Cleaning a 2012-2017 Toyota Camry Hybrid battery fan. Exposing the dealership lies part 1 of 4
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- Опубликовано: 24 сен 2020
- I own a 2014.5 Toyota Camry Hybrid (XV50 produced for Camry model years 2012 to 2017) and was shocked when Toyota of Santa Monica wanted $752 (plus tax) to clean the hybrid battery cooling fan intake system. I'm a former Master Star Certified Mercedes-Benz Technician and I felt that was beyond excessive so I did some digging. It was neither difficult nor time-consuming. I haven't found any videos how to do this on anything other than a Prius. So why doesn't one of the world's most popular vehicles have a video? Let's change that.
This is Video 1 of a 4 part series that exposes how a dealership takes advantage of their consumers.
Tools Needed:
Torque wrench (3/8 drive)
12mm socket (3/8 drive)
6 inch extension (3/8 drive)
3/8 ratchet driver
Small flathead screwdrier
Vacuum cleaner with a nook/cranny attachment
Patience
Empty wallet
Message to any viewers interested:
Flat Rate / Flagged hours / Book time:
If the manufacturer says that it should take you 3 hours to perform a repair/task, they will pay you for 3 hours of labor at your hourly wage. If you complete that task in 1 hour, you get paid for 3 hours of work at your hourly wage (I've flagged over 24 hours in a single 8hr workday). If you complete that task in 6 hours, get paid for 3 hours of work at your hourly wage (I've also had really slow weeks where a 40 hour workweek would only see 24 hours to my paycheck).
Service Advisors get paid on a variety of goals. One bonus is based upon the total number of technician hours they sell. Example: $1 per flagged hour. 1 technician flags 50hrs in a week. Team of 4 technicians = $200 bonus for a week. They might also get a % of the parts cost. It all depends upon whatever contract the dealership makes with the advisor.
I used to work at Mercedes-Benz dealerships as a Master Certified Tech. I've seen family-owned and big corporate-owned policies. When it's seasonally slow, techs are encouraged to upsell repairs that may not be needed. That's understandable. I do not stand for unfair pricing and I do not stand for subpar diagnostics. My job was diagnosing and fixing everything on the car from the front bumper to the rear bumper. My managers would also give me someone else's car that's been in multiple times for the same problem and even the cars that are in litigation for lemon-law buyback. Diagnose, document findings, report if the technician did a good job and attempt a final repair. I'd advocate for the tech, I'd advocate for the customer, I'd advocate for truth, search for answers, give honest answers and not compromise my integrity or honesty if I was low on funds or hours.
Dirty fan photo credit to Toyo Motors in Arizona
toyomotors.com/hybrid-battery...
$120 to clean a prius fan.
Referenced video of removing the fan and hybrid battery:
• How to replace a hybri... 
Авто/Мото
A local dealership in my area said the task in your video would cost $500 USD in labour plus shop supplies. They also said a hybrid certified mechanic would be required because the high voltage battery had to be turned off during the maintenance task. Strange how a 12 volt fan needs the 600 volt battery turned off. After watching you video, the entire task took me ten minutes. I wasn't even rushing. Best part of it all, my fan was perfectly clean after ten years and 80,000 miles of city driving. The dealership said I should have them do this task every fifty thousand miles/five years in order to keep the fan from seizing up and ruining my battery. Talk about a license to print money.
It is nearly impossible to trust anyone.
I had to spend an extra 15 dollars to get a shit ton of sockets (ikeep in. Mind we only needed the 12 mm socket but my hardware store only had a pack) and only spent 30 minutes at a gas station doing what this guy did and it worked. I didn't even go to my local mechanic but if he was going to charge he couldn't charge more than 90 (the hourly labor rate and the minimum needed to get a mechanic to do somethint) I should start testing my mechanics honesty
They do that for people who smoke / have pets. Tobacco residue + pet hair is the worst case scenario for these and if that battery overheats ti's quite literally done so they do everything they can to avoid that. Skeezy that they charge for it, but I guess they gotta pay for the Snap-Ons some how...
Thanks for this video. My husband took care of our vehicles, but he passed away in November. I am now in charge of making sure my car is maintained. This was easy to do after watching your video. By the way, I am 73 and I was able to do this by myself. Thanks again.
I'm sorry for your loss. I applaud your courage and your adventurous spirit!
❤️. Sending love your way.
Thank you for affirming how easy it was for you to do this. I just purchased a used 2014 Toyota Camry and need to do my own maintenance as well. Was your filter and fan fairly clean? Had it been previously cleaned or was this the first time?
