Hybrid battery failure - fixed!

congrats, well done! all the best and welcome!

 

The others here who have successfully replaced traction battery cells have gone through very careful balancing to make sure all the modules are well matched. While I hope you are good to go for many miles, I wonder if you will end up after a while with a "whack-a-mole" situation, and another round of cell replacement. Please let us know how it goes.

 

While the Prius battery ECU undoubtedly has some sort of cell balancing and equalization cycling that are used to keep the individual cells from diverging from the rest as they age, it is unknown (read "proprietary") to what extent it can handle a situation where one cell is quite different from the rest. That is why the safest course has been to make sure ahead of time to test all the cells, and to confirm that the individual modules are as close to each other as possible. It is a time consuming process.

Here are some recent threads, following along in the advice of the battery engineers that contribute here:
Gen II Prius Individual Battery Module Replacement | PriusChat
Traction battery rebuild question | PriusChat

 

Hi there Welcome to PC!
I applaud your fix it get up and go! As far as cell balancing, all packs age differently according to the individual driver. When you measure your good cells, they will read very close to the same voltage. Now if you put cells in from a low mileage pack into a high mileage pack the new cells may have more volts/amps than the high mileage cells. Thus an imbalance in the charge discharge cycle. It all depends on what the new cells are compared to what you already have! If it's not more that .25 volts, I would not worry about it, If I keep my car for that many miles, and have a battery, I would just replace as necessary! PIA, but it works!

 

Hello I just recently have had a problem with my prius and took it to a mechanic first he had the proper tools according to him to read the codes. So when he read the codes they came out as just low fuel which was an old code from when I did in fact run out of fuel and wasted a roadside tow for this. Now he said those were the only codes and need to take to toyota that maybe the ECU or ECM whatever it is called might be failing. So I break down and submit to the $133 charge for a diagnostic to be done on her and do a slow crawl on back roads going no more than 35 mph with actually little to no problems except not a lot of power obviously at the get go. So I drop her off and get a call the next morning saying that the hybrid battery needs replacement. Which to me is kind of odd since they were able to get codes and the other was not and almost seemed that they just went off what I told them but who really will know also the battery had been replaced not even 2 years about but had only an 18 month warranty on it and was replaced by a third party company rather than toyota dealer. So i take it home and drives just fine even got it up to 45mph didnt want to push my luck though. Get home and it seems fine....

Anyhow the lights thrown up are Master Indicator Warning light (red trianlge one with exclamation), Check Engine, and What i believe was the regenrative braking system light the one with the Yellow exclamation with parantheses it looks like around it along with on the heads up display in dash showed up the red car with exclamation point as well. Also the codes are told to me as to be as follows: P0A80 Replace hybrid battery and P3016 #16 battery block becomes weak. These are exactly word for word what was stated. Please anyone tell me what they advise and also if can maybe replace some cells instead of whole battery even as a quick fix or also if it really might be the ECU thing or not. Now I know I dont have the lingo or know how but I will state I am a very fast learner and am pretty intelligent or so I would like to believe and have seen videos on all of it as well. SO ANY and ALL information would be seriously appreciated.

 

This mechanic clearly does NOT have the proper tools.

Proper tools, proper codes. Dealer was not lying to you; the first mechanic was lying.
Common occurrence with P0A80: lack of power, dash lit up like a Christmas Tree, and being able to hear the hybrid battery fan in the back.
GUARANTEED P0A80 is correct, esp given the fact of a "rebuilt" HV Battery.

Foolish? Yes, if you purchased the rebuilt HV Battery thinking it would last a long time.
Intelligent? To be determined.
1a) A 100% new OEM HV Battery can be purchased for $2071 + tax, at participating dealers.
1b) How much did you pay for your used (aka "rebuilt") battery?
2a) New OEM HV Battery will likely give you the same longevity as the original HV Battery; many years and miles of trouble free operation.
2b) You got 18-23 months out of your used HV Battery.
3a) There are many fraudsters selling late model (2009) HV Batteries, and just as many horror stories here on Prius Chat.
3b) Do you know how to read the module markings to identify the module production month/year?
4) You do realize Gen2 (2004-2009) modules, are now 7-12years old now.
5a) Module replacement often times is a Band-Aid fix, that will not work long term.
5b) This isn't a toy where you could replace the weak AA battery with a strong used AA battery, and expect the toy to work well.
6) There are many people willing to do a module replacement for a few hundred dollars.
7) What tools, if any, do you have?
8) Benefits of going NEW, is you could transfer this battery directly into another Gen2 or a Gen3 (requires some work), should you be faced with a cost prohibitive repair/accident.

If you were going to get rid of the car in the next few hours/days, maybe you can have a clear conscience doing a module replacement, and not disclosing this.

