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Another HV battery issue

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by DKG1011, Jul 10, 2015.

  1. DKG1011

    DKG1011 Junior Member

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    Nearly 5 years ago we had the opportunity to buy a recently traded in 2005 Prius that had been owned by my husband's friend and co-worker. Reading in this forum helped convince me that I did indeed want the Prius.

    Now the Prius has 190K miles on it. We were recently gone for two weeks and the Prius was setting unused in our driveway. Tuesday my husband is driving the Prius back to work and the battery is behaving strangely and plenty of lights are showing. Codes are the dreaded P0A80 and 3021.

    The dealer wants about $3100 to install a new battery. After reading in these forums and considering our options we have decided we want a new battery rather than a reconditioned battery.

    Are there other places to get a new battery installed besides the dealership? Or purchase one?

    Also, hubby has pulled the HV battery out already because he wanted to take a look at it. (He has electronics and electrical experience.) So now he really just wants to go pick up a new HV battery and install it himself. He will have to reinstall the old one anyway to drive it to the dealership. Are dealerships usually willing to just sell the battery?
     
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Call around to your local dealerships and find out.

    If I were in your situation, I would look for a used traction battery from a totaled G3 Prius (2010-2015 model years) and transplant the 28 modules from that battery into the battery case of your car. I am sure your husband could do that, and the cost would probably be $1K or thereabouts.
     
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  3. DKG1011

    DKG1011 Junior Member

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    Thanks. We did not want a gen 2 used pack because of age; had not considered a gen 3. I saw a thread about that floating around here somewhere though. The car-part website shows a 2013 HV battery for $1200. 80 miles from us. Might be a good option. Will see how he feels about swapping the modules.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome! i agree, buy a new battery. call all the local dealers for pricing and go with the cheapest. you can buy the battery and install it yourself, at great savings. then, you won't have to worry about the quality of the rebuild or used pack.

    and if you decide to sell the car someday, that's a huge selling point compared to the other options.
    all the best!(y)
     
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  5. DKG1011

    DKG1011 Junior Member

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    Thanks all!

    In looking for a gen 3 battery pack I did find a 2008 battery with just over 100K miles on it; $650 plus $100 for installation if they will come this far out (from St. Joseph, MO). Am considering that option.
     
  6. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    of course the specs of "2008 100k pack" is all from their mouth talking. I can bet if you look at the serial numbers on the modules, they won't all be in order
     
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  7. DKG1011

    DKG1011 Junior Member

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    It is supposed to be from a wrecked Prius. The guy also sells rebuilt batteries. But yeah, there are a lot of unknowns.
     
  8. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    If you decide this is a reasonable alternative, I suggest that your husband be prepared to remove the traction battery cover while he is at the salvage yard to ensure the 28 modules have consecutive serial numbers, and to measure the voltage of each. The point of that is to make sure the battery is not composed of a bunch of rejected modules.
     
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  9. DKG1011

    DKG1011 Junior Member

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    After lots of reading... Decided to buy a Toyota hybrid battery at their price ($2688) with the wimpy 1 year warrantee and pay the core charge ($1350) and install it myself since the job's already half done. Picked up battery today after work and got home late, will get it installed tomorrow. Old hybrid battery is disconnected and in the back of the car. Aux battery is disconnected. Hatch is closed, windows are up. Tomorrow the job starts by crawling into the back over the hybrid battery and popping the hatch open from the inside! Ye Ha! Other idea we saw was to jumper cable power to the aux terminals under the front hood then unlatch back hatch like normal. Thanks everyone for that idea! Prius Chat searches work. Are we having fun yet?
     
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  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    good decision, i hope you make it to 300k with no major problems. all the best!(y)
     
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  11. DKG1011

    DKG1011 Junior Member

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    Just wonerfull!! New Toyota hybrid battery installed and try to turn the vehicle on and what do I get?? More lights than before and it isn't going to "Ready". Gonna start new "thread" with this issue/question.
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    did you close the orange connector properly?
     
  13. DKG1011

    DKG1011 Junior Member

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    He says yes, it is locked in place. Hubby verified that. He is typing a new thread now. Thanks.
     
  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    okay, there is a utube on the proper method, it's not what it looks like.
     
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  15. DKG1011

    DKG1011 Junior Member

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    I connected the orange plug/disconnect just like I did while watching voltages during the disassembly/reassembly stage of things. Reconnected that plug once to recheck vehicle lights to see if it was a problem and got all the same lights... Vehicle still Not "Ready", can't even test drive it.
     
  16. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    It's probably your 12v battery that's dead now. With the hatch opened for an extended time, it drained the 12v
     
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  17. DKG1011

    DKG1011 Junior Member

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    Hmmm... 30+ minutes later went to check aux bat volts (12.7V) and "start" the vehicle. Hmm... now have Ready light. Got van out of the way and did a test drive. No oddball lights/messages, car drove fine up to speed limit+ on way and way back. All seems good now! Ready to test drive to work in morning. With working AC at last! Hope all continues well. Will post tomorrow of success or not.
     
  18. Silver 2008

    Silver 2008 Junior Member

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    If the battery is "new," why are they charging a core charge? The fact that they are would suggest you are buying a battery that is reconditioned or remanufactured instead of new.

    Mike
     
  19. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    They need the core back........so the landfills don't get filled with them and battery rebuilders don't get a hold of them so easily.
     
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  20. posey1981

    posey1981 New Member

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    I got 07 Toyota prius hybrid. .I let my car idle for 5 too 15 minutes then when I put in drive it wont accelerate ..this happens sometimes not all the time.and it's really hot here