2010-2015 Toyota Prius HV Battery fan cleaning

This is a 2012 Toyota Prius. I am cleaning the HV (high voltage) battery fan. This preventive maintenance is to prevent your HV battery from overheating. Over time, the fan can accumulate dirt and dust from the passenger compartment and clogs up the fins. Once that happens, it'll cause the fan to not work sufficiently to cool down the battery and thus will cause a check engine light P0A82. By doing this preventive maintenance, you will prevent the Hybrid battery from overheating. I would recommend doing this every 60k miles if you have shedding pets that sits in the back.
To clear the error code on the dashboard, disconnect the 12 volt battery on the passenger rear trunk and reconnect it.
Tools:
amzn.to/2awcRDO 3/8 ratchet
or
amzn.to/2aDYK1X 1/4 ratchet
amzn.to/2btKbQd 1/4 10mm deep socket
amzn.to/2bmTwZg 1/4 12mm deep socket
amzn.to/2aJy9kF 3/8 short extension set
or
amzn.to/2axt8Zh 1/4 1,3,6" extension set
amzn.to/2aweq4t Plier
amzn.to/2awfUvw Flat head screw driver
amzn.to/2b5169E Brake clean
or
amzn.to/2b9bjiT Baby wipes
Parts:
None
Torque specs:
Hand tighten
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Intro: RavenProDesign
Music: Manic Bloom - Death and Conversations

[@mnsweeps]

Great video. Will try it for my 2012 Prius later next week. I think you missed 2 important steps and 1 suggestion.. 1) You should always disconnect the negative of 12v battery before opening up the car where you are exposed to any wiring. 2) You should have unhooked the orange tab on high voltage battery as that could kill you if there is a short. I understand the high voltage battery relay would turn it off if you remove the negative on the 12v battery but just for backup safety its better to pull the orange tab. 3) Instead of brake fluid its recommended to use compressed air to clear the fan.

[@forusbyus1]

excellent advice

[@riblets1968]

It certainly can't hurt to remove the safety plug, although our presenter only touched 12-volt wiring in this video. If he were to get under the battery cover, then most certainly you would want to.

[@faithfulgab]

I just have to hop on here to thank you really quick. Because of your videos, my 2013 Gen II runs great & I do most basic-intermediate maintenance/repairs myself now. Hope you know how great of a channel you've built here! 🫶🏼

[@77.88.]

Thank you; no disturbing background music to interfere with your excellent presentation by far one of the best videos yet, thanks again,very helpful...

[@alejo060987]

This is the most thorough video I've seen out here on how to clean the filter and fan. All the other videos make it seem like all of these parts come out magically, when there is actually more of a process involved. Extremely helpful for people that do not know much about cars. I just love how this video is so detailed and it does not skip anything assuming that you know jack of what you are doing. Keep up the good work NutzAboutBolts.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Thanks :)

[@thearm375]

Just did mine today based on this video; saved a few hundred dollars. Thank you 🙂. I did disconnect 12V battery at first as per one of the comments.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Nice work!

[@apdeloss]

After over a year of planning to clean my 2013 prius battery fan with the help of this video, I finally did it, this afternoon. This video is very helpful, I didn't have to spend a lot of money at the car dealer's service dept to do the job for me. I saved $325.

[@jasonlawrence7283]

This was a HUGE help, thank you for the clean video. Awesome descriptions, awesome angles, no music, good pace. This is how all how to vids should be👍👍👍

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Thanks

[@wakeboarder357]

awesome video!!! took me 1.5 hours, i didnt remove the fan i just cleaned the blades with a screwdriver and baby wipes, then i used a q-tip to get the remainder of the dirt off. Saved $350!!! thank you!!!

[@jayrgauthier]

My Toyota dealer wanted $295 to do this fan cleaning. Watching this video convinced me to try myself. Took one step at a time and figured if I got stuck, I'd just take it into the dealer to put it all back together. No need. I had success and cleaned the fan blades better than what they would have done. Mine had debris that made a crazy sound from time to time and it drove me nuts. I also installed a little filter at the air intake so that should stop anything large getting in there in the future, not to mention the small stuff that accumulates. Thanks for the helpful video, Nutz.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Yeah it's common to be dirty with debris if you have dogs or pets sitting in the back since the air intake is by the passenger side and can suck up hair and such in there. It's always nice to know you can do this yourself and save yourself some money. Dealership always over charge for labor, which kinda sucks but it is what it is...