I am sorry for your loss. You are inspiring!
One of the most complete, clear and simple explanations about what the dealerships magnify was displayed. Thank you
Thank you for sharing. You saved us hybrid owners from being ripped off by the stealerships.
Thank you for this video. I found the video in 2023 and performed the procedure on my 2013 Camry Hybrid having 120K miles. I followed the steps and discovered I had no mesh and the fan was completely clean. Probably due to my environment and basic family use without pets. It was fascinating learning the entire seat is a 10lb piece of foam and I am glad I did it myself as it also allowed me to vacuum years of legos/froot loops/lucky charm non-marshamallows under the seat. I saved $470+tax in WA, so easily over $500 for what turned out to be a complete non-issue.
The viewing angles, clarity of instructions, and confident presentation of this video were all so well done. Thank you so much for providing something that is so easy to follow.
This is the reason many dealers are called "stealers".
I wish every youtube diy video is like this. Simple, easy to understand and no fancy wording!
This is, by far, the best video I have seen on Camry hybrid battery fan maintenance, however it includes unrequired steps for just the filter which is what most need. Yours was clean as will be for most 2012--2017 models unlike older models without a filter and thus have a dirty fan. 2018+ put the filter and battery under the rear seat.
I included fan cleaning because the "filter" is nonexistent and the fan gets pretty dirty if you have pets or anyone sitting in the back regularly.
@@munkiebunz3 Mine is 2016 and has one and the fan is extremely clean. "Your mileage may vary"
Thank you so much for the video, I went to the dealer and had a similar experience. Watched your video and did it myself. I really appreciate it 🙂
This makes me very happy.
Just discovering this now and wanted to say thank you for posting this. Will have to double check with the Glendale dealership (was a little shocked at the quote) but I took my car in today and they just called with an update where I believe they brought up this exact procedure that they wanted to charge me $452 for.
Wow! This is the best “How To” video I ever seen. You are so detailed in your video and go step by step to simplify things. I will bring my iPad with me and do this on my Avalon Hybrid. It looks like the exact same area. Thank you for putting this video together. I can’t wait to view the next “How To” video for maintenance of this car. You make it so easy with the step by step,
Thanks a million.... Just did mine in 15 minutes with no surprises. I have about 65,000 mi and I'm sure the airflow was obstructed. It cleaned up like new. I will do it every two years from now on.
That's awesome!
This comment scares me because I just found this out and i’m at 205k. We will see in the morning.
Thanks for the quick & helpful video! Fist time I needed to do this procedure & the fan on my ‘14 Camry hybrid was clean like yours but the screen on the intake tube was a different story 😂. Fast & easy to do, our 9 yo daughter did half the job & was so excited about being able to help! Thanks again brother & stay blessed!👊🏼
Money in the bank! I just completed this weekend and following your video was super easy. 2015 with 60k miles and the fan was spotless. Quick vacuum of the so called filter behind the grate and I’m good to go. I almost always drive with the windows up so that may have helped. Thanks!
Great video!! I used to vacuum the air intake on my Prius C all the time, but the Avalon is a little more complicated to get to. You saved me a couple hundred dollars from having the dealership do it.
Brilliant. The Australian model is pretty much identical, so I just followed this video and had it done in 20 minutes.
It's been serviced by Toyota dealers ever since new, but the filter was clogged maybe 50% (I had to use a soft brush to clean the dirt on the filter before the vacuum would move the rest) - I think the dealer had never even looked at it. The fan was in good condition, though.
I've got to do my wife's 2011 model now. That's a different system (no filter) and looks like a lot more disassembly, but MUST be done.
Thank You for sharing this video ( and your dealership experiences ) It was VERY helpful and I'll be doing my maintenance in the next few days. Especially enjoyed your sense of humor. !
Thank you for the video! A Chicago dealership quoted me $439 for this job. Easy breezy job. Thanks a million!
Excellent, many thanks. Took your advice and although the models were different here in Aussie, basically most things were exactly as you side. Very happy with the results. The outside of the airvent filter was 30% est blocked with lint but the fins of the fan very clean, after 7yrs and 180,000km in Perth. I'd previously only cleaned the outer filter with a plastic straw on a modified vacuum cleaner ...tedious and not too effective. Thanks again!
Very good instructional video. PROBABLY THE BEST I'VE SEEN ON ANYTHING.
Good teaching technique.
Easy peasy.
I have seen better but is is way above average.
