Help! feeling toxic when driving!

Make sure the 12v auxiliary battery and the high voltage traction battery are properly vented and the HV traction battery cooling fan are working and the vent is clear and unobstructed.

SCH-I535

 

Three things.

First: CO poisoning is semi-famous for symptoms such as you describe. And all cars generate some CO, although new ones don't generate much. If you've got one of those CO detectors that plug into a socket in your house, you might want to put it in your car and drive for a mile or two. If there's enough CO in the car to bother you, there's 'way more than enough to set one of those CO detectors into a frenzy.

Second: Despite the fact that it's a hybrid, there's nothing about the environment inside a Prius that's any different than a conventional car. In fact, the electric field intensity of Priuses have been measured and compared to conventional cars. Priuses have low internal E fields, less than that of most other cars.

Third: Some time back, we had another poster who made a comment such as yours. Um. Eventually, a real MD got on the horn and suggested that that poster see a doc. For real. Because sometimes when one gets funny symptoms, it's because one has funny symptoms, and it's not such a great idea to self-diagnose. Especially when one is having symptoms that haven't been seen before. I'm not trying to blow you off or anything, but maybe you should see a real M.D. and repeat your original comments?

KBeck

 

+1 on seeing a medical doctor.

 

CO is so low in exhaust these days, it would have to be some really serious failure of the system.
I would lean toward some allergy to the trace chemicals in the car materials (assuming its car-related).
Better ventilation perhaps. Some odor adsorbent such as baking soda may help.

 

It's like this. There's a traction battery under the rear seat. As far as I know, it's sealed. There's a fan that sucks air out of the passenger compartment, blows it through the traction battery, and the air gets vented outside. The air flow keeps the battery cool. It doesn't run often unless it's hot out. There's a small plastic grill next to the right-hand side rear passenger seat; that's the intake. Some people have dogs that live in the rear seat or happen to live in really dusty areas, in which case the grill/fan can get clogged. I suppose if the traction battery overheated then maybe it would give off nasty gases or something. But it doesn't seem likely since what usually gets clogged is the fan or grill, and that comes first.

Second: there's a lead-acid battery, normal-car style, that provides current for the headlights, radios, and other lights in the car, and provides the voltage/current to boot the car computers. It lives in the right rear of the car, next to the plastic tray in the cargo area. It's supposed to be sealed, but there's a little plastic tube that plugs into the thing and vents any gases to the outside. It's possible that said tube has fallen off. In which case you'd get some battery-smelling fumes in the passenger compartment.
It's easy enough to check: Open the hatch, lift up the floor of the cargo area, pull out the plastic tray that holds all the junk you keep back there. You'll see the spare front and center. Look to the right and admire the battery in all its glory. There's bit of plastic over it, I think, that comes off. There should be a plastic tube stuck into the battery, about a quarter-inch in diameter. If it's missing or off, get a new one or push it back into the hole in the battery from whence it came.
Why I don't think this is really a problem: I used to drive a '71 VW Beetle around in my youth. All those old air-breathing, air-cooled VWs kept their 12V (6V with older models) batteries under the passenger seat. And it was a standard car battery, nothing special. Those old Beetles were famous for having air-tight passenger compartments, to the point where trying to close a door with all the windows shut could be a problem, and Beetles took upwards of a half an hour to sink if they got driven off a dock or something. I drove that thing all over the place and never noticed battery fumes and never heard of anybody else complaining about it, either. And the battery was in the passenger compartment, albeit under the rear seat. So even though the safety maniacs require venting on that lead-acid battery, I kinda doubt not doing that would give you funny brain issues.

Still, it doesn't hurt to check.

KBeck

 

Even if it's car related, a doctor may be able to pinpoint cause, with blood test or whatever.

 

+1 on all accounts.

Since you seem insistent on self diagnosis, I would definitely put the CO detector in the vehicle. If you are feeling unwell because of an exhaust problem, that detector will go bat$hit crazy immediately. Since the density is close to the same, it is more to do with how the vents circulate. But really in a closed small environment with that concentration of CO, the detector will pick it up placed anywhere.

Here is a list of EMF readings in the Prius and other vehicles. As stated, the Prius is below average not that it makes a difference. Units are in milligauss

2008 Chevrolet Cobalt 30 mG
2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid 14 mG
2008 Subaru Impreza 6 mG
2006 Toyota Prius (hybrid) 4 mG
2008 Subaru Legacy 4 mG
2008 Toyota Prius (hybrid) 4 mG
2008 Mini Cooper Clubman 3 mG
2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid 3 mG
2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 2 mG
2008 Nissan Murano 1.3 mG
2008 Toyota Sequoia 1 mG
2007 Chevrolet Suburban 0.8 mG
2008 Toyota Highlander 0.5 mG

 

Quick thought - did you clear out all the infection from the tooth? Also, does sitting for protracted periods of time / same lighting conditions (outside the Prius) bring on some of the same effects?

 

What sort of miles do you do a year?

Do you religiously change your cabin filter? The reason I ask is I've seen some nasty filters after only 10,000 miles - some have fungus growing on them! Also, the cabin filter is a favourite place for mice to make a nest. If Mr Mouse is living in yours and you're breathing the air through his nest, it isn't going to do you any good.

The cabin filter is behind the glove box.

 

Another thing to try is to change the climate control to draw in fresh air rather than recirculating the inside air. The Prius tends to default to recirc. But I tend to agree with the others to rule out CO and other fumes. Additionally, it could be other medical conditions that could be causing your symptoms.

 

Quickest thing to try is drive a different vehicle on your route and see if you experience same symptoms at the time you would have in the prius.
Then you can rule out the car or you. I am leaning towards you myself as possibly something.
+1 on the CO detection too. Rule that out. If it is related to prius and not you.

 

Definitely try to keep RECIRC turned OFF.
You aren't still taking pain pills for the tooth problem, are you ??

And it is Carbon monoxide, CO, not CO2.

With a general distrust of doctors......which I will never understand......you could have a variety of real and potentially serious medical conditions which are aggravated by getting in and out of any car frequently......like diabetes for instance.
How's your weight ??

 

i would trade for another car, why take unnecessary risk with your health? you might be more sensitive to magnetic fields than most people.

 

Did your dentist give you any antibiotics? Do you have any fevers?

 

try to check with EMF Device