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I am trying to find out how to access the battery area behind the back seat. I want to clean the air flow vents and see if I can supplement the cooling air in any way to keep the battery and electronics cooler.

You have to remove the rear seat cushion first and then the IPU metal cover in order to expose enough of the cooling flow path for effective cleaning. You'll find a central bolt point embedded between the back and bottom cushions that is also near the center mounted belt buckles. Poke deeper and you'll see it. Once that is removed the rest just pops out easily.

I also suggest you have a vacuum at hand if you are using pressurized air and simply blow outwards at the intake (right side of IPU facing back) and at the exhaust point (left side of IPU facing back).

Cheers;

MSantos

I've wondered why they didn't have a filter for the IMA battery like Ford does on the Escape hybrid. FWIW though, I disassembled the front of the case last fall and expected to find copious amounts of dust, hair etc. as I will occasionally carry my 70 lb Greyhound with me. To my surprise, the case was largely clean.

Indeed.

However filters also act as a significant impediment to air flow especially when then get clogged up, and because of that designers often prefer to design gravity traps along the air flow path as a more attractive alternative.

As far as what I have seen, dust seems to be the biggest problem particularly for those of us you drive with the windows down in dusty environments. If you drive with the windows up chances are the IPU will be relatively clean even after 5 years or more. ;)

Cheers;


MSantos