[@jayrgauthier]

One more thing that really tripped me up. I was proud of myself for having done this, then I went to start the Prius and it complained about the "Check Hybrid System" warning. I expected this based on other comments. But the car would not go into Drive or Reverse! It was a serious alert that would not go away, even after the battery trick (detach and reattach the negative terminal). In the end, I checked the orange slider thing near the main hybrid battery. It was not on properly. While pulling out the cables from the fan, I must have whacked this orange slider clip and I guess that makes it a catastrophic failure on startup! I *really* didn't want to have to tow the car to the dealer, only to have them flick this clip. So a warning to others, if you get the "Check Hybrid System" warning and the car won't go into Drive, check that orange clip!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Wow that's good to know, I'm surprised you can accidentally unclip it. That orange tab is to discharge the HV battery so you don't get shocked incase you remove the HV battery. It's a safety clip that you need to remove before you remove the HV battery. Glad you fixed the issue, luckily I never touched it lol

[@renegonzalez8063]

jayrgauthier A local reputable Prius mechanic was quoting me $250.00. Total rip-off after watching this videp.

[@jackjones3657]

There's no telling how many millions of $ consumers have saved thanks to provider videos. Great tutorial. 👍

[@apache9312]

Awesome video, my dad helped me with the cleaning for the fan. We paused and play every step of the way just to make sure we understood everything. It took us about 2 hours, but it was fun and saved me a bundle. Will be watching your other videos for Prius maintenance. Thank for your videos.

[@staxoffunk1863]

Did your mpg's improve and how dirty was the fan

[@garethbaus5471]

@@staxoffunk1863 I doubt it would noticeably improve milage, the fan doesn't draw that much power. This is just part of the regular maintenance of the vehicle and will improve the batteries longevity.

[@tjayzlen]

Man you save me $$$ the dealer wanted to charged almost $300, I wanted to thank you 🙏

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Glad we did 🙌🏽

[@williambarrera6198]

I just completed cleaning the battery fan on my Prius, easier than I thought. The annoying sound coming from the fan was a combination of dust/dirt, and a piece of paper. A fortune from a fortune cookie. I vacuumed the area and the parts while the system was disassembled, wiped them all with baby wipes. Feels good that I actually did it. Your how to video was helpful. You just saved me a lot of money. Thank you!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

thank you :)

[@felixdomingo4496]

Great video, took me close to 90 minutes with the help of this video. First of all, I don't have pets but, I am an Uber driver which means I have many people in my car on any given day. Anyway, I didn't have too much time so while doing this task so I left the fan mounted onto the car while I took a soft brush and a toothbrush to the fan. I also blew the dirt off of the blades with an air compressor gun and I got surprisingly clean. I then put it all back together and then disconnected the 12volt battery and then reconnected it and I no longer see the error message. Awesome feeling when you don't have to take this issue to the dealer. Thank you NutzAboutBolts for creating this video.

[@nasirhussain8008]

Felix Domingo what was the error message you were getting?

[@physicalivan]

Felix Domingo was it too dusty? how many miles had your prius?

[@bxnbwc2395]

His video is 18 minutes. He may has spent about 30 minutes. My dealer told me that they need 3 hours. Rip off!

[@lukespack]

I like your idea of keeping the fan mounted on the car as this looked like the most difficult part of all. A vacuum would help alot too. A much easier to apply filter helps too.

[@AJ-ds9xq]

I've watched almost all the videos about cleaning this fan, but yours is the best video out there! Very well explained and you showed us how to put everything back together so Thank you my friend!

[@cyberburnzy]

Thanks for making this video. I've just experienced the dreaded CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM warning for the second time. There is a recall issued in 2018 related to problems not entering "failsafe driving mode in response to certain hybrid system faults". I'll clean the fan myself using your guide but will probably take it in.

[@rowetmj]

If you're gonna spend the time to get this fan out, you may as well clean it 100%.. i discovered there are only 3 screws (and 2 clip-like holders on the bottom) holding the two sides of the fan together! Just take it apart to easily get to the squirrel cage. You can even separate the cage from the shaft, although I totally cleaned the fins with it together before discovering this easy trick. You can totally clean out the inside of the fan housing as well. 100% clean!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

💯

[@zonykel]

How did you separate the cage from the shaft?

[@ramongonzalez1303]

Any body know where to get the plastic clips that break the white ones.look like door clips. Somewhere cheaper than the dealer. Thanks alit for your help video was done step by step making it easy.

