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Driving with one Bad Module?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by RayL, May 2, 2018.

  1. RayL

    RayL New Member

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    I have gotten the Red Triangle Light and tested it with a code reader and got the P0A80 code along with a P3023 Code. The P3023 Code is for Module 13. My question is how long can I still drive with this condition of one module failing and will any harm come to the car if I do.
    The display shows fluctuation in charging from a full green charge to a full white no charge in a matter of minutes or less. Can hold a charge over night and most of the time is in the 4 to 8 blue bars range.
    Cooling fan comes on and runs continually until I reset codes.

    My wife only drives to work and back about 5 miles a day.
    We were away for 2 weeks and when we came back the trouble started.
    I Don't really want too invest $1500.00 at this time if I don't have to.
    2007 Prius with under 75,000 miles.

    Thanks for the help,
    Ray
     
  2. strawbrad

    strawbrad http://minnesotahybridbatteries.com

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    You could keep driving with that battery for a few days to a few weeks. I do not recommend you do so.

    Your car will continue to lose acceleration to the point of becoming a traffic hazard.

    It's time to start looking for a battery solution.
     
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  3. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    There's no definitive answer; it could go on the next trip and put the car in emergency "turtle mode". One thing is for sure, it's coming.

    Pretty much everything in this quote is bad for the HV battery; low use, letting it sit, hot climate. BTDT

    Assuming that car with such low miles is in great shape otherwise, a new battery is the best solution if you want to keep the car for years and will also add to the resale value. For such a short commute, a plug-in is an even better solution. BTDT too.

    GOOD LUCK!
     
  4. Hybrid Battery Exchange

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    After about 1-2 months the bad modules blow up and the car suddenly shuts down.
     
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  5. goku9384

    goku9384 Member

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    I say if you can DIY replace the bad module yourself with one from amazon or ebay. I had similar issue as you and went this route and my car has been running 1500 miles without problems with the bad module replaced. If you do this make sure you balance and load test the module before installing back. Note this is only a bandaid fix but atleast it will get your car working as normal again. I'm hoping mine will last atleast 10k miles(cross fingers).
     
    #5 goku9384, May 3, 2018
    Last edited: May 3, 2018
  6. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    At 4:38 pm Hybrid Battery Exchange stated: After about 1-2 months the bad modules blow up

    Do they really?

    Photographic evidence and description from personal experience please. I'm curious to see where the failure tends to be and under what conditions. No photos off the internet, seen some of those..
     
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  7. Hybrid Battery Exchange

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    Here's some of my first hand experiences with this problem. The first two images coincide, codes with the battery, this car would not go into ready mode. Sometimes the car continues to function and if you look at the live data the voltage on the affected block jumps like crazy from 12v under load to 20v when charging almost instantly.
    20170511_131255.jpg
    20170511_133543.jpg
    20170620_113906.jpg
    20170620_113918.jpg
    20171026_221754.jpg

    20180404_201627.jpg
    20170414_123609_HDR.jpg
     
    #7 Hybrid Battery Exchange, May 3, 2018
    Last edited: May 3, 2018
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  8. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    I think battery photo 4 wins the prize. Have you seen any Gen 3 modules fail in a similar way?
     
  9. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    You may have a day, you may have a few weeks.
    I had a customer that thought they could make it 3 miles to my shop. Nope. Engine started revving super fast, no power, got stuck in rush hour traffic. Finally made it home. Scared and shaken, but safe.
    Replaced the HV battery the next day.
     
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  10. Hybrid Battery Exchange

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    None. Gen 3 is a lot better at battery management than Gen 1 and 2. Most failures of Gen 3 batteries that I have seen have been due to heat, the center of the battery degrades faster than the outside creating an imbalance due to different resistance and capacity of the inner battery modules, the rest have been due to typical cell failure found in Gen 2s.
     
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  11. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Excellent photographic evidence.