My 2001 Hybrid Battery needs to be replaced

[titus37]

I have a 2001 Prius with about 122,000 miles on it. I was told by the dealership today that the hybrid battery needs to be replaced and it will cost $3,700.

Here's my story.

About 2 months ago I did not drive the car for about 4 days. When I cranked it up, the turtle light came on and I could tell the car wasn't accelerating right. After reading the manual, it seemed like the hybrid battery was low on power and after driving for a while, everything seemed fine. This happened a couple of times that day, so I took it into the dealership to have them check into it. Unfortunately the dealership totally mis-diagnosed the problem because no error codes were thrown by the turtle light problem. I didn't let them do any repairs, and the problem seemed to go away. Occasionally when I'd first start up the car, I could tell the hybrid engine seemed a little weak, but the problem went away after a few minutes of driving.

Fast forward 2 months. Last week, I was driving and the master hybrid warning came on. I was far from home and the car felt like it was driving ok, so I drove on home. It was Thanksgiving week and life was busy, so I drove around with the warning light for few days. On Friday night the Prius decided to revolt. I was driving on the highway when suddenly the car downshifted to a low gear and the parking break light came on. I couldn't get it out of the low gear, nor could I get the parking break light to go off even after pushing and releasing the break, so I pulled off the road and shut off the car. When I re-started, the parking break light went off and the car was driving fine again. This same problem happened three times that night, but I managed to make it home. The next day I drove it up to the dealership. I ended up stuck in traffic and the car started acting really funny. The gas engine would shut off like it normally would when the car is stopped. Then after 2 seconds, it would crank up the gas engine and begin charging the battery. After 2 seconds of charging, the gas engine would shut off again. As I watched the battery charge on the screen that shows the car's energy flow, I could see the charge fluctuating wildly. This repeated itself as I freaked out in traffic, but fortunately when I'd start going again, the car would drive pretty much normally.

So, today the dealership tells me that the hybrid battery needs replacing.

I just thought I'd share my story.

I love my Prius. Besides needing a new catalytic converter, which seems to be a common problem, it has been very reliable so far. I talked to the sales guys tonight to compare fixing vs. buying a new one. They're not going to give me a whole lot for a trade-in, so it looks like I'm going to replace the battery. Hopefully we won't see any other major repair for a while.

*edit* Sorry. I think I posted this in the wrong area.

[omgitsroy326]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(titus37 @ Nov 26 2007, 11:14 PM) [snapback]544541[/snapback]</div>

I have a 2001 Prius with about 125,000 miles on it. I was told by the dealership today that the hybrid battery needs to be replaced and it will cost $3,700.

Here's my story.

About 2 months ago I did not drive the car for about 4 days. When I cranked it up, the turtle light came on and I could tell the car wasn't accelerating right. After reading the manual, it seemed like the hybrid battery was low on power and after driving for a while, everything seemed fine. This happened a couple of times that day, so I took it into the dealership to have them check into it. Unfortunately the dealership totally mis-diagnosed the problem because no error codes were thrown by the turtle light problem. I didn't let them do any repairs, and the problem seemed to go away. Occasionally when I'd first start up the car, I could tell the hybrid engine seemed a little weak, but the problem went away after a few minutes of driving.

Fast forward 2 months. Last week, I was driving and the master hybrid warning came on. I was far from home and the car felt like it was driving ok, so I drove on home. It was Thanksgiving week and life was busy, so I drove around with the warning light for few days. On Friday night the Prius decided to revolt. I was driving on the highway when suddenly the car downshifted to a low gear and the parking break light came on. I couldn't get it out of the low gear, nor could I get the parking break light to go off even after pushing and releasing the break, so I pulled off the road and shut off the car. When I re-started, the parking break light went off and the car was driving fine again. This same problem happened three times that night, but I managed to make it home. The next day I drove it up to the dealership. I ended up stuck in traffic and the car started acting really funny. The gas engine would shut off like it normally would when the car is stopped. Then after 2 seconds, it would crank up the gas engine and begin charging the battery. After 2 seconds of charging, the gas engine would shut off again. As I watched the battery charge on the screen that shows the car's energy flow, I could see the charge fluctuating wildly. This repeated itself as I freaked out in traffic, but fortunately when I'd start going again, the car would drive pretty much normally.

So, today the dealership tells me that the hybrid battery needs replacing.

I just thought I'd share my story.

I love my Prius. Besides needing a new catalytic converter, which seems to be a common problem, it has been very reliable so far. I talked to the sales guys tonight to compare fixing vs. buying a new one. They're not going to give me a whole lot for a trade-in, so it looks like I'm going to replace the battery. Hopefully we won't see any other major repair for a while.

*edit* Sorry. I think I posted this in the wrong area.
[/b]

how much would they give you for trade in ?

[hobbit]

Did you ever have SSC 40G, battery rework done on it? Might be
corroded interconnects, not the battery modules themselves.
.
_H*

[omgitsroy326]

also are they 100% sure that it's the battery? I'm not prius tech , but it could be the senor for the battery.

I mean if the sensor was off in telling you that the battery has depleted all it's energy then it would make the car act like it had no battery.

