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Need help! In a predicament in Dallas, TX.

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Sanjay Goel, Feb 13, 2018.

  1. Sanjay Goel

    Sanjay Goel Member

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    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Bought a 2010 Highlander Hybrid with 160k miles a month ago. In a bid to extend the hybrid battery life, after researching here on PriusChat, ordered the deluxe set of charger / discharger combo from Hybrid Automotive. The harness install instructions on their website are for 1st gen Highlander but they said on the phone that same instructions work for the 2nd gen too.

    Well, for the most part they do, but now that I have reached the battery I find that the central battery pack is covered by a hard plastic cover and Jeff @HybridAutomotive says he has never seen that and unable to provide instructions.

    I am at a loss with my car ripped apart with both 2nd and 3rd row seats out and all side paneling removed and sitting in my garage since Friday. I kind of chickened out at this point and not knowing how to proceed when I am so close to the Hybrid battery, I am more inclined to turn over the job to someone who knows these things and has experience in this field.

    Called the local "green tec auto" folks and though they have agreed to do this for me, they insist that I bring the vehicle to them. Since they regularly remove and install batteries at their customer sites, it is a bit puzzling. They say that it is for insurance reasons. But beyond this - the price they quoted gave a sticker shock - $450 - when I have done almost 40% of the work already :(

    Since this is the largest online group of hybrid vehicle owners and enthusiasts - thought I would put my appeal on this site.

    Can anyone here provide any suggestions on what to do? Is anyone on this forum who is local to Dallas-Fort Worth area willing to help? I am willing to spend money but $450 is over the top really. Alternatively, does anyone know of any mechanics in the area who would be willing to do this job at my location?

    I am open to any suggestions...

    Thanks for reading and I really appreciate any help and / or guidance anyone here can provide.

    Regards
    Sanjay
     
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  2. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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  3. Beachbummm

    Beachbummm Senior Member

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    remove it and return the unit since it doesn't fit your car... they cant tell you how to install it so its not your problem.. for the small amount of fuel you will save it will never pay for the unit anyway if you have to pay someone to install it for you.. your car is 8 yrs old and the HV battery is near the end of its life cycle so take the money you were going to spend on this project and put it towards a rebuilt battery when needed..
     
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  4. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    You're in luck as there is a great resource in your neck of the woods: matt @ http://www.texashybridbatteries.com Give him a call.
     
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  5. Sanjay Goel

    Sanjay Goel Member

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    Will call him tomorrow.
    However, I remember talking to him before I bought this car and he / his company seem to work exclusively on Prius. That is the only reason I didn't try calling him yet.
     
  6. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    Or to put it another way:
    Trying to "recondition" a battery that old is just a fools errand.

    Yes.....I know that saying that is equivalent to Blasphemy for some battery "purists" on here but it really is true.

    If you start the "balancing" tap dance and other "conditioning" rituals on the battery soon after it is new, you might get a few extra months of life out of it on the tail end.......might. Overall, however, what little you gain will NEVER pay for the equipment and your wasted time screwing with it.
     
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  7. Sanjay Goel

    Sanjay Goel Member

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    Only reason why I went for trying this option was based on many peoples good experience with reconditioning their battery on this forum itself. You are telling me that it is all for naught :(
     
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  8. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I have had a great experience reconditioning our 2010’s Battery :).

    I share the setup with another member who had a Gen2;).

    Know that the HiHy is not as prevalent as the Prius. With this, access by Jeff to design a harness that is a direct fit will be challenging. I went to San Jose and had Jeff install our harness as it was a good excuse to “chew some fat” at the source :).

    The equipment works. I had the opportunity to loan out the equipment to another member here who was replacing a couple of failed modules. It worked very well and saved him many days of hobby charging to te same solution ;).

    This is not new technology. What is different is the ability to charge and discharge the whole pack while t sits in the car:).

    You have exactly what you need. Can you upload a pic of the issue so we might be able to offer up some suggestions?

    Keep us posted (y).
     
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  9. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    Good battery science says that it probably has little value.

    And not intending to insult anybody but........many of the people reporting really good results are not qualified to know if it worked or not.
    And some find that the improvement is very short lived.......and "forget" to come back here and report that.

    Things similar to this have been around since the 50's.
    And the results aren't much better.
     
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  10. Sanjay Goel

    Sanjay Goel Member

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    Thanks for the vote of confidence and for your encouragement. I intended to post some pics of the current situation this morning - but got late getting out of the house for work and could not do that. It is supposed to get into the mid to high 60's later today and I intend to give it another shot late afternoon. Will also call and speak with Matt today as well.

    @Sam Spade and others who are on the other side of the fence regarding this method of reconditioning the hybrid battery - I don't think there is need to take a hardline stance of "it works" or "it does not". As in everything in life (as well as science), there are always umpteen variables and parameters that dictate the outcome of any endeavor. Some people have had good results and some others have not seen any benefits. It does not necessarily mean that the "no benefit" folks are the ones with "good science" and others who have had good results are just imagining or deluded - or even that their results were only short lived.

    I suppose folks who have had good results and have been able to bring their batteries from the brink of death (the red triangle or similar symptoms) can tell how long the benefits to their batteries has lasted.

    Hare Krishna!!!
     
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  11. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Agreed;).

    Take the plunge, give it a go and post your results(y).
     
  12. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

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    No not always. But it CAN mean all of that.
    And it often does.....if you follow close enough and dig deep enough.
     
