Hybrid battery Filter on the rear seat

If you can see light through it, it should be ok. You can blow it out gently with an air compressor or can of compressed air too. If still concerned, buy a new one and compare light through it vs. the existing one.

 

If the interior of your car is kept clean they should be okay. If you have pets, maybe not. Buy new ones if you’re not sure. Only a few bucks.

 

Yep just blow it out and you're fine. I, also, shine a light in there and inspect the blower fan vents...don't want lint or hair to be built up in there. (We have dogs so I check them often but have been clean, so far.)

 

These filters are so cheap just buy new ones. Don't use a blower or vacume. Dealership where I am in canada is sells them for $5 each side. Probably best to change them every 2-3 years. If you live in the city Probably even longer.

 

If you dont have pets that ride in the car occasionally, its probably like every 200k maintenance if at all. I had my dog ride in the car twice and was surprised at all the pet hair stuck in it during that short trip. A good strong vacuum or blowing it out occasionally without taking it apart is probably adequate for most. If replacing, I would also recommend to use some pressurized air to clean the fan and battery behind the fan, just takes a few extra seconds.

 

A couple years ago I took the out and looked at them. I may have slapped them against my palm a few times before I put them back in.

There are at least two different part number sets for Gen 4 Prime. If you find that part numbers list above in post #3 don't fit your 2017-2021 Prime you can also try these part numbers that fit my Prime.
Toyota G92DH-47080 Filter, Hv Battery Intake
Toyota G92DJ-47010 Filter, Hv Battery Intake

or search the part numbers or at any Toyota OEM parts page -
Filter, Hv Batery Intake
- should list what's available.

 

We have a White German Shepherd Dog and she sheds like crazy year round. We take her with us quite often and spend a lot of time vacuuming her hair up. With that in mind I check the filter every 6 months when I change the oil and have rarely really needed to clean it (the minute or so it takes to remove it and check it is no big deal).
I wouldn’t recommend using anything other than a vacuum on it or the fan with out first checking what the Owners Manual has to say about it. FWIW

 

I don't think the Owner's Manuals say anything, specifically about cleaning the fan. Neither do the Repair Manuals, at least I've not noticed anything. I would dig down to the fan at least once, just to see how it's doing. With gen 3 hatchback at least, the fain can be cleaned without full removal. It does involve a fair bit of removal to access though.

 

In the 2022 Gen 4 OM you can find such information on pages 546 and 550.

 

Checked it out, it's showing the inlet filter, not the fan. Getting to the latter is a lot more arduous.

 

The fan is clearly visible directly behind the grill that the filter is housed in. Even the Car Care Nut warns against using compressed air to clean the fan due to the likely hood of blowing the debris further into the duct and at the very least reducing air flow through the duct work. The inlet grill is just the cover of the air intake, not the air intake in and of itself.

 

You are supposed to inspect that filter every 5k miles and clean/replace it every 20k miles.
As I drive Uber and the right rear is the most often occupied seat besides mine, it gets a lot of crap in there. I vacuum it every 10-20k miles and have a unused spare I bought online two years ago for when it needs replacing.
I had the computer throw a code at me at about 70k miles, about two years into ownership. The duct work was well "infected" with debris, fur, hair, dirt, etc. and my MPG had dropped about 15/gallon. Had the duct work cleaned out (vacuumed) and the filter replaced and now that I'm aware of it, I check it myself. At 320k miles now and haven't had a problem in the last 6 years.

 

Oh seriously? You’ll have to excuse me; I’m thinking nothings changed since Gen 3.

 

Don't believe everything you read here. A pic would answer a lot of questions where someones post may or may not be so accurate.

I'm pretty sure that the Gen 4 hybrid battery cooling fans are located behind the hybrid battery and are not visible when removing the Gen 4 hybrid battery cooling inlet grilles.

I watched one of the Car Care Nuts videos that shows how to easily remove the grilles and check the filter behind the Gen 4s hybrid battery cooling air inlet grilles.

I didn't see the hybrid cooling fans behind the air intake grilles in the video I watched and also didn't see any fans when I removed the grilles and checked the filters.

But I wasn't looking for any fan(s) behind the air Inlet grilles either, since I believe they ( the battery cooling fans ) are behind the hybrid battery.

 

It’s always bee a squirrel cage style fan, about this size of a 26-27 oz (796 ml up here ) can of tomatoes.

(Chilli day )

 

Yep! Don’t believe everything you read here.

from page 550 in the 2022 OM regarding cleaning the air intake vent (as compared to cleaning the air intake filter (which is addressed in the pages immediately preceding):
■ When cleaning the air intake vent

When cleaning the air intake vent, make

sure to only use a vacuum to suck out

dust and clogs. If a compressed air blow

gun, etc. is used to blow out dust and

clogs, the dust or clogs may be pushed

into the air intake vent, which may affect

the performance of the hybrid battery

(traction battery) and cause a malfunc-

tion.

■ To prevent damage to the vehicle

● Do not allow water or foreign matter to enter the air intake vent when the

cover is removed.

● Carefully handle the removed filter so that it will not be damaged. If the fil-

ter is damaged, have it replaced with a new filter by your Toyota dealer.

● Make sure to reinstall the filter and cover to their original positions after

cleaning.

● Do not install anything to the air intake vent other than the exclusive filter

for this vehicle or use the vehicle without the filter installed.

 

Live and learn! That's a smart location.

(Too bad they didn't do something similar for the gen 3 inverter water pump: was just watching @NutzAboutBolts new video on how to replace that, basically a how on how to remove the %$#!& inverter, to get at the pump.)

 

I agree.
I wish the earlier Gen 4 had that as well.

I wonder if that / those fan(s) - up by the back seat inlet grilles ? -
are the only battery cooling fans ? for the "Gen 4 refresh 2020-2022" .

Or if the two fans behind the battery are still there as well.

@Doug McC do you by any chance remember any search clues or the url for the care care nuts video that shows it ?
I'd like to see more about where those fans are and what else he has to say about the refresh.

 

If I remember correctly, I viewed the video some time in 2022-2023 on YouTube. And, again if I remember correctly, there was only one fan. He took the seat out and went through each part of the hybrid battery explaining it. Perhaps ColoradoBoo might have links.