Rumbling Sound From Vent Under Rear Bench

Discussion in 'Prius v Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by TinyTheGiant, May 23, 2019.

  1. TinyTheGiant

    TinyTheGiant New Member

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    2013 Prius v wagon
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    Five
    I'm not sure what is causing this issue. The noise only starts after 30 minutes of driving. It's coming from the vent beneath the rear right passenger seat, and when I put my hand on it while it is making the sound I can feel a rumbling. Whatever it is, it doesn't affect how my car drives or my fuel efficiency. I'm hesitant to bring it to the dealership as it only starts doing this after 30 minutes of driving and stops when I shut the car off. At the time of the recording, my car was parked in EV mode with the air off and no noise from outside.



    Does anybody know what might be causing this problem?

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #1 TinyTheGiant, May 23, 2019
  2. TinyTheGiant

    TinyTheGiant New Member

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    I can't get a picture of inside the vent, but using a small mirror I have been able to look inside the vent and I don't see anything stuck inside.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #2 TinyTheGiant, May 23, 2019
  3. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    Battery fan; unbalanced squirrel cage or bad bearing
     
    #3 Air_Boss, May 23, 2019
    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller likes this.
  4. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    ^ agreed, something is wrong with the battery cooling fan. Clogged with something or just worn out; you won't know until somebody goes in there to get it out.

    That fan doesn't run until you've driven a little bit because the battery takes some driving to get warm enough to need cooling.

    You don't need a dealer to get this repaired, more or less any mechanic should be able to work it out.

    Fix it soon. The overall lifetime of the battery will be reduced if it can't be cooled properly, and it's getting warmer out there.
     
    #4 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, May 23, 2019
  5. TinyTheGiant

    TinyTheGiant New Member

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    #5 TinyTheGiant, May 24, 2019
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