Dude! Best no nonsense video ever. Thank you for sharing.
I’ve been looking for this how to for my hybrid for weeks. Thank you so much!
Very Nice, I love how you take the time and describe each step. Thank you so much! I got the "check Hybrid System" light and was looking for this issue and came across this video and glad i did.
That notice means that more than a simple vacuuming of the fan is needed. Sorry.
Awesome video! Really like the added info for best practices. Thanks for sharing.
You save lot of peoples like me from looting of dealerships.Thanks a lot .
Thanks for the very easy fix for a very important issue with the hybrid fan filter.
Thanks bro! First video I have seen on this. Just bought a super clean 2018 Avalon limited with only 33k miles. I was assured that the filter was inspected by CARMAX. I suspect they did not look at it. Anyways thanks again! Very good job.
Awesome video! Amazing and well done video. Very easy to follow and no bull...., Thanks for the video.
Thank you....
Good thing you have a contact to point you in the right direction. Thanks again.
I didn't. I just got fed up with the dealership and decided to do it myself. I called them so the viewers don't just take my word for it.
I notice you did not change the filter in this video. I love how detailed and informative your video is. Very easy to fallow. Great Job!
Unless abused a shopvac on the filter is enough, I use shopvac's regularly and they can be quite powerful, in fact you spend most of your time trying to NOT vacuum unintended items.
Very helpful, thanks! I really enjoy snubbing the dealer service centers--even if it takes a couple of hours. Moreover, I found that they didn't put a filter on the cabin intake at the factory! Luckily it is low tech, and I just made my own. I know that they didn't put it on at the factory because I bought my Camry hybrid new and the battery cooling fan had never been serviced before. Getting the seat bottom off was the only difficulty--had to pry it up. Putting it back was easy--I just lined it up and sat down on it hard.
Best video yet to show how to do this !
Excellent call. Excellent excellent call and video. Wow!!
After watching your video, I opened my 2013, and interestingly there is no filter. Just an opening. Checked the fan and it wasn't dirty. I did put a fine mesh filter just to be safe.
Thank you, easy to do 5 minutes max. At 45,000 miles the fan was spotless and a quick once over on the filter with a vacuum and I am good. When reinstalling the side bolster make certain that the wire at the bottom is not pinched between the bolster and car.
Pin worthy tip! Thanks for the assist!
Amazing Videoo, wow i had no idea, bought my vehicle brand new 200k and never cleaned it till now, thank you so much for this video!!!!!
Thank you for watching and thank you for the awesome feedback. I'm glad it was helpful for you!
Thank you!!! Ive already replaced my abs module on my own but I was freaking out about this code. You saved me! If I can do the abs I can do this!
Just helped my friend do a mass air flow sensor over the phone. Things like these are easy, we just need that little confidence boost to convince us that we can save a few hundred dollars.
Thank you. I discovered that there was no filter. 2013. Bought the car 5 years ago used from a friend. It wasn’t bad in there at all despite that. Still brushed and vacuumed a bit and it was easy peasy. Looking for a filter now. I think there’s an external attachment to make it easier to clean it.
Thnx for the video. I’ll try this once I get back home.
Thanks for the very thorough video! Great job!!
Perfect video Sir. Thank you so much. No wonder I couldn't get that seat down!
Don''t forget to clean the mesh filter on the end of the air duct. Ideally, remove it from the air duct and put it on the outside of the seat.
That's alot more work needed in comparison to the next generation where the filter is incorporated into the corner of the lower seat cushion
Be happy they made it easier. Sometimes they make it more difficult for customers to diy.
You are awesome . Thank you very much for taking time to explain ,demonstrate and post this video
Appreciate it
Many thanks for sharing. I have also a Highlander Hybrid and got an idea.
great video! easy , concise instructions.
Thank you for let people know. You are good guy.
Great stuff man, cost $6.45 for the 12mm socket, $21.50 for codes scanner at Walmart and follow your VDO, got it done in an hour. Big Thanks man
How long did it take for you to clean and reinstall?
You are great...the way you explain everything I am very impressed....
Thank you so much ..
Thank you very much! I used to be a dealer tech for Mercedes Benz and stopped working in that field. I enjoy teaching and helping others and seeing people respond with positive messages where they gained enough confidence to do the service themselves makes me feel happy.
thank you so much to sharing this video for us this is very help full
thanks again
Thanks for making this video. It's really helpful.
That was my goal!
Outstanding video, Great Thanks!