[@Plp4Life]

Yo I just seen you wrote the same comment on 2 different videos for cleaning the fan. I know this is my own opinion and I should just shut up but why don’t you just shut the f*** up and let these people do what they feel about how they do their process. Quit complaining about how people do shit.

[@riblets1968]

@@ramongonzalez1303 I would just spend the extra few bucks and just get them from the dealer. They're high quality, guaranteed to fit, and they don't embrittle with age unlike a lot of other OEM plastics. It's not worth the hassle in my view to get from other sources, especially the likes of Amazon, whose unofficial slogan is "Buyer Beware!"

[@chuckhursch5374]

I followed your video step by step to do the filter (filthy) and fan cleaning. The hardest part for me was pulling the fan’s own plug out of its socket - I needed a needle-nose pliers to squeeze the bracket and some finger work to gently tug it loose. Cleaning all those fan blades took some time. All went back together pretty smoothly. I was somewhat surprised the fan motor didn’t spin up with the car turned on when I first could see the fan blades in opening things up, and also putting back together after cleaning. Thought I’ve always heard the fan go on before, but come to think of it, that maybe only after the car had been driven, so maybe the pack had warmed up enuf to kick on the fan - so perhaps it’s thermostatically controlled. Thanks so much for your video! 👍

[@artwillvideos]

Thanks! Just did this in my 2015. Once I got the fan out, I basically unscrewed three screws on it and separated it into two pieces...much easier to clean that way.

[@alaind831]

exactly...

[@aamerchaudhry308]

I did the same.

[@natedogg7488]

My girlfriend just got the "cooling performance of the hybrid battery is low" light. Is that what you got before knowing you had to clean it?

[@billtravis523]

This is a super helpful vid. Thanks for showing all the minute, seemingly no-brainer stuff like the lower seat pad hooks. That was missed on another vid I watched this morning, so am glad to have a clear visual on how to reinstall the seat base as well as all the other details one should know when doing this job. Well done! Subscribed.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Thank you

[@hanoverneck]

Thank you. this video was a huge help. Dealer wanted $400+ to change my hybrid battery fan. I was able to do it myself thanks to this video. The comments were very helpful as well. I accidentally hit the red/orange discharge lever so I put that back. And I disconnected the battery to reset the dashboard code. Big help, thanks!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

nice! good work man, glad we could help :)

[@FLpatriotLady]

Thank you so much for this video. I was able to follow along and clean the vent and fan. I actually unscrewed the fan housing, which made cleaning the blades easier. I used q-tips.. I have a dog and the amount of fur in the vent was disgusting. I will be doing this on a yearly basis.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Supposedly, they sell the vent filter by the passenger seat online. I’d recommend looking into that.

[@atm9566]

ATTENTION: Mechanic here. I just wanna add to this great video. The new style fan doesnt nit get clogged up like the old. Likely if you followed just these steps you will have same issue. I would also like to express how dangerous it is working on and near these hybrid battery. At the dealer we have so many precautions to follow when working with hybrid vehicles. Not rec for the average person. On this vehicle on the rear passenger door, you will notice a vent. Behind the trim with the vent there is a filter. Inside the black snorkel tube leading from the vent to the fan. You can remove this without removing the seats. I removed the lower trim piece at the door jam. There is a 12mm bolt holding the trim piece with the vent slits in it. Once you remove the 12mm you can removed the trim by push up. Ince removed you can access the filters that is behind there. Cleans off really well or replace. Then snap everything back together. Follow the video for I'll information on how to removed the cover and the rear trim components. After cleaning the filter you will need to clear the vehicle onboard diag. To do this you will need to access the batter in the rear cargo area. It is located on the right side looking in from the rear. Disconnect the negative first then positive cables. Hold them together for approximately 30 sec to 1 min. Dont let them tough anything else. Reconnect cables. Positive first then negative. Now your vehicle is fixed. Code is gone. Please keep in mind the dealerships do not rec anyone to work on or near hybrid battery without proper tools and training. Hope this helps others with this issue.

[@WebbedPete]

The filter wasn't added until later in Gen3. My 2011 doesn't have one... but you CAN add one now :)

[@MrChelseaGrace]

Dude you are the best, saved me $300 buck, you went through all the steps perfectly, can’t thank you enough!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Nice work! 👏🏽

[@cyto08]

Thanks for the great video! I just cleaned my fan last night, 2011, 127k miles. I would say kids are much, much dirtier than pets lol. I was surprised how hard it was to clean out the fan, it took me longer to clean the fan than to get it out of the car, even with removing the fan shroud. I also made the mistake of using my air compressor to clean the fan, hopefully I didn't short the motor!

