Prius fumes kill mechanics

[snopes]

Comment: I own a Toyota Prius Hybrid car. I was recently told that
several mechanics working on Toyota hybrids have died as a result of
breathing fumes emmitted from the engine. Is this possible? I know the
high voltage under the hood is a danger but FUMES?

[threehead_99]

I may be wrong, but aren't the fumes made up from arcing electricity largely made of ozone? Also, shouldn't a well versed mechanic know not to work in a small, unventilated area? Lastly, I thought the electric motor only ran the car at cruising speeds, so in a garage with mechanic under the hood (presumably working on the gasoline engine, not the electric motor), fumes shouldn't be any different than that of a regular vehicle.

[Dog Friendly]

I've always believed that fumes were gas vapor. Since the Prius consumes the same sort of fuel as any other car, and burns it in the same sort of engine, I'm not sure where these odd fumes would come from.

What's the source of this story? I'm inclined to think it's not true, and threehead_99 makes another valid point about the ventilation in a garage.

Naah. In the absence of better data, I'm voting thumbs down on this one.

[diddy]

I would think hat if fumes from a car were killing anybody (outside of CO inhalation) that the EPA would have said something and would be making a major stink over it.

SEVERAL mechanics have died? I'm calling shenanigans on that one. If just one had died, and the cause of death traced to working on a Prius, I'd bet dollars to donuts that the family would have launched a multi-million, highly publicized lawsuit over it.

I assume it isn't gas fumes, since any regular car burns more gas than a hybrid, and I haven't heard of mechanics dying from that on a normal basis.

If it is ozone, I can't see anybody dying from it. Worse possibility, he's getting a faceful of the magic smoke, which as far as I know is a mix of ozone, various oxides, and burning plastic released by frying electrical components. I've smelled this stuff a good few times, and it's noxious stuff, but it would take a considerable level of incompetence to inhale enough of it to kill yourself. First, I doubt even frying an entire car's systems would produce all that much, even in an unventilated garage, and second, it smells like a bad thing, and you want to get away from it.

What else could a Prius put out? Electric motors aren't exactly big polluters, and I don't think they use anything special in the brakes or other systems that could kill a mechanic.

[FullMetal]

I have to agree, if its the ozone the electrical system is putting out, why aren't printer techs dropping dead, most laser printers will put out solid amounts of ozone, and they're almost never in a well ventilated area. they're always where they're "convenient" for the user. it's not like the prius burns something other than gas, the fumes that puts out is way worse than anything the electrics do.

[ParaDiddle]

I think we have a case of a legitimate warning, passed though several ears via word-of-mouth which was at some point spit out as a FOAF story.
when these vehicles first hit the streets, bulletins were sent to many firefighting agencies describing potential hazards when hybrids catch fire.

The fumes at any car fire can be quite nasty, but apparently, hybrids on fire are toxic factories. Then there's always the potential for a high-voltage mishap with the electical system. I have not personally attended a hybrid fire but, I'm guessing my first one (or few) will be a total loss.

- P

[Insensible Crier]

Well, I would say it's possible, the fumes from a Prius could kill somebody since the exhaust fumes of ANY CAR can kill you if you're in a closed space.

[diddy]

Originally Posted by Insensible Crier

Well, I would say it's possible, the fumes from a Prius could kill somebody since the exhaust fumes of ANY CAR can kill you if you're in a closed space.

Yes, but this article does mention mechanics specifically. Unless your local mechanic is not very smart, they wouldn't run the exhaust in an enclosed space. I think the OP is not talking about regular exhaust here and is implying something specific to the Prius is causing mechnaics to fall left and right since it is presumably poison.

[Der Jägermeister]

Originally Posted by diddy

Yes, but this article does mention mechanics specifically. Unless your local mechanic is not very smart, they wouldn't run the exhaust in an enclosed space. I think the OP is not talking about regular exhaust here and is implying something specific to the Prius is causing mechnaics to fall left and right since it is presumably poison.

--->Seconded, since the risk of CO poisoning is even less for the Prius, as the gas engine does not run constantly if the car is in park. Unless additional power is required by the car, the gas engine will only run (very) intermittently to recharge the battery to a minimum level.

I think the "dead mechanic rumor" qualifies as total and utter BS, like the "let's pretend" arguement saying the Hummer is better for the environment than the Prius. I've never seen a more blatant example of changing variables until your preffered hypothesis is confirmed than that bit of "research."

Bah and fooey!! I am a Toyota tech and I work on Prius all day long. No fumes here that don't come from any other cars.

[Debunker]

No one has yet theorized that the fumes may be coming from the batteries?
Although I doubt the NiMH batteries in a Prius emit fumes anyway...

[diddy]

Originally Posted by Debunker

No one has yet theorized that the fumes may be coming from the batteries?
Although I doubt the NiMH batteries in a Prius emit fumes anyway...

I doubt that as well. I would think that the batteries would short before they would emit fumes.

[Nonny Mouse]

Originally Posted by Debunker

NiMH batteries

Tiny generators powered by sentient rats?

Nonny

[WildaBeast]

Originally Posted by Debunker

No one has yet theorized that the fumes may be coming from the batteries?
Although I doubt the NiMH batteries in a Prius emit fumes anyway...

An old fashioned lead-acid battery will produce hydrogen if it's being overcharged, but I have no idea what the effect would be on NiMH batteries.

[DoubleNaughtSaleen]

Those aren't fumes, that's residual smugness from the owner of said Prius.

(Damn $3 a gallon gas!!)

[threehead_99]

To the extent of my knowledge of batteries, NiHM batteries are sealed, aren't they? Also, aren't they a dry cell battery, which means there would be no fumes from the battery at all?

Originally Posted by threehead_99

To the extent of my knowledge of batteries, NiHM batteries are sealed, aren't they? Also, aren't they a dry cell battery, which means there would be no fumes from the battery at all?

Actually, the HV battery (High Voltage) is a series of 36 small batteries connected with large bus bars. They are not a lead acid design, but insteaduse a gell type base solution for the electrolyte. They are vented, with tubes that are ducted to the outside. HOWEVER, they HV battery is located INSIDE the passenger compartment just behind the back seat! The OP's information is flawed and IMHO completely false. Toyota's Hybrid systems are overloaded with redundant safeguards.

I have been working on Prius since 2001 when Toyota first brought them to the USA. I know these cars and I have had opportunity to disassemble and inspect every component of the Hybrid Systems.

[iskinner]

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: I own a Toyota Prius Hybrid car. I was recently told that several mechanics working on Toyota hybrids have died as a result of
breathing fumes emmitted from the engine. Is this possible? I know the
high voltage under the hood is a danger but FUMES?

Just to play a "What If" game. Could we imagine dumb mechanics that think the Prius is 'Magic' and does not actually produce exhaust so he stuppidly works on one in an enclosed space.

That is the only scenario I could come up with.