Thank you for this. I’ve read how important this fan maintenance is to the life of the battery and was hoping this was not a dealer only fix. i’m about to buy a used ES 300h and concerned about what work requires a dealer. Also concerned about Hybrid battery replacement and reliability of private battery replacement. At least I know I can handle the fan.
Thank you so much! Very clear instructions.
Thanks for saving me money. Excellent video
I have a 2013 Lexus ES hybrid this really helped!!!
Thank you very much for this video! And I have to agree. $700+ to do this maintenance? I'm no mechanic but I do know both ends of a screwdriver and I was able to do this task in about 40 mins start to finish. But a quote like this from a dealer, well if it's the dealership I purchased my Camry from, I'd totally expect it from them. They are terrible with a capital 'T'. Oh, by the way, I discovered that my filter and fan were actually pretty clean! Just a quick vacuuming and life is good.
Amazing video
So far I have not been able to find anything to show what happens beyond that fan or what is in there. if there are cooling fins and the motor is badly clogged, then you can imagine how filthy it could potentially be in there. I would think the higher charge would be to thoroughly clean the entire air duct... but then again they charge $50 labor to replace the cabin air filter (which takes 5 minutes in my Prius.) Great video! So far my biggest save at toyota was an 86 celica I purchased that had been vandalized in the 90's. They wanted to charge me $1580 to get the right headlight to pop up. (motor and computer fail.) In 20 minutes I had determined that a wire was broken. Could not find the break so I replaced the whole wire through the firewall and to the computer. Cost me ten cents. Luckily I was able to purchase the service manual... but be sure they would not have put the old motor and computer back in once they installed new and it did not work.
Would you like me to do a video on what it looks like beyond the fan? It'd be pretty dark. Lol.
@@munkiebunz3 Yes, I would... I think it would be illuminating.
Very useful video thanks for uploading
750 $ thanks for sharing and saving us money. GOOD JOB !
Thank you dear bro. Thank u. I will be so excited to do by myself
You are good and funny, Thank you for this wonderful video.👍😉
Oh man....You're the best and thank you so much!
Excellent video. Thank you appreciated. I liked and subscribed. 😄👍👍
Great video!
Top nod review, Thanks so much.
Thank you for the info! My hybrid cooling maintenance came on. Great info so I don't get over charged to get it cleaned. I would rather gave someone reset do that back fan. 😀
Hopefully it's not too jam packed with dust! If the light comes back on after cleaning then you probably have a blockage further down the air pipeline.
Is there a way to get the alert to go away like we do for the oil change maintenance alert?
Excellent video.....everything went just as you described. The mesh screen on mine was almost completely clogged after 10 years of never being cleaned. The fan blades though were actually not bad at all. I don't understand why in the10 years I have been going to a Toyota dealer for regular maintenance they NEVER recommended this service. Makes me think they want the traction / drive battery to fail prematurely.
Solid theory. The maintenance books have the cabin filter, engine air filter & other filters on the list to be checked & changed. Conspiracy?
Great video 👍🏼👍🏼
My hybrid battery fan maintenence prompt just came on. I'm at 127,949 mi. I called the dealership. They were closed so I couldn't get a price or description for service. That's when I decided to go to UY (The University of RUclips). It's never failed to give answers to the test. One just has to do their research.
Thanks Professor for an amazing and empowering video- for me. I'm glad I found you.
Funny note: each time you look into the camera is like... Wasnt that really simple? Can you do that?
Did you have to manually remove the prompt?
Thank you so much for this
Very good video. I know what I'm doing this weekend.....
Thank you very much for well explained.
Very informative video. Thank you
Thank you for watching!
Awesome video. I had just found out how critical the battery air flow was so I purchased a filter to change it, 2015 Camry Hybrid. after watching you video and looking at my car I came up with an easy hack. I took a 4 inch straight 1/4" air nozzle put it through a thin plastic that was in the trash. I got out my shop vac and put the hose over the nozzle and plastic. Then I pocked it thru and air vent cover holes and sucked out the dirt. It worked perfect.
That's totally awesome! Just peek to see if your fan is clean. You can peak without using any tools and without any disassembly. Just drop down the seat, pop just two of the tabs (at the fan and at the middle) to peek inside the fan. If it's dirty, you technically CAN do the whole thing without removing the bolster but it takes some finesse to put it back in. Great hack! Did you take a video?
Hi, I just cleaned the fan. Thank you so much for saving my money. Just a question when I turn on the car, the message still appears “ cooling performance of the hybrid battery is low
Thanks
Wow! Thank you for sharing!!
