street, and tried to soak up as much liquid. Unfortunately, the liquid was soaked up by the carpet and I think it went under the seat where the battery is located.

    I've read the manual and it states on page 34, "Do not wet the air vent as this may cause a short circuit and damage the hybrid battery (traction battery)."

    I called my dealership and even Toyota Care and they have informed me to just let the car sit overnight, let the spill dry and wait until tomorrow. Any suggestions and advice would be much appreciated. Thank you! :)
     
    #1 Ofanew87, Sep 1, 2012
  2. TC400

    TC400 Active Member

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    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Three
    I would have killed my brother if he did that! People are lucky enough to ride in my car let alone eat and drink in it!
    Anyways yeah there is NOT a whole lot that can be done unless you want to tear the dashboard apart. I let it sit in the garage with the windows down and let it air out. Hopefully there wasnt a whole lot that got into the vent.
    too bad its not like a cellphone where we can put it in a bag of rice for a few days while it sucks the moisture :p
    Good luck and keep us updated please!
     
    #2 TC400, Sep 1, 2012
    priusCpilot likes this.
  3. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Location:
    Northern VA (NoVA)
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    Other Hybrid
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    I agree with TC keep the windows open to air out.
    Could possibly put a small fan in there to help dry it out.
    My wife tends to put apple cores and things like that in the trash in the car...I wish she would crack the windows in the garage to help air it out but she won't, so I do when I can, I also try to keep the trash container emptied. But the era of elec cars is here and we do have to worry more about corrosion due to moisture etc.
     
    #3 wjtracy, Sep 2, 2012
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    Plug-in Base
    what does the dashboard have to do with the battery cooling duct? you may want to open it up and dry it out if the manual says not to get it wet. but if toyota says it's okay to let it dry on it's own, i spose it's worth a try.
     
    #4 bisco, Sep 2, 2012
  5. Ofanew87

    Ofanew87 New Member

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    Model:
    Three
    Took the car to the service department and was told that the battery is fine. The technicians told me that the battery is encased so it is protected. My brother is lucky to be alive and I am going to now purchase waterproof seat covers and ban drinks (too bad I can't ban my brother lol).

    I was told to crack open the windows. The tea had milk so the car is going to smell like a farm but I'm glad that the battery is fine. Some liquid went into the speakers so at this point it's all dried up. Im going to deep clean the carpet and it should be fine.


    To TC: if only I had a room full of rice. That would be awesome!
    To WJ: I would purchase a car freshner for your wife's car. Even fabric softener sheets do a great job. Best of luck!

    Thanks everyone! :)
     
    #5 Ofanew87, Sep 2, 2012
  6. TC400

    TC400 Active Member

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    Three
    lol I'm glad that everything is OK!! I went to Walmart a few weeks ago and got some pine trees with the new car smell lol. And that is a good idea to ban drinks!
     
    #6 TC400, Sep 2, 2012
  7. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    ...alls well that ends well!
    However, note I am not worried about the odor in the car, just saying I think cracking the windows in the garage helps to keep any excess moisture out, which may help the battery long term.
     
    #7 wjtracy, Sep 2, 2012
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