Traction Battery Hot

If you have verified that all engine compartment fluid levels are correct and the car does not exhibit driveability symptoms other than the warning lights listed in your OP, then you can try driving your car to the dealer. You should assume your braking system is impaired so drive cautiously and leave plenty of room to stop.

Bring your cellphone with a fully-charged battery in case you need to call a tow truck.

It is not clear that your traction battery is the issue, if you did not see a warning icon in the MFD. It could be that you have a problem with the skid control ECU or a brake sensor, since you only mentioned the ABS and VSC warning lights.

If your traction battery is the issue, you may consider buying a battery from a salvage vehicle, this may cost you $600 or so. However you would then have to find a shop willing to install it. Good luck.

 

Yes! If all you need is a traction battery buy any 2004-2009 battery from a recycler. (don't buy a new battery from the dealer) If you get a used battery with 60-80k miles it should cost under $600 and be good for another 100k miles. Installation should cost around $200 if you can find an independent mechanic near you to do it....and if you were able to remove the battery cooling fan yourself you may even have enough skill to swap the battery pack yourself...it's not all that hard to do once all the trim etc is removed.

 

Is there any chance you took the Battery fan out and put it back in backwards?

 

The outlet near the backseat should suck in air, you shouldn't be able to feel hot air. Like the previous poster said, maybe when you put back the fan after cleaning it, it was not connected the right way.

 

Paul, do you do battery installs? I can probably do mine myself but it's nice to know someone in the area I can refer people to.

Will you be at Green Drive Expo this year?

 

Correct, the backseat passenger side vent is an INLET, the outlet is on the inner RR fender down near the 12V battery.

 

Yes, 3Prong can do Toyota traction battery swaps, although I myself spend most of my time these days in Boulder Colorado at our sister company, Boulder Hybrid Conversions.

Hoping to be in the Bay Area week of Green Drive Expo. Not sure if we'll have a booth or not.

 

If you live in the boonies, a AAA PLUS membership is well worth having. Free 100 mile tow any time a car you are in breaks down....membership is for the person, not a specific vehicle so if you are riding in your friends 74 Gremlin you can have it towed too.

 

I'll keep an eye out for you.

Tow it to the nearest dismantler! lol

 

At the risk of belaboring a point: if the cooling fan is running in the correct direction the grille in the backseat will be vigorously sucking air in from the passenger compartment. If you feel air blowing out through the backseat grille then the fan is running the wrong way, in which case it is sucking in hot external air to blow over the traction battery and associated electronics. If hot air is just sort of gently wafting out of the backseat grille but you hear the fan running, then something is blocking its flow.

 

Well good luck to you aa1a! You will probably be good for more. How did they determine that the pack was defective? You mentioned early on that the SOC was only down 2 bars? Hal

 

Does anyone know if the battery fan is covered under warranty?

 

Well, it is anywhere from 3/36000 to 10/150000. What sort of problem does it have?

 

This continues to puzzle a lot of responders. It should be sucking, not blowing. Likely a moot point now.

 

So the traction battery got replaced, the car got a good service but the original 12v battery is still in place...

 

you should probably clean the fan.. maybe your battery is failing.. but if you clean the fan it will have an easier time cooling. mine was pretty clogged... about 50% and to me that's non functioning as a fan.