Thanks for the video.
awesome tutorial
Thanks so much for this info... much appreciated....
Thank you so much for making this video. You saved me from getting screwed by dealership high fees again. Only thing is my vent use to be clean. But i noticed it was greasy looking like someone sprayed oil or something into it. Make me wonder if dealership did it to cause later repair
Wow! I'm not sure & I'd hate to speculate, but oils tend to help snag dust. It would help to be an indicator of how much dust is getting past the vent. I think it's time to start learning how to price haggle like the older generation is known for.
Great DIY Thank You!!!
Great job, Thank you.
You're the best, Mr. Munkiebunz3. I do wonder, however, how many do-it-yourselfers see the need to torque the 2 bolts which appear to do nothing more than hold the air intake duct.
If I'm making a video, I need to cover my butt from liability. 🤷♂️
Thanks boss, saved a few 100's!!!
Thanks man!
Thank you for this great video! You saved me a bunch of money! I notice you did not vacuum under the seat before you put it back in after you had told us to do that. LOL I guess you figured that it would just get more debris anyway, so what was the point. Anyway, thank you again.
It's a choice if you want to vacuum. If you have a kid & things got lost down there like food bits, yeah.
Well guess I need to do this never has been done for 4 years even. I checked all my service records weekend fun.
Thank you very much for this video
Great video! Thank you, I was able to clean my very dirty filter. How do we reset the maintenance light though?
Which maintenence light? For battery cooling, that's only via obd2 diag port.
Thanks. I have a 2012 Toyota Camry hybrid, and I did not even know that the hybrid battery had a filter that needs to be cleaned.
I have almost 100,000 miles on the odometer, so I'll ask the dealer for a quote for cleaning, or see if my local mechanic can do it for me.
Im thinking of buying a camry hybrid 2014 . Does the battery last pretty long? 100k miles with original battery is pretty good
@@FreddyGunawan I am at just over 99,000 miles on my 2012 TCH, and I have had no battery issues.
BTW, I recently had my mechanic take apart the air cooing system for the battery. He cleaned it up, and charged me les than $50. This car has been extremely reliable, and I get over 40 mpg.
Thank you!
This is great thanks so much @munkiebunz3.
I have been trying to find the torque measurements. I can find this specific ones. Any idea or what I should be looking for when searching?
I asked a toyota tech but I don't remember what the number was. I don't even remember my brother's phone number.
I want one but I'm worried that DIY maintenance is complicated by the hybrid system
This video was very helpful!! Thank you 🙏🏾🙏🏾. Does anyone know how to reset the maintenance reminder?
What kind of maintenance reminder? Regular service or the battery air flow?
Just wondering, you slid a transparent plastic to the left (until you heard a click) which was behind the small black plastic plate in order to detach the passenger seat back. When you put the seat back into place, I noticed you did not slide the clear plastic (under the black plate) back to the right. Does it automatically return to position when you push the seat back into place?
That's correct! It's spring loaded.
I love how clear and simple he spoke. Is it difficult to remove the fan though?
If no, it might be better to remove the fan before cleaning it.
I gave the tutorial in a way where my audience didn't have to remove any electrical connectors. Having a novice try to remove a decade old electrical connector = broken connectors. When I was with Mercedes-Benz no soldering or repairs were done on the SRS wiring and it was a replacement of the entire affected harness (seat bolster had SRS connector). I was unsure of the parts availability of the electrical connectors so I went with a simple method that almost guarantees necessary things don't break. If Toyota has the connector available & you have the skills and tools to re-pin a connector, have at it. I believe I included a link to another video that shows the battery pack being removed. That video includes the fan removal. You might need to remove some trim panels in the trunk for access to some bolts. Or if you have some 1/4 inch drive swivel sockets, extension and a ratchet you might be able to do it without removal. If you have a lot of gunk on the blades assume you already have had some fuzz go into the battery pack vent passages. So vacuuming while cleaning shouldn't introduce much more.
@@munkiebunz3 that is why they charge the $750, for dealer to clean the fan, they are required to remove the fan
@@munkiebunz3 I just checked mine last week. 2012 w/86k miles.
No installed filter. But I checked the fan and it was perfectly clean. Guess I’m lucky. Ordered the filter though.
Removing the fan would be at most an extra 0.3 hr by the book. That doesn't justify the 2x rate. Why does every other dealership quote $350 but I was quoted $750? If it's required, wouldn't they all have the same labor hours? Come up with a better theory in defense of the dealer quote. I worked as a dealer tech for a different brand.
Good job