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Replace hybrid battery in Sacramento area

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Foothillprius, Jan 16, 2019.

  1. Foothillprius

    Foothillprius Junior Member

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    Hi everyone,
    I bought a 2005 Prius with 108,000 miles on it a few months ago. I love the car but recently got the dash warning lights and codes (A08P0 and P3000) indicating that I need to replace my hybrid battery. I have noticed less mpg than usual lately and the hybrid battery is showing very quick depletion and recharging so I guess it makes sense.

    My question is what route should I take for battery replacement/repair. I ordered an obd2 reader which I should get today to double check the diagnosis and read the individual cells. If it’s only a cell or two maybe I will try to replace just those cells as that would be the least expensive option. However I don’t really want to start the whack-a-mole game..

    Does anyone know of a reputable hybrid replacement service in this area? I’m thinking the cost of a refurbished one sounds like the best bang for the buck but I am undecided whether I should pay to have it installed or do it myself. My husband and I are pretty decent mechanics but we haven’t tackled hybrid batteries yet.

    So far I’ve found refurbished batteries from reputable business, like green tech, to run about $1200 with a 1-2 yr warranty, but I’m not sure if that is voided if I were to install it myself.

    There’s a lot of options and I’ve done quite a bit of research but I’m still feeling a little lost and was hoping there might be some advice about local/better options on here.

    Thanks in advance for any advice!
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    theres no such thing as a reliable rebuilt. one not buy a new one for $1,600.?
     
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  3. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    You should look at the codes again, looks like a dyslexic version of P0A80

    Don't go with a rebuilt, unless it's really cheap and you're willing to risk it failing.
     
  4. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    Decide what your goal is. Do you need the car for another month before you start your 3 year back-packing trip around the world? Refurbished will most likely get you from A to B for that month before you junk it. You planning on keeping this car for any length of time? If so, buy a new battery. Only 2 options. If you want to sip coffee and eat popcorn while the mechanics take care of it for you, buy the Toyota new battery.
     
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  5. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Welcome to Prius Chat (y).

    If considering module swaps, you sound like the DIY type:).

    Prolong equipment is another option and one you can use to make a rebuilt battery last longer;).

    Most rebuilt batteries are not worth the hassle or price you’ll pay:cool:.

    Good luck and keep us posted (y).
     
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  6. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    A rebuilt battery is nothing more than someone else playing wack a mole, they just have more experience than you.
    Read this:
    Gen II Prius Individual Battery Module Replacement | PriusChat
    It will show and explain how battery rebuilding really works.
    Then watch this:

    It shows how to remove the battery pack, and how to disassemble the pack to a point where several options are available to you.
    1) rebuild the existing battery, cheapest and least longevity option
    2) 2K1toaster battery. Next cheapest and may provide the same longevity as a new factory battery. Has not been out long enough to prove that yet.
    3) New Factory Toyota battery. Most expensive option but long proven life and would be a selling point if you sold the car.

    Toyota Factory is 1950 list, 1699.70 internet plus a 1350? Core charge that you would get back when you return the old one. You can install the new battery yourself and avoid the dealer labor. Several members here have done it.

    2K1Toaster battery is 1600 delivered (no tax?) and includes everything you need. You could also sell any good modules you have to reduce that price, but I would suggest you get a hobby charger and build a load tester to document how good the remaining batteries are. You would have a better chance of selling them that way.

    Rebuilding your own you would need at least 1 hobby charger and to build your own load tester. Hobby chargers are around I think 200 and about 20 to build a load tester. Plus however many battery packs you need at about 65 each, and you have to watch where you get those from as you could get a bad one and have to buy more.
     
    #6 Skibob, Jan 17, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2019
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  7. Foothillprius

    Foothillprius Junior Member

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    Thanks for all the info guys! And yes that was a very dislexic POA80 code, I apologize. And yes I like this car and want to keep it for quite a while so I’m thinking about the long term repair value.

    So am I understanding it right that a factory new Toyota battery is $1700 (after core return) while the 2K1Toaster battery is $1600? Both options where I would install it myself, why would you not go with the oem battery with proven longevity? Or are there other costs for the Toyota battery I’m not realizing? Besides tax at least. Although I do understand you can sell your oem modules to offset cost with 2K1Toasters battery. It just doesn’t seem like a huge difference in cost.

    It definitely looks like too much work and gamble to replace the bad battery module to me from the info you guys have.

    I got the obd2 scanner and Dr. Prius app to see my individual battery cells and I’m not sure how to interpret what I’m seeing. Initially when the car starts up the different cell voltages are all over the place but after a moment they all even out except for module 9 which is about 1 v lower, which is I’m assuming my bad module. Is this to be expected or is my app unreliable? Just trying to make sure I’m addressing the correct problem in the first place.

    Thanks again for all the help!! I really appreciate it. Can’t wait to have my little car back!
     
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  8. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    You are very unlikely to get the $1700 out the door price from a dealer as an average consumer. Mechanics *may* get that price. Even with it advertised on the Internet. People have tried, everyone has failed that isn't in the biz.

