Dog causes hybrid battery to fail

Brian England, Mon, Feb 27, 2023

Detailed diagnosis by a BA Auto Care tech found the underlying cause of this “hairy” problem quickly and efficiently.

A 2009 Toyota Prius came into the shop recently with the check engine light on. This is a common issue, so the technician downloaded the codes and data that related to the battery. After reviewing the data related to each of the codes, he determined that the Hybrid Battery was overheating.

There was one particular code that related to the cooling fan system that cools the battery. The fan was working but was taking too much current. After further inspection, it turned out that the fan was completely blocked with dog hair dust and dirt! This is like the dust and dirt that collects on the fan vents of personal computers. A routine cleaning corrects the issue on both cars and computers. This is especially good news for the Prius owner who thought he was facing an expensive battery replacement.

Luckily, Toyota has a preventive maintenance schedule for the battery fan and filter. If you own a Prius, be sure to build this into your scheduled maintenance program with us. Or you can just brush your dog more often :)!