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  13. Beachbummm

    Beachbummm Senior Member

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    i have a 2008, bought it with a leaking modual..i bought no recharging equipment or anything special but the $19 tech stream software from amazon.. I changed the mod for $30 and its been over a year of care free motoring at 47mpg... BUT when it dies again I doubt Ill be spending big bucks to fix it.. its a 10 yr old car with little value much like any other 10 yr old car..gas is cheap and has been for a long time the better bet is a regular car that gets 35ish mpg..that can be fixed anywhere. this will be my last Prius cost of repairs far outweighs fuel savings..
    so far its needed a new digital dash, new brake actuator, new jbl amp, new ac compressor then the basics, new tires, 12 volt battery,brakes ect, ect ect..if the brake actuator wasnt covered by toyota i would have junked it.. 3200.00 repair that exceeded the value of the car.
     
  14. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    Sometimes pictures are worth money a $1000
    This is the first hybrid battery I've seen that looks like the dilithium crystals pack from the Starship Enterprise
    Toyota Highlander Hybrid Battery (2006-2007) | Green Bean Battery Company
    Here's a 2 year old report of dealer charges for toyota battery replacements
    Toyota hybrid battery replacement costs

    Below is a list of MSRP battery cost details for the various hybrid Toyota models offered since 2001.

    • 2001-2003 Toyota Prius (1st generation) - $3,649
    • 2004-2009 Toyota Prius (2nd generation) - $3,939
    • 2010-2011 Toyota Prius (3rd generation) - $4,080
    • 2012-2015 Toyota Prius Liftback - $3,939
    • 2012-2016 Toyota Prius V - $3,939
    • 2012-2016 Toyota Prius C - $3,807
    • 2007-2011 Toyota Camry Hybrid - $4,892
    • 2012-2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid - $4,892
    • 2013-2015 Toyota Avalon Hybrid - $4,892
    • 2006-2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid - $6,198
    • 2011-2015 Toyota Highlander Hybrid - $6,353
    a link to the report quoted above Toyota hybrid battery replacement cost guide (2016 update)
    Lets see if there is youtube for your pack

    is just a technical description here another with some hints about finding out why the pack is not working properly ( get the ODB2 codes )
     
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  15. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Some MSRPs were lowered at the beginning of 2018. @ericbecky has more details.
     
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  16. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    288 v pack is nothing to mess with unless you know exactly where to touch it and ESPECIALLY where NOT to touch it !!!
     
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  17. Sanjay Goel

    Sanjay Goel Member

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    Update + questions for helpful folks here!

    I got the hybrid battery cover opened up last night. According to instructions I also have to remove the 3 cooling fans. They were easily unscrewed but even after disconnecting their wire harness, I could not remove them. Reason being that the fans side of the wire harness is locked into the metal frame with a tab and I couldn't figure out how to get it out short of breaking it.

    Here is the picture and install instructions from HybridAutomotive website - and it pretty much the same in my 2010 model.
    -------------------------------------------------
    EDIT: Remove the hybrid battery cooling fan by removing the three 10mm bolts holding the fan in place. Unclip and unplug the four wire connector to finish removing the fan.

    After cleaning the fans, do not yet reinstall them into the vehicle.
    -------------------------------------------------
    I have marked the 3 harnesses with arrows. I am assuming that the wire harness for Prius and Highlander will quite likely be same. Can someone tell me how to get the fans out of there? Am I supposed to somehow get the 4 wires out of the harness? If so, how?
    If not, is there a way to detach the harness from where it is clipped on to the car/battery frame? This would be the preferred way - but after inspecting the wire connector/harness that is part of Jeff's @HybridAutomotive's larger harness, I can't really see any way of pulling out the plastic from where it clips on to the vehicle.

    Any suggestions will be helpful. Thanks for everyone who is trying to help and share information on here to help me out.

    Regards
    Sanjay
     

    Attached Files:

    #17 Sanjay Goel, Feb 15, 2018
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2018
  18. Sanjay Goel

    Sanjay Goel Member

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    N/A
    I know I am a noob at what I am trying to do - but can you confirm if my understanding gleaned from Hybrid Automotive's instructions is correct. If there is more, please share with me - I am all ears (eyes).

    What they say on the website is that the 2 main terminals should never be touched together - only 1 at a time when unscrewing for connecting their harness as well as when putting it back in place.

    Frankly, I have been finding myself nervous when getting near the terminals. There is no scope for any mistakes or slipping of the screwdriver when working in that slot. Can someone here who has done this give some tips on how to do this in a safe/r way?

    Has anyone here found any extra tricks that makes doing this less risky than it is?

    Regards
    Sanjay
     
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  19. Sanjay Goel

    Sanjay Goel Member

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    Only place I know of in Dallas to get cheaper hybrid battery than Toyota dealer for Highlander is "green tec auto" folks who have it listed on their website for $2695. From what they quoted me to complete my harness install, quite likely their install charges are $450 for a total cost of $3150. What is not very clear from the listing on their website is whether the battery is made up of brand new cells or reconditioned newer generation cells. Here is the link - sorry, forum rules not letting me post links (yet).... but it is very easy to see on their website.

    They have 2 options for my HV battery -
    1. Toyota Highlander 2010-2016 Remanufactured Hybrid Battery Pack with High-Capacity Cells, 18 months warranty - for $1895
    and
    2. Toyota Highlander 2010-2016 Hybrid Battery Pack with NEW GENERATION CELLS, 36 months warranty - for $2695
     
  20. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Green Tec is a rebuilder, IIRC. I doubt they buy new from a dealer to resell. some experts here but from a dealer to install for their repair customers.
     
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