[@wenger21]

Is your car still going?

[@davidlocklin6926]

I was disappointed to see there was no filter in my certified pre-owned 2013 I bought 3 years ago but the fan wasn't that dirty. Overall it was pretty easy thanks to your Super tutorial! I spent the most time setting up my new air hose and cleaning the blades than disassembly and reassembly. I have just ordered the snap on external filter from eBay.

[@KarunaRajagopal]

Can you give me the model number snap of the external filter you ordered.

[@steved0603]

Excellent video! Thanks for the help and all the tips and no nerve racking music. Mine wasn't completely packed with crud, but all blades were caked up enough to impede flow and the tubes to and from were pretty funky. I disconnected the 12volt battery like somebody suggested just to be safe, necessary or not. I also took the cage apart like was mentioned. Easy to do and def easier to clean. Oddly enough, my hybrid battery now shows its got way more of a charge than before I cleaned and I haven't even run the car more than a few minutes! 😳😅

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Healthy HV will have a higher mpg than used and worn HV battery.

[@steved0603]

@@NutzAboutBolts no doubt about it!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@steved0603 still running on oem HV battery and it’s 250k miles 😆

[@bxnbwc2395]

Nice video - clear and clean. His video is 18 minutes. He may has spent about 30 minutes. My dealer told me that they need 3 hours. Rip off!

[@royalallenwenzel7052]

Thanks for the tips! My hybrid indicator light has been coming on for a while, so I know I have some cells that are starting to go out, and when I took my car in the other day for a software update, they mentioned that the fan need to be clean, so this was a perfect video media save myself a few hundred bucks. What I did first was to disconnect positive terminal from the 12 volt battery, that way the power wouldn't drain when I have the doors and trunk open. I did however end up with a couple extra bolts and a clip from somewhere that I couldn't figure out where they came from, so hopefully doesn't fall apart on me. LOL

[@garethbaus5471]

Next time you do this it is also probably a good idea to also remove the orange high voltage disconnect as a safety precaution.

[@Georgelikestodesign]

Used this video to clean out the fan on my 3rd Gen Prius and it was super helpful . You the man bro !!! Love from Oakland, CA!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Good work 👍🏼

[@marsmm9726]

Such a helpful video! The most tedious task i did with my car but your video made it so possible!

[@mendelleisk4577]

As always, thanks for a great video. I've done this a couple of times, a few comments:1. You make it look way too easy, getting the hatch floor with all it's clips pulled off the hybrid battery. What took you about 10 seconds I musta spent 20 minutes, lol. One thing I found: you can leave most of those clips off when re-installing, and it's still very secure, just easier for next time.2. It's not necessary to pull the rear seat cushion. There's one bolt that needs access behind it, but you can just slip a long extension in between the seat and seat back cushions, reach it.3. It's also not necessary to completely remove the fan to clean it, at least the squirrel cage. Will save some time/hassle.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

+Mendel Leisk yeah that board with clips was pretty easy haha. As for the seat cover bolt, I tried getting to it without taking the rear seat off but couldn't get it, ill try that next time. For the fan, I rather take it out and clean it so it doesn't cause a mess, plus it's a pain to clean it while it's in there.

[@milkman1944]

Thanks for the tip Mendel, saved a lot of time not having to remove the seat bottom. Oh yea, 185,000 miles and the first time I looked at it, almost nothing at all ont the fan or ducts so I buttoned it back up.

[@Bonez1999]

@@milkman1944 Thanks, I've got about 80k miles and the dealership was pushing this on me the other day, of course I said no thanks... I live in a busy city and don't really do long commutes often, so is it even worth checking it out or is it most likely perfectly fine?

[@alaind831]

@@Bonez1999 busy city means lots of stop/go so using the battery a lot more than highway commute, so your fan likely kicks on more often. Depends on how dirty the air inside is... mine has 155k and will take a look soon. figure good way to prolong battery life (dr.prius app checks the health and can change temperature which will increase fan usage)

[@77.88.]

His way does not have your short cuts , but it is by far more through.

