Hi there. Hope all is well. I just got a 2017 Prius Prime and it's obvious that the prior owner let his dog take rides in the back. I want to make sure that the cooling fans work as well as possible for both batteries. How do I remove the back seats and/or the plastic moldings to get access to that area? Thanks for all you do..
The plastic molding for the two filters near the rear seat belts pop off with a trim removal tool, then you can vacuum the filters. There is also a vent port (or two, I can’t remember) at the rear seat at floor mat level. Give them a good vacuuming with a shop vac.
Thank you for the filter cleaning video link! I have a question about a related service the dealership offered my wife. She went in for scheduled service and they gave her an estimate with this item marked as needing "IMMEDIATE ATTENTION": Hybrid fan cleaning: Hybrid System Intake Vent for Cooling Fan requires periodic service. It was a $185 service. She would have done it if not for sensing a "frighten a woman into giving us money" vibe as they overplayed their hand and also listed a 12V battery replacement as requiring "IMMEDIATE ACTION" for another $340 What exactly does this "Hybrid Fan cleaning" involve? My guess is that it must be a nearly trivial service judging by the battery replacement costing $135 more than their own list price for the battery -- they certainly have a frighteningly high labor cost markup. So if a five-minute battery swap has $135 in labor cost, I wouldn't be surprised if the "Hybrid Fan Cleaning" involves sticking a vacuum or compressed air in a duct. But I can't find any information on this service or any instructions on what it involves TYIA!
