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2006 - Hybrid Battery Replacement - Anyone do it themselves?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by amnyce, Apr 28, 2016.

  1. amnyce

    amnyce Junior Member

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    Has anyone successfully replaced their own hybrid battery on gen ii Prius? I'm about to take on the task, but was hoping for things to look out for ... or tips to make it easier ....

    After you put the rebuilt battery in, did it start up and run like new immediately - were there any issues to work out/through?
     
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    It would start up and all your battery problems should go away. Where are you getting this battery?

    SM-N900P ?
     
  3. andrewclaus

    andrewclaus Active Member

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    I did mine. Twice, since I salvaged the replacement out of a wreck. I wore new leather gloves with nitrile under. Keep the gloves on when just handling the case--my only injury was a sheet metal cut from the disconnected battery case. If you have a weak back, get help--lifting 80 +/- pounds when hunched over in the back of a car is not trivial to some. Get step-by-step instructions on line. For me, it was plug and play.
     
  4. amnyce

    amnyce Junior Member

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    I got it from a guy on here ... I paid a little too much, but I didn't have enough for the core deposit other places required ....
     
  5. amnyce

    amnyce Junior Member

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    I got the electric safety gloves ... and I've watched a youtube how to video at least 20 times ... I feel comfortable going into it ... just wasn't sure what to expect once it was in .... Did you have to clear codes after you put in the new battery? Or did they clear themselves?
     
  6. andrewclaus

    andrewclaus Active Member

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    I didn't have any codes--I replaced mine before it got that bad, when I got the opportunity to salvage a good unit. I hear the hybrid codes will reset when the 12V battery's disconnected for a few minutes, but I don't have any experience with that.
     
  7. S Keith

    S Keith Senior Member

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    Correct. The 12V should be disconnected for nearly the entire process. Once I have secured the pack base to the body and completed all the connections, I will reconnect the 12V and give it a test run before I continue to button it back up.

    Provided the only issue you had was your battery, the lights should be gone.

    What is the condition of the used battery you purchased?
     
  8. amnyce

    amnyce Junior Member

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    it was rebuilt, with a 3 year, unlimited mile warranty - which is good ... The only codes thrown were for my hybrid battery ... Fingers crossed this works ... and I don't take a dirt nap for messing with the battery :)
     
  9. S Keith

    S Keith Senior Member

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    Truth be told, I haven't worn insulating gloves in over a year. I know where the dangerous spots are, and I am very careful.

    Of course, if I suddenly go dark on this forum, you guys will know what happened... :)

    Well, and I'm a fat bastard, so either electrocution or heart attack... :)
     
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  10. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    If I go dark on this forum, it would mean my dog ate me
     
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  11. S Keith

    S Keith Senior Member

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    Touch the wrong spots on the battery, and he might get you well done! :)
     
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  12. amnyce

    amnyce Junior Member

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    What are the danger spots?
     
  13. S Keith

    S Keith Senior Member

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    anything metal. :)

    do it exactly like this:

     
  14. strawbrad

    strawbrad http://minnesotahybridbatteries.com

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    There are two things that often trip up first timers.

    After reinstalling the orange safety plug push it's handle straight down.

    On the first start up the power button needs to be pushed twice. If you stop after the first push you'll be looking at a dash full of warning lights. Keep your foot on the brake until started.

    Brad
     
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  15. amnyce

    amnyce Junior Member

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    thanks brad
     
  16. amnyce

    amnyce Junior Member

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    So far. So good. Not bad for a girl !!
     

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  17. cyberpriusII

    cyberpriusII Prodigyplace says I'm Super Kris

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    If you ask nice, Bisco might agree to give you a short primer on self-affirmation ;)
     
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  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    hey, us girls goota stick together.:D
     
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  19. lgherb

    lgherb Junior Member

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    I just replaced mine yesterday. I have a 2005 Gen2 with 248,000 miles on the original battery (honest to God). I picked up a used battery from a 2008 that had 110K on it according to the salvage yard that they pulled off of a car 28 days before for $750 + $150 core.

    It took me about 3 hours to do the job. The only thing I wish I had before doing the work was a tool to pry up the trim plugs as 2 of them broke when I pulled the section behind the back seats that covers the battery pack.

    Some lessons learned:

    • I did not wear electrician safety gloves because I could not find any at HD, etc., but wish I had a pair when I did the job. I did feel a slight jolt when putting the safety plug back in, which might be from the following.
    • In my eagerness to see if the salvage battery was good, I tried starting the car up before I had placed the safety plug back in. The car would not "start up" and would not turn off when I pressed the power button to power down. Had to disconnect the 12V battery to 'power down'
    • Once I put the orange safety plug back in, I used tech stream to clear out all error codes and the engine started right up.
    My error warnings all came on last Sunday and I tried to limp along while I found a battery and hoped I could last until the weekend to do the job. I do not recommend that others try this. Two days later my battery degraded to the point that I lost all hybrid functionality and was operating solely on the ICE.

    Running solely on the ICE was actually kind of dangerous, as I lost a lot of power and compromised the ability to operate normally. This happened to me on a busy highway...please don't put yourself in this type of situation.

    In terms of operation after I replaced the hybrid battery pack, its only been one day but it looks very positive. I've only taken a few short trips since replacing but it looks like my car is switching into EV mode more often than it was for a long time on the old battery.

    My only worry is that I have no idea how long the salvaged hybrid battery pack will last. Everything "feels" like the pack has no issues, but it does have 110K miles on it and I hope I am not re-visiting this issue 6+ months down the road.

    I'm toying with the idea of rebuilding my old battery pack myself instead of cashing in for the $150 core fee then putting that back in the vehicle for longer term peace of mind. If anyone has links to online resources/knowledge/tools for this, I'd be greatful.

    Good luck with the swapout...just be mindful of the voltage involved and try not to lick the terminal connections LOL.
     
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  20. S Keith

    S Keith Senior Member

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    Discharge test in my signature can approximate state of health of your battery. If you log it with Techstream, you can get exact.

    If you have the time, the inclination, the DISCIPLINE to be consistent, and the willingness to do it right, a DIY reconditioned battery will have far more value than the $150 core charge. Since you have a functional pack in operation, whole-pack reconditioning with a Hybrid Automotive reconditioning system can be convenient and effective compared to a module-level reconditioning. See the "quantitative" link in my signature.
     
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