[@RJ-vd1kt]

Great video. Took me about an hour to get the fan out and back in. It was ticking. Had some nut shells in the cage. We had a rodent in the car a month ago, but I can't really say how the shells made it all the way to the fan itself. I didn't remove the seat bottom, just took out the 12mm and put it back by reaching in. 2013 90k fan wasn't dirty.

[@AC-bz5br]

How did you get access to the 12mm without taking the seats out?

[@niltonmayorga9156]

Very good slow pace and concise you really know the prius keep coming back thanks

[@rostamk8635]

Thank you for detailed cleaning of the high voltage fan. However, I would suggest to unplug the auxiliary and high voltage batteries to be on the safe side. Great video!

[@Harinathm2008]

Thanks NutzAboutbolts :-) successfully done this. Just wanted to add on 9:28 I had my 12v battery cables clipped to the fan housing. What I suggest to remove the clip fitted to the metal fist and then move a fan a little bit. Then it's easy to unclip the harness connected to fan housing. Just added my thought. However Thanks again and look forward to seeing more videos form you. Cheers.

[@B-Free619]

Thank you brother, I got the dash sign to go away and got the fan clean

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Nice work!

[@B-Free619]

@@NutzAboutBolts thanks dude, saving 500$ is always nice

[@eluceanlestelle]

Thank you very much for this video ,it is a real help for every Toyota's hybrid car owner.Recently I bought a second hand Toyota Yaris Hybrid 9 years old with 71 000 km . I wonder if the procedure for cleaning the fan is basically the same , Thanks again from Italy.

[@tinman7180]

I was going to say what a great and instrumental video this was but everybody else has already said that so I will just say thanks. Spot on 👍

[@furryp2402]

Thanks for doing the videos. I just did the transmission fluid change. I'll get the spark plugs eventually.

[@TheJosa007]

For sure I can remove all the parts as this great video explains but: I don't think I can put it back together. I was able to clean the mesh with a vacuum and a straw but I may end up bringing it to the dealer. Thank you for such a good video

[@abdimohamed9432]

This was a great video, It was actually a very simple and easy process to follow. It might look intimidating but it's not.

[@milkman1944]

Thanks for this video, convince me that it was not an impossible task for me. Easy job after your video. Now I just need to find directions to adjust the high beams on C-Max Energi.

[@anthonymorello1472]

Okay. Thanks to this video, I'm about to do this myself. Thanks for a thorough step by step video. I'm actually looking forward to it. Huge props for the great video.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

thanks!

[@rupeinspections5611]

I have subscribed to your channel and given you a thumbs up. Thank you for the details on how to remove and completely replace everything. I now know I need to remove everything from my trunk to make it easier for the worker. Also thank you for letting me know about the switch for the courteous light, I did not know about that either. I am looking forward to watching more of your videos. I have a 2015 hatchback Prius with about 141,200 miles.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Thank you

[@hashemdabbas82]

thank you sooo much to show us how to clean the fan, i do it by my self, it was sooo dirty, now it is clean, thank you again

[@NutzAboutBolts]

glad we could help

[@hashemdabbas82]

NutzAboutBolts , i just have a smart idea to keep the fan clean as much as can, by wear the first hole at the back seat with a woman naylon socks ! to reduce the dust that entering the trunk to the fan, what do you think ?!

[@sungn4512]

the lighting and picture quality is awesome

[@RelaxUrSelf1]

You rock my friend your videos are so easy to understand no extra bla bla still entertaining i drive for a living you have made it so easy to understand what im doing to were i have no other choice but to do it my self hard to trust people nowadays.....your awesome keep those videos coming...

[@mr-sn2gk]

Another top notch video!! Thanks, very helpful, and clear.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

m r appreciate the feedback

[@kallisjazz]

Good one, NutzAboutBolts! The video's great and so is the support you're providing to the folks below. My car, like yours, will probably be with me for a long time to come too. :) Time to start learning how to do it myself. More so the auto shops around where I am will likely not be as thorough as I'd like them to be.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

+kallisjazz yeah, nothing beats doing things yourself, at least you'll know whats been done to your car.

[@fred51150]

very thanks to help all owners toyota pruis 3 , you are the best

[@iCandy2023]

GREAT VIDEO, THANK YOU!!! Worked like a charm. By the way: to reset the "Hybrid battery cooling performance is low....." warning light, simply disconnect the regular battery (not the hybrid battery), reconnect it, light will be off/reset if problem is solved.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

great job! good to know :)

[@AmaltheaVimes]

Great video, thank you! I have to always wondered why car manufacturers make these things so complicated... It should be designed to be easily maintained... :/ (like the old engine filters...unscrew a wingnut and there you are)

[@eluceanlestelle]

They do that for forcing the cars owners to spend a lot of money in the authorized Toyota garage.