    Yes mine is $1600 shipped to your door. You have about $500 worth of sellable modules. I generally say $300-$400 after you account for ebay fees, PayPal fees, shipping, etc. If I were Tesla I'd advertise as a $1200 battery!

    I believe the cylindrical design offers improvements, mostly in thermal management. We know the Toyota pack's weakness because it's usually the middle that fails. Look in my big thread for arguments back and forth.

    Good luck with the process though. Stay away from rebuilds for sure.
     
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  9. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    I pulled the 1699 internet price from Tracy Toyota. Generally what I do is take my internet price to Roseville Toyota and they match it. But I currently own 4 Toyota’s and have been a customer there for a long time. Even then I don’t know if I could pull that price. As I said 1950 plus tax is the most you would pay.

    Having said that, it’s free to try to get the lower price. I told you what I do and you won’t know unless you ask. Just bring a screen shot of the internet price with you.

    Additionally I would like to say 2K1Toaster offers a great battery solution for Prius owners. The guy designs batteries for car companies and I think NASA. He knows his stuff
     
    #9 Skibob, Jan 17, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2019
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  10. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Post a pic of what you are seeing, but it sounds like block 9 is the issue ;).

    Others have covered the remaining points:).

    Good luck and keep us posted (y).
     
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  11. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Who?
     
  12. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    2K1Toaster...No???
     
  13. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    @2K1Toaster
     
  14. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    I guess I’m too dumb to get your question. What exactly are you trying to say?
     
  15. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    It's like a forum bat signal when you @ plus a member name.

    No I didn't make batteries for NASA lol. I've helped with some X Grade (aerospace, military, etc) semiconductors. My battery work has been for lots of companies including big names that own franchise rights to dealerships most likely near where you live.
     
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  16. Foothillprius

    Foothillprius Junior Member

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    Well I was able to get dealer price for a new toyota OEM battery through a connection so it was $1560 for the battery. There was quite a bit of confusion as to what was to be returned for the core exchange and what wasn't. We saw a couple videos online that showed pretty much the whole battery torn apart so that's what we did: bus bars removed, temperature sensors removed- down to the modules being connected by the rods on top and bottom. Then the next day we talked to the toyota dealership to make sure that was correct and they didn't know what to tell us. So I called 3 other toyota dealerships and asked them, and their unanimous answer was everything comes with it inside the metal case and it would be worthless if we had opened it up and removed everything. Soooo we put it all back together and took it with us to the dealership to get the new battery. When we were there we were informed that all the electronics, except for the temperature sensors, had to be removed so we had to scramble getting everything off again while the techs were waiting on us. Less than ideal. But in the end it worked out and we got the new battery and traded in our core.
    The installation went pretty smoothly. We used an online video by Electron Automotive, "How to replace a Toyota Prius Hybrid Battery 2004-2009" as reference which was extremely comprehensive and helpful. The stressful part came after the install when we attempted to test it out before reassembling the back of the car. I replaced the orange battery plug and tried to start the car, all the lights came on but the car wouldn't start. I looked at the video again and realized I forgot to press the plug lever straight down after rotating the lever up. I replaced the plug correctly and tried to start the car again.. with no luck. I decided to do some more research and figure out what we could have done wrong and try again the next day. All my research pretty much said over and over again it was the battery plug. So I went back out to the car, made sure the plug was in as correctly as humanly possible and... it started up!!
    The triangle of death was still on, however no other lights were and the "problem" message on the multi-display had disappeared as well. So I connected my OBD2 sensor and hooked it up to the Dr. Prius app on my iPhone and cleared the old codes. The app said to disconnect the 12V battery for 5 min to reset the codes. After that the codes were gone, I went for a test drive and everything seemed normal.
    Lastly I removed the safety plug and reassembled the back of the car. I've been driving it again for the past two days and haven't had any issues. :D I'm so stoked to have my car back!!

    So a special thanks to everyone who pitched in information and advice! I really appreciate it and it made a huge difference in figuring out how to get my darling car back on the road.

    YOU GUYS ROCK!!!
     
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  17. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Good price on the battery.
     
  18. EcoDave

    EcoDave Junior Member

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    Thanks for detailing your saga so thoroughly. I'm in the same boat as you were, and local to you (Sacramento). I was all set to go with Green Bean, but this forum is scaring me away, even though they have a 5-year warranty. Now planning to go with an OEM unit and install it myself. Mind sharing where you got yours at that price? Maita Toyota quoted me $1950, not including the $1350 core charge. And can you detail, or at least point me in the right direction, on what exactly you had to turn in to get the core charge back? Thanks!
     
  19. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Here is the newest method of getting Toyota parts on the internet.


    Toyota Parts Center Online | Genuine Toyota Parts & Accessories


    After you pick the part you choose pickup at counter for delivery. 2 things I have noticed. They factor in the core charge up front and I think the price has gone up. I don’t see them under 1950 anymore. You can put any zip code in though. Tracy Toyota had the best price.
     
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  20. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    If you are doing the work yourself, @2k1Toaster kit will cost you less money and have a longer warranty. You can also sell your still functioning modules to lower the cost further.
    If you install a Toyota OEM battery yourself it only has a 1 year warranty. The @2k1Toaster kit in my signature has a 2 year warranty.