Consider this to be the Bible for those who want to replace a module. Read in its entirety and take notes. This should increase your knowledge considerably and open your eyes to the reality.
Gen II Prius Individual Battery Module Replacement | PriusChat

 

OK so I don't know if maybe you didn't read the entirety of my message. I said I purchased the Prius used under the impression it was given a NEW HV battery not long before purchasing it. Secondly I never said it was a rebuilt HV battery either I said that it would seem as though according to the price the last owner paid it is a rebuilt but didn't know this until now sadly. As for foolish yes a little but not for the reasons you are trying to give. Maybe foolish thinking the person who sold it was being 100% honest with me but not for purchasing a rebuilt HV as I did not state i did this. And as for intelligence well thanks for at the least trying to give benefit of the doubt with a to be determined. I am not going to argue my intelligence but merely take what information you have provided and read it over properly. I came here for guidance not ridicule or insults. Thanks for the little help you did provide and the assurance that the codes given are the proper codes when you yourself never read the codes from the car. I wasn't even asking if they were proper codes but merely trying to ask about the codes themselves.

Again I don't want to not thank you for your input but I honestly would appreciate a proper understanding of what i first wrote to avoid the belittling that you are assuming is correctly placed, which I am sure in most cases would be with many people without a brain or even a slight technical know how but I am not one of them.

 

how many miles on her? any way to get info on the replacement battery? how much did the former owner pay for it?

 

Yes. Your original message, in post #7, was read in its entirety. Please tell me where you wrote something along the lines "I purchased this used," or "I am the 2nd/3rd/4th owner of this Prius." No such statement exists.

Try, commas and periods, to break-up the run-on sentences. It makes it easier to read.

I correctly inferred this.

Its called sarcasm. You may be a little too sensitive; this is obviously subjective. Apologies for any hurt feelings.

Correct. I did not read the codes as you paid the dealer for that. The signs and symptoms you report, all corroborate P0A80.

Next time, ask a question. For example, " What does P3016 #16 battery block becomes weak, mean?"

Instead you say this:

P0A80 Replace hybrid battery and P3016 #16 battery block becomes weak. These are exactly word for word what was stated. Please anyone tell me what they advise and also if can maybe replace some cells instead of whole battery even as a quick fix or also if it really might be the ECU thing or not. Now I know I dont have the lingo or know how but I will state I am a very fast learner and am pretty intelligent or so I would like to believe and have seen videos on all of it as well. SO ANY and ALL information would be seriously appreciated.​

I respond with:

3a) There are many fraudsters selling late model (2009) HV Batteries, and just as many horror stories here on Prius Chat.
3b) Do you know how to read the module markings to identify the module production month/year?
4) You do realize Gen2 (2004-2009) modules, are now 7-12years old now.
5a) Module replacement often times is a Band-Aid fix, that will not work long term.
5b) This isn't a toy where you could replace the weak AA battery with a strong used AA battery, and expect the toy to work well.
6) There are many people willing to do a module replacement for a few hundred dollars.
7) What tools, if any, do you have?
8) Benefits of going NEW, is you could transfer this battery directly into another Gen2 or a Gen3 (requires some work), should you be faced with a cost prohibitive repair/accident.

Consider this to be the Bible for those who want to replace a module. Read in its entirety and take notes. This should increase your knowledge considerably and open your eyes to the reality.
Gen II Prius Individual Battery Module Replacement | PriusChat​

You should have already been asking your self this to determine what you want to do:
1) How much longer do I plan to keep the car? 1/2/3 months, 1/2/3 years, or until a cost prohibitive repair or accident occurs?
2) Are there any hidden costs of Used/Rebuilt/Refurbised? If you do not DIY, you will incur labor costs each time. A rental car is never covered while warranty work is being performed. Do you have access to another car while the Prius is in the shop, or will you have to rent a car? Some people have had to wait days while a replacement Doorman/Greentec was being shipped to them. There are many stories here, of people who went cheap, only to have spent way more money, time, and experience unnecessary stress, with a used/rebuilt/refurbished HV Battery.

You really need to read the "Battery Module Replacement" link, as you seem inclined to go that route.

 

Again thanks for the clarification and English lesson, however small it might be, I will take all into consideration. And my apologies but I think that I never claimed, but never stated I didn't either, purchase the car HV battery as a rebuilt one that was an assumption made on your part. Also I never did state either that I had purchased it second hand until my reply to you so my apologies for lack of clarification. I actually did start reading a lot into everything in the linked post and appreciate it all. As for the questions though, I want to keep it long term if can i just got it and has just hit the 200k marker so if can keep it feasibly then I would like to. It is the only car i have currently as well. As for waiting on replacement its funny you should mentin greentec that was the name of the company that replaced the battery in 2014 and nowhere on the ticket does it state refurbished or rebuilt. I looked on their website though and thats where i found a link between price paid and the refurbished or remanufactured HV batteries so it is correct assumption the previous owner purchased that.

 

Hey Joe your tagging onto someones existing thread with your new complaint. Your hijacking chickenboys thread. Start your own post. You'll get a much better response. Then you'll be able to find it again and chickenboys thread won't get lost in your new thread.

 

My apologies in other forums people get upset about starting something new when there's already a topic.

 

is the green tech battery under warranty?

 

Thats OK Joe. It will easier for you to start a new thread you will get more of a response, Thank you.