[@EdwardBixler]

Excellent video. Thank you for taking the time to post this. You literally saved me hundreds of dollars.

[@tuvzmahn]

thank you so much, i just finished following your instructions with your video and i was managed to clean the fan of my car... so finally i know now that my battery cells are still good but the fan needed to be clean.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

good work :)

[@danielledegutz5800]

Taking everything apart took about 2 and a half hours for me. I also used brake cleaner to clean the fan. The only thing is that it caused the foam on the edge of the fan where it connects to the battery to come off. So when I was putting it back I taped the spot with electrical tape. I hope that is ok. Also I took the opportunity to vacuum under the seats and around the battery where I couldn't reach before. Now to continue putting everything back together. So far it seems to be going back together much more easily than it went taking everything apart.

[@zamzamoil1517]

Very nice video, you can use old toothbrush to remove most of the dirt from the fan.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

That takes too long and also the dirt will stick to the fins. I found out spraying brake clean on the fins clean it faster, you just have to watch out on the electrical components around the fan.

[@tchambers7096]

Very helpful video. Thank you! KZbin is such a great resource for information like this.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

T Chambers thanks

[@DarkstarDarth]

I wonder if with a long tube connected to a can of compressed air could blow out that little dust without that major disassembly.🤔

[@1216tomo-_-]

この動画のおかげで無事ファンを掃除できました とてもわかり易い解説ありがとうございます!

[@Sam-dc9bg]

Damn had this error today on my commute home of stop and go traffic.... fiine i'll clean it. I appreciate your help. God bless.

[@Sam-dc9bg]

The filter on the passenger side leading to the hybrid fan was 75% clogged with a thick layer of dust, maybe cat hair, and grass. The previous car owner had a cat. Hoping that solves the problem. For lazy people like me, check this first.

[@Byronas100]

Thanks for this video. Just fix mine by myself and saved a couple of hundred bucks. But after i was done I tried to reset the massage on my dashboard but didn’t disappear. Disconnected the battery for 5 minutes and boom, everything is back to normal.. 👍👍👍👍

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Byronas100 that’s the trick 👍🏼

[@gurigury1013]

For Lexus CT200h owners. I have 2011 Lexus CT200h with 160k miles, and know that it shares many parts of the 3rd gen Prius. Recently I aware of the need of cleaning a hybrid battery fan, and today(July 2022, after 10 years I purchased the car) I decided to clean it, however, I found out that my fan is fairy clean, and it doesn't need the cleaning although my car has been driving more than 160k miles. I understand that it could depend on where you drive a car - I'm living in the DC metro area which is more likely suburban. If you drive in a bad air quality area, you may need to clean the fan, but most cases, it might not be required. I think the fan and nearby structure are well designed to resist a dust accumulation.

[@rondunn.]

This video work and narrative was amazing! Thank you.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Thank you!

[@AsadAli-st2ls]

awesome tutorial. this was the second time i used this video to clean my vents. i didn't clean the fan itself cause it seemed alright to my eye. the vent was clogged so i figured that's the culprit here. BUT HOW DO YOU GET RID OF THE MESSAGE SAYING PERFORMANCE IS LOW WITHOUT TAKING OUT THE 12V BATTERY? I think there should be an easier way.

[@khalidbenhaker7687]

Really found this video helpful and thank you so much and keep doing similar videos about toyota prius issues, you will be helping about alot of taxi and uber drivers around the world and other members of the public. Ive subscribed and liked this video

[@nme700]

Some seriously good lighting in this video! Nice work!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

+nme700 thanks! hopefully the video helped you out.

[@tytanaka7983]

Awesome video! You did a great job on the instructions, anyone who can hold a wrench can do the fan cleaning with your video.

[@AaronSpencer]

Thanks for the vid. Just cleaned my fan today with your help.

[@BTM37]

Great vid. Maybe add a note in the description: DO NOT let the fan spin if you clean it out with an air compressor. Ask me how I know...

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Ouch, sorry to hear about that.

[@Rooki3_]

Was it the spinning or the air pressure from the compressor that damaged the unit? Would a vacuum work better? Going to tackle this soon trying to figure out what would be the best approach. Thanks.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

@@Rooki3_ the spinning of the fan can cause the motor to overheat and cause a short on the fan motor. I’d suggest holding the fan or disassemble it from the motor and clean it that way.