I read bout the taxi cab guy who got like 240,000km on his car and never replaced his battery... dealers want your money... well i guess you'll know when they fix the problem and it continues to be the same issue.

It's really easy for someone to say... let's replace the engine ($1300 plus in labor/one day of work) as opposed to let's clean the fuel injector ($50...half and hour in labor)

[tochatihu]

titus37, if by chance you did not purchase the car new, the Toyota shop can search by VIN and see if the SSC 40G mentioned above has been done.

[efusco]

As stated above, sometimes a "simple" (relative term) cleaning of terminals will fix the problem. If not replacement used batteries are often available on ebay for as little as $500. More than likely a used one would last the life of the vehicle.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Toyota-Priu...sspagenameZWD1V

[titus37]

Thanks everyone for the quick replies! This is definitely our worst nightmare as Prius owners.

I talked with the service guy and he's looking up whether the SSC 40G re-work has been done. I also asked him to be absolutely sure they've checked the interconnects and sensors. Is there any technical information I should be asking for to determine whether they've done that?

Getting a used battery is definitely tempting, but I know from my everyday rechargeable batteries that as they sit around without a charge they could get weak. I don't think I have any way of knowing how reliable a used battery will be.

omgitsroy326, the sales guys wanted to give me $6,500 minus the cost of the repair, so $2,800

[omgitsroy326]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(titus37 @ Nov 27 2007, 07:55 AM) [snapback]544641[/snapback]</div>

Thanks everyone for the quick replies! This is definitely our worst nightmare as Prius owners.

I talked with the service guy and he's looking up whether the SSC 40G re-work has been done. I also asked him to be absolutely sure they've checked the interconnects and sensors. Is there any technical information I should be asking for to determine whether they've done that?

Getting a used battery is definitely tempting, but I know from my everyday rechargeable batteries that as they sit around without a charge they could get weak. I don't think I have any way of knowing how reliable a used battery will be.

omgitsroy326, the sales guys wanted to give me $6,500 minus the cost of the repair, so $2,800
[/b]

don't know how it is in your state, but ... try another dealer for a second opinion.... dont' tell 'em you visited another one.. (assuming they don't share database) Again ... they will milk you for ever cent you got...

[bwilson4web]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(titus37 @ Nov 26 2007, 10:14 PM) [snapback]544541[/snapback]</div>

I have a 2001 Prius with about 125,000 miles on it. I was told by the dealership today that the hybrid battery needs to be replaced and it will cost $3,700.
. . .
[/b]

How quickly must this vehicle be returned to service? (aka., your only ride)
It is at the dealers right now?
Do you have any interest and a place for 'Do It Yourself' repair?

There are two, used NHW11 batteries for sale on Ebay at $700 and $1,400. I have one and some spare modules. Send me a PM if you want to try a "do it yourself." However, you may want to contact "Galaxee" and see if they are interested or able to offer another approach. You're less than an 8 hour drive from Huntsville and we can PM about the logistics depending upon what approach you want to take.

Personally, I think the $3,700 is actually, $.03/mile, not that bad of a deal if you are able to keep the old battery. The converter is another issue. But in life, we usually get to pick two from:

1. Good
2. Fast
3. Cheap

The dealer will give you Good and Fast. If you do it with some help, you get Good and Cheap. If you do it alone, Fast and Cheap. Your choice.

Bob Wilson

[kocho]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(titus37 @ Nov 27 2007, 07:55 AM) [snapback]544641[/snapback]</div>

Getting a used battery is definitely tempting, but I know from my everyday rechargeable batteries that as they sit around without a charge they could get weak. I don't think I have any way of knowing how reliable a used battery will be.
[/b]

As a new owner of an '02 with about 118K miles myself, the battery is on my mind as well. My cat converter seems to be failing as well and throwing regular P0420 codes (which I have been resetting so far with my code scanner, planning to get a "new" cat off a junked Prius when a good one becomes available in my area).

Keep in mind that a "bad" battery does not simply mean all of it is bad or that it has been discharged too much and is beyond salvage. It could and most often would mean that just a few (or even only one) element in it is bad and. Based on some very recent posts at the Yahoo PTS (Prius Technical Stuff) group - such bad elements can be successfully replaced at a fraction of the cost of a new battery and using junk yard parts.

So, if you can confirm that the battery is the cause for your car and identify the bad cell in the battery, then getting a battery off a junk yard is a very good option IMO at this age/mileage. You can either swap the entire assembly if it is in good condition, ot pick a good cell to replace the bad in your battery. I hope I don't have to go thru this myself, but if I have to some time in the future, this would be the route I plan to take (or trade it in while it is still running reasonably well without penalty for repairs that may be unjustifiably pricey)...

omgitsroy326, the sales guys wanted to give me $6,500 minus the cost of the repair, so $2,800
[/b]

IMO these folks should be able to replace a single bad cell in a battery if that is the cause. I read somewhere that Toyota has now approved this approach. $6500 is not that bad for a trade-in value if it was not for the $2,800 deduction they asked... If you can patch the battery to a working state, then you can try the trade-in route again - you would not be having the problem and should be able to get your full trade-in value.