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Odometer reads 99,990 miles. Any way I can test my battery before it's out of warranty?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Bazookatier, Sep 15, 2014.

  1. Bazookatier

    Bazookatier Junior Member

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    I have 10 more miles to go until my battery is no longer warrantied. With a Toyota dealership 5 miles away, is it worth dropping it in for a checkup? Is there anything they can do?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    absolutely. they can test your battery health, and even if it's bad, tell you they can't do anything because it hasn't thrown any codes. then, when your car dies at 10,001 miles, they'll hit you for $4,500. for a new battery.
     
  3. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Maybe ring them before you go. You'd hate to get there and find they're closing early and they ask you to come back tomorrow ;)
     
    compac, SageBrush and ftl like this.
  4. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    10 miles to go and now you thought about it? Unless there's a code present, even if the battery was weak, they can't do anything for you. They'll ask that you come back once a code has been set.

    Save your money on the checkup
     
    CaliforniaBear likes this.
  5. Abierce

    Abierce New Member

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    I agree they seem pretty useless to do anything useful without "codes."

    But if they "test" and acknowledge the health is "bad," might that not trigger warranty obligations? The warranty doesn't have anything to do with "codes"; it has to do with the battery performing sufficiently well. I don't know exactly where that line is, but it doesn't expressly hinge on any codes being thrown.
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    absolutely. if they determine your battery is bad, codes or no, they are obligated to give you a new battery.
     
  7. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    Just drive it.
    When the battery dies, it dies.

    As it is? You could still have plenty of time, miles and years.
     
  8. kenichols29

    kenichols29 Active Member

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    All work done under warranty is paid for up front by the dealer but is later reimbursed by Toyota. In order for them to get reimbursed they need sufficient proof that the battery is bad.
     
  9. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Bazooka- Give us your state of car registration so we know what we got to work with here re: warranty
     
  10. PuckSR

    PuckSR Junior Member

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    You could buy a $10,000 cellcorder from Albert and take the battery apart to test each cell.

    Moto X ?
     
  11. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    Exactly. Get them to test it and see if it meets criteria for replacement.
     
  12. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    The only way they know the car has a problem is if there are codes present.
    If there aren't any codes then they will likely say everything is o.k.

    I would say save your money and put it towards a maintenance charger balancer instead.
     
  13. Ed Headington

    Ed Headington New Member

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    My dermatologist has a 2001 Prius, and when his car was close to the expiration of the battery warranty he had it in to the dealer's for some other work to be done. They notified him that his battery was bad and needed to be replaced. He had no idea that there was any problem with it. Everything seemed to be working fine to him. So--- I would definitely go in and have the dealer check it out myself.
     
  14. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    Ed,
    That is great news. I hope we hear more stories like that.
     
  15. motoleon

    motoleon Junior Member

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    I have software and hardware for that. But i live in Spain...:cool: without codes i can do that. I can see % of life of the hv battery...
     
    #15 motoleon, Oct 1, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2014
  16. PuckSR

    PuckSR Junior Member

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    Just order an Alber cellcorder
     
  17. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    That's a $1,000+ item. Nice, though.
     
  18. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    ^ I was scratching my head about that. Up the page in post #10 PuckSR has a typo I guess, say's it's worth $10,000.
     
  19. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    Even if you bought it new with bells and whistles I think it is under $7,000.
     
  20. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    Hmm...
    Buy an expensive instrument and use it a few times,
    Or pay someone to use it, who knows what to do with it.

    Seems like a no-brainer to me.

    SGH-I317M ? 2