Two vents for Hybrid battery?

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Coast Cruiser, Sep 16, 2016.

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  1. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    Everybody is aware of the hybrid battery vent on the lower right side of the back seat.

    This morning while vacuuming the car, I noticed (for the first time) a 2nd vent on the lower left side of the back seat. My rubber floor mat was partially obscuring it. It's longer and skinnier than the hybrid vent. No mention of it in the owner's manual. Should I cut a section out of my rubber mat so as not to block it? What's it for?
     
    #1 Coast Cruiser, Sep 16, 2016
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  2. krmcg

    krmcg Lowered Blizzard Pearl Beauty

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    I don't know...
     
    #2 krmcg, Sep 16, 2016
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    interesting. the pip has two vents and two cooling fans inside the battery case. i wonder if it's because gen 4 got lithium? in either case, i would definitely not block it until you find out what it's for. can you provide a pic?
     
    #3 bisco, Sep 16, 2016
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  4. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    It might be a rear heat vent?
     
    #4 Montgomery, Sep 16, 2016
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  5. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    As I still don't know when my G4 will be delivered, I can only hypothesise but if the right hand vent extracts warm air then maybe the left hand one let's air in to replace it
     
    #5 RCO, Sep 16, 2016
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  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    either of those would be pretty cool. maybe cruise can do some testing?:cool:
     
    #6 bisco, Sep 16, 2016
  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Witness Leader

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    On 3rd gen air goes in through vent on the passenger side backrest, through the fan, over top of the battery, out and over the spare tire area, then out through two openings with flaps at the left and right corners of the car, to the inner side of the back bumper.

    Man, this is getting really old:

    upload_2016-9-16_15-25-20.png
     
    #7 Mendel Leisk, Sep 16, 2016
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  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    yup. bad tonight. how bout when it says to wait 24 seconds, then, after you wait, it says to wait 24 seconds again?:mad:
     
    #8 bisco, Sep 16, 2016
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  9. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    image.jpg

    The mystery vent. :) Lower left side of back seat. About 10" X 2". It's much longer and skinnier than the hybrid fan vent on the right side.

    I put the heater on "floor" and turned the fan speed up to high. No air comes out of this vent. (heat comes out of the two round tubes under the front seats... barely.)
     
    #9 Coast Cruiser, Sep 16, 2016
  10. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    Mendel, you lost me after "On 3rd gen"... :) Does the Gen4 have all that plumbing?
     
    #10 Coast Cruiser, Sep 16, 2016
  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    most likely. you wouldn't want to discharge battery air back into the cabin.
     
    #11 bisco, Sep 16, 2016
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  12. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    I will have to do more exploring. :) I see no vents on the top of the rear seat backrest.. And no vents in the trunk area. Just the one "mystery vent" that I posted a pic of. It's interesting learning about all these things. Nobody can say a Prius is boring.
     
    #12 Coast Cruiser, Sep 16, 2016
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  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    and odd that it isn't in the manual. i think i would meander down to the dealership, look at some other packages to see if they all have them, then wander into service and 'pop the question'.:p
     
    #13 bisco, Sep 16, 2016
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  14. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    If it's mentioned in the manual, I missed it. The vent definitely serves a purpose, and I wouldn't want to block it.
     
    #14 Coast Cruiser, Sep 16, 2016
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  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    put a kleenex on it and see if it's sucking or blowing.
     
    #15 bisco, Sep 16, 2016
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  16. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    Did my pic get posted bisco? Sometimes I see it, and then "poof!" Gone.
     
    #16 Coast Cruiser, Sep 16, 2016
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    yes, i can see it. danny is working on the site. it's like a bull in a china shoppe.
     
    #17 bisco, Sep 16, 2016
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  18. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Witness Leader

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    Yeah sorry, fourth gen air intake for hybrid fan is on side of rear seat bottom, and just the one, according to Owner's Manual:

    upload_2016-9-16_16-43-43.png

    Doesn't solve the mystery of the other grill.
     
    #18 Mendel Leisk, Sep 16, 2016
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  19. grape808

    grape808 Active Member

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    Maybe its to improve mpg by reducing the amount of material in the back seat and decreasing the car's weight by an additional half pound.
     
    #19 grape808, Sep 16, 2016
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  20. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    Thanks Mendel. The difference in size is, well, quite a difference. :confused: I wonder why they didn't put one long vent the full-length of the back seat. Get as much air circulation in there as possible for the traction battery. (But I guess that would also allow more dust to enter that space.)
     
    #20 Coast Cruiser, Sep 16, 2016
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