[@Rooki3_]

@@NutzAboutBolts good info, thanks again.

[@markwoel]

@@NutzAboutBolts dude.. I'm so glad you said this. I was legit about to take a very high power air unit that I use on my computer and blow it out vs removing the thing.

[@propphotographyaz9992]

Great video. Thank you so much for creating this

[@NutzAboutBolts]

No problem

[@ketyasha]

Amazing detailed video. Will be doing this soon.... I need to get the equipment 1st. But I feel so much better now that I know how to go about this ordeal. I have dogs in my car everyday so I'm assuming this is gonna be really dirty.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Thanks :)

[@mdendariarena7]

Great video. Just bought this car in 2020 lol but I’m definitely going to do this today!

[@mhussain3424]

It’s a good video It’s helping a lot but just for a safety reason remove safety plug from the hybrid system whenever you work with a hybrid battery it can be dangerous

[@rob1ford]

Cleaned it just like in the video here, low cooling light did not disappear, tried resetting the service as well as disconnecting the 12v and that didn’t work. Took it to the dealer and was told the system needs to be cleaned. Something is missing here. Got back from the dealer, the only difference is they cleaned inside and around hybrid battery, dealer cleared low cooling light with ECU. cost $250 Recommend going to a hybrid specialist for lower cost.

[@dominicfong6341]

Do what the computer technicians do: grab your girlfriend's(wife's) old nylon and fit it over the inlet, traps a lot of dust that way cheaply but effectively.

[@royalallenwenzel7052]

That's fucking brilliant... Wish I had read the comments before I just cleaned mine and put it back together. LOL

[@propphotographyaz9992]

If your a computer technician they would more than likely be your mother's pantyhose.

[@aphickey]

@@propphotographyaz9992 Why assume a computer technician couldn't just use their own pantyhose. Ageist, or sexist, or anti-drag?

[@hockeyfan6657]

Crap I was hoping this was something I’d be comfortable doing. No way I’d get it back together! Lol

[@simplyhealthandwellness]

That's how I feel. I thought I could do this. Nevermind! 🤣

[@aabugatti]

Took my prius today to dealership for oil change at 37,000miles and they told me about this fan clearing service is recommended and said it will be $380. Fuck them i will do it my own this weekend. Thanks for the great video:)

[@d.n.2248]

Thank you for the great video. There is a clip stabilizing the black wire pipe on the fan in addition to those 3 screws. Your video did not show how to release it. I am still trying to figure it out.

[@skykid2]

Thank you so much for the step by step tutorial... I did it all by myself and I put it back together without any missing bolts even better... 😀😀😀

[@jdjeep98]

This is quite a process. Not something I'd want to have to repeat on a regular basis. Once you get your fan cleaned, you can get snap on filters that go on the vent intake. They're pretty easy to get off and clean and snap back on the outside of the vent. Hopefully it will keep most of the stuff from getting into the fan.

[@thomaswilding8818]

I notice some people on forums saying do not use compressed air to blow dirt out. The spinning fan can generate enough current to short the fan circuits. I'm sure this is something a lot of people will be tempted to do, even though you didn't.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Thomas Wilding yes that’s true, so don’t use compressed air.

[@djstingraysf]

Sh*t! I used compressed air to clean, then used brake cleaner as you recommended. I waited unit it was dry to reinstall. Now my Prius says “Check Hybrid System”. Any suggestions?

[@thomaswilding8818]

@@djstingraysf maybe disconnect 12v battery for a while then reconnect (ie. Turn it off and turn it on again)

[@djstingraysf]

@@thomaswilding8818 I disconnected the reconnected the 12V battery, unplugged and plugged back in the hybrid battery connectors. All fixed! No more "Check Hybrid System" message. Thank you!

[@WebbedPete]

A few comments: 1) There's now a filter that can be added to cover the air intake. Saves a lot of hassle. Available from Toyota AFAIK. 2) I have a Gen3 Prius (2011) and no pets. Fan wasn't all THAT dirty... and didn't even throw an overheat code. Yet it WAS heating too much! 3) So what? Here's what: extra heat causes your HV battery modules to wear out more quickly. In general, the modules in the middle of the pack will be warmer, and will wear out sooner. That's the only thing that can cause such a pattern (since all batteries provide the exact same amount of power as they run in series.) This was a VERY costly issue for me. If only I'd known about the need to clean our fan a long long time ago :( 4) A hint for easy cleaning: unless it's in very poor condition, you don't actually have to remove the fan from the vehicle. a good vacuum cleaner and various kinds of brushes can work wonders :) -- the process is a bit simpler if the fan won't be removed.

