Prius at 250,000+ miles

flyingprius · 09-06-2004, 01:28 PM

Here and there, I've read that the main rechargable battery in the Prius has an expected life of between 188,000 and 250,000 miles. After the main battery has finally died, the full operation of the HSD would obviously be impossible. However, is it possible for a Toyota mechanic to "turn off" the HSD and use the ICE as the sole powerplant? I know that sounds odd, and I know that the car would be less efficient, and very slow, but what if you have your Prius and not a lot of money and don't want a new car? We've all seen ancient Toyotas puttering along with 6 or even 7 digits on the odometer, but can the Prius do that? My take is that the ICE is too integrated into the central computer and HSD system that this would be impossible, but I know someone out there knows a lot more than I do about this...

Wolfman · 09-06-2004, 02:21 PM

No the HSD cannot be "shut off." Your engine is started by MG1, and MG2 is absolutely necessary to get the car moving from a stop.

These cars have been on the road overseas since 98. Toyota has a factory in mothballs waiting for these batteries to start failing. To date, this still has not been an issue.

Depending on how "bad" the HV battery gets, you will likely only notice a drop in overall fuel efficiency, or power when demanding 100% power from the system.

If the battery gets so bad, that it cannot hold enough power to start the engine, then you will be dead untill a new one can be installed.

While I don't ever expect the HV battery to truly become "cheap," by the time you need to worry about its replacement, the price will have dropped significantly. I've already seen a few of these batteries for the classics pass through the auction process on Ebay.

daniel · 09-06-2004, 11:49 PM

The way the ICE and the two MG's are integrated with the PSD, they are a unit, and all three are required for operation.

However, with a 100,000 mile / 8-year warranty, and an expected average lifetime much longer than that, by the time anyone has a non-accident (i.e. non-insured) non-warranty battery failure, there will be used batteries available from cars that were in accidents. So battery replacement should not be an issue.

09-06-2004, 01:28 PM	#1
flyingprius Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Daytona Beach, FL Posts: 150 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Prius at 250,000+ miles Here and there, I've read that the main rechargable battery in the Prius has an expected life of between 188,000 and 250,000 miles. After the main battery has finally died, the full operation of the HSD would obviously be impossible. However, is it possible for a Toyota mechanic to "turn off" the HSD and use the ICE as the sole powerplant? I know that sounds odd, and I know that the car would be less efficient, and very slow, but what if you have your Prius and not a lot of money and don't want a new car? We've all seen ancient Toyotas puttering along with 6 or even 7 digits on the odometer, but can the Prius do that? My take is that the ICE is too integrated into the central computer and HSD system that this would be impossible, but I know someone out there knows a lot more than I do about this...

09-06-2004, 02:21 PM	#2
Wolfman Moderator (on leave) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Paradise, TX Posts: 1,205 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	No the HSD cannot be "shut off." Your engine is started by MG1, and MG2 is absolutely necessary to get the car moving from a stop. These cars have been on the road overseas since 98. Toyota has a factory in mothballs waiting for these batteries to start failing. To date, this still has not been an issue. Depending on how "bad" the HV battery gets, you will likely only notice a drop in overall fuel efficiency, or power when demanding 100% power from the system. If the battery gets so bad, that it cannot hold enough power to start the engine, then you will be dead untill a new one can be installed. While I don't ever expect the HV battery to truly become "cheap," by the time you need to worry about its replacement, the price will have dropped significantly. I've already seen a few of these batteries for the classics pass through the auction process on Ebay. __________________ 1981 Mercedes 300D 1982 Thomas Transitliner 2003 Toyota Prius (gone, but will not be forgotten, thanx Toyota for bringing us the future) 1998 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid FWD 1981 John Deere Liquifire (winter toy) 1983 Yamaha Virago 920 2004 Honda GL1800 Goldwing (delivered 7.6.04 with .4 miles on it)

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09-06-2004, 11:49 PM	#3
daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 8,958 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	The way the ICE and the two MG's are integrated with the PSD, they are a unit, and all three are required for operation. However, with a 100,000 mile / 8-year warranty, and an expected average lifetime much longer than that, by the time anyone has a non-accident (i.e. non-insured) non-warranty battery failure, there will be used batteries available from cars that were in accidents. So battery replacement should not be an issue.