I rented a Prius 2 for the day because I'm very seriously considering buying one. I really enjoyed the car. My only problem was with the HV battery fan. The noise coming from the vent by the rear passenger seat was quite loud at times. I've read that the fan has different speeds and only becomes noticeably loud at the top speed. I was wondering how much of a problem this would be? Does the fan become loud very often? Do Prius owners have problems with the noise? Are there ways to keep the car cool so the top fan speed isn't necessary? I'd greatly appreciate any feedback on this. I'm planning on buying the car very soon and am only hesitating because of this issue. Thanks for all the help. If the responses I get reassure me that the fan noise isn't a problem, then I'm looking at price for a Prius 2 of 25,200 Out the Door. Does that seem reasonable to people? Thanks again.
Is that price before or after tax, license and fees? Can you tell us what the price is before tax and including destination charge? We have no idea where you live so we don't know your tax rate nor typical license fees. Specials on New & Used Cars, Service, Parts & Financing in Sunnyvale, CA currently is openly advertising their prices. I believe theirs typically include destination charge already.
The price is after taxes and everything. The price before would be 22,900. 10% is added to that price to arrive at the OTD price. Thanks for the Sunnyvale pricing. I guess the price I'm being offered is good. I'd love to get some feedback on the HV traction battery fan noise. Is it a problem for people?
I guess it depends where you are located but two days ago we paid less than that for our Blizzard Pearl Prius Two. Facts: gas prices are dropping. Over the last three months (and probably more), month to month Prius sales are dropping. There seems to be a lot of inventory out there. As long as you are comfortable with what you are paying then that's the most important thing. As for the battery fan noise, I haven't ridden in the car long enough to notice anything yet.
I'm in the Los Angeles area. Does anybody have suggestions on the best dealer to go to for price and integrity?
I don't think I've ever heard the traction battery fan in my 2010. Was anything blocking the vent in the back seat leading to the fan? For a dealer in So. Cal, you will want to check out Dianne Whitmire (she's in the Dealer section on this site). You can do everything online, then go into the dealership to get your car. F8L drove down from Sacramento to get a car from her (he had a 2005 Prius and recently bought a 2012 Prius). I strongly considered driving down from Pleasanton to buy from her, but the deals were nearly as good here as she could offer, she advised I just buy up her (rather than drive the 14 - 16 hours).
I live in Alaska... never heard the fan to my knowledge. Warmer climates will likely hear it more. If the noise bothered you in the rental, it will bother you in your own. Guess it is up to you... but it is normal operation.
Thanks for the dealer suggestion. Where is the dealer section on the site? I'm not having success locating it. What dealership does Dianne Whitmire work for?
Hit Forums and scroll down. It's under "PriusChat Marketplace". Or just hit this: Dealers & Pricing | PriusChat to get to Dealers & Pricing. She's Fleet and Internet sales for Carson Toyota in, er, Carson. As mentioned about you call or email her. If you just walk into the dealership you'll get the floor guys.
I heard my HV battery fan for the first time on Saturday, and I have driven almost 3,000 miles in my 2012 trim 2. It wasn’t terribly loud, just enough to notice the sound; it was hot, and I had been driving the car up and down hills all day. I wasn’t sure at first that it was the battery fan, so I had my son, who was in the back seat, put his ear to the vent, and he confirmed that the fan was running. Remember the HV or Traction battery needs to stay cool to protect it from damage caused by high temperatures, and the more you charge and discharge the battery the more heat you generate. Hilly terrain charges and discharges the batteries more than driving on flat ground. The battery draws its cooling air from the cabin, so the cooler you keep the cabin the better for your battery, and the slower the cooling fan will need to run, so I run my air-conditioner at a level that keeps the cabin at 75 degrees or less. Also make sure you keep the area in front of the vent clear; this will improve air circulation. The fan noise doesn’t bother me at all, it’s no worse than the air-conditioning fan, or the rushing air through open windows. I was actually happy to hear it, as it confirmed to me that it was working and doing its job. Whether or not it’s a deal breaker for you is something only you can answer. Keep in mind the Prius is a lot like a modern aircraft; it is run by computer and has a tremendous amount of technology on board. Because it is so high tech, it does make noises that most other cars don’t, and they can be a little unsettling at first, but once you realize that these are just the normal operating sounds of the car, you stop noticing them fairly quickly. I hope this information helps you make your decision.
Thanks for the feedback. From the responses I've received it seems the HV battery fan noise shouldn't be a problem. I hope to buy a Prius 2 sometime this week.
Bought a 2011 Prius II about 3 weeks ago and have driven around 500 miles. Yesterday was the first time I heard the fan running (i had the radio off, so possibly it's been drowned out by music previously). It wasn't annoying to me. Decently hilly driving, humid daytime high temperatures between 90 and 105F over the past 3 weeks. A/C set between 72 and 82F. Averaging 46mpg calculated. No garage and difficult to find shaded parking.