[@JCO-13]

By the way, thanks for making a really nice informative video.

[@NutzAboutBolts]

+Juan Carlos Olivo no problem, thanks for watching.

[@EDChantry]

my man rocking them flip flops and socks

[@NutzAboutBolts]

😅😅

[@jefftd202]

Looks like a nightmare i'm glad you could put that back together cause I sure couldn't

[@NutzAboutBolts]

No worries, you have this video to help guide you on putting everything back together.

[@MisDirected2014]

i just did this yesterday after watching the video...it literally takes longer to clean the fins of the filter than it does to disassemble and reassemble the car.

[@31topor]

Thanks for the great video. Just fine dust on my fan, but enough to darken all the blades. BTW, have you noticed that the seat doesn’t lock into the the plastic clips as tightly as before?

[@osamaidrees88]

Excellent video, well explained. Can you please do one for 2012 Prius C (Toyota Aqua) as well? Thanks

[@TheChadWork2001]

A thin paint brush along with a thin vacuum hose will help. Isopropyl alcohol shouldn't ruin anything in there either.

[@truthinvideos]

Why couldn't the engineers have added a filter that could be easily changed?

[@NutzAboutBolts]

there are some after market mesh filter that attaches to the air vent area. Not sure how well it is since I've never used it. I would just do this periodically if you own pets. Their fur shed so it'll get sucked in there overtime and it'll cause over heating of the HV battery in the future.

[@mfuji02]

yes but they want it to fail & make $ from you.

[@001dman]

Toyota actually sells filters.. they're not easy to find on the parts lists. but they exist. we put them on at our dealer when doing a HV battery service. (they're just a mesh though, wont keep fine particles out.. just big stuff

[@ryanjones4150]

@@NutzAboutBolts I took everything apart and removed the fan, but it was fine, so I checked the black thing that leads to the fan, and it did have the mesh filter on it which was totally blocked with lint ( I'm a Lyft driver using a rental Prius, so a lot of people get in and out of the car in the rear passenger seat ) so I scraped it off and vacuumed it and now it's fine.

[@judeghazaleh3457]

Brake parts cleaner is not water or moisture, it's actually perfect electrical component as long as you use non-chlorinated brake cleaner. Other brake cleaners can actually be too harsh and cause damage to plastic polymers.

[@markmunneke]

Thanks, worked and straight to the point,

[@NutzAboutBolts]

Np

[@EddieErion929]

It’s easier to take apart the fan and clean the blades then to clean it when it’s together- it’s only a couple of screws holding the housing together and you can clean the inside of the housing that has dust also

[@garethbaus5471]

Does this procedure also apply to the plugin varient? I assume that there probably won't be much of a difference, and if there is one it will probably be towereds the end of the process of removing the fan.

[@withmenilu]

Awesome stuff.. Did it on my 2011 prius at 70000km. Thanks!!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

+Nilupul Fernandopulle np :)

[@mdosmanrana]

how dirty was the fan on 70k km?

[@skoby_vizion5985]

If ur gonna do this, please pull the orange connector clip out.that should be the first thing u do before u start sticking ur fingers around the battery and pulling on wires,That disconnects the battery so u won't get a fried

[@johnrroberts7900]

Great video - mega pain. You have to disassemble the car to get to it. Why didn't Toyota compartmentalize such a critical component with a flap in the bodywork or trunk so that Joe Average can clean it easily - this would improve battery life and reliability. Oh that's right, I remember - more money for them.

[@jalalwr]

Very informative and very helpful, Big thanks.

[@votransport1121]

After how many thousands of miles would you suggest to do this cleaning? I have cars both 3rd gen, first one has 133 k miles and second about 143, would you suggest doing that cleaning now?

[@garethbaus5471]

It isn't a big problem with the gen 3(it was redesigned from the gen 2 to prevent clogging), so if neither you nor any previous owners have kids or pets in the back to get gunk in the air intake it might not be necessary at all. But if you are worried then about once every 75k miles or so should probably be fine for most people.

[@Dosto007]

Super vidéo Thanks a lot

[@dond3009]

Very well done, informative video. Thank you!

[@NutzAboutBolts]

you're welcome :)