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Cost to charge a dead hybrid battery?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by noname87, Sep 13, 2020.

  1. noname87

    noname87 Junior Member

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    Anybody ever had to charge a dead hybrid battery? What was the cost?
     
  2. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    Lots of people. From Toyota it is just over $1k. But now you can buy a grid-charger yourself if you're handy for a few hundred dollars. Or if you are really determined hobby charge each module individually for less than $50 and few days of work.
     
  3. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Cost can be whatever the wallet will open up for, how much was the mechanic looking to extort for this charging service?
     
  4. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    I don't think that information really answers the question that he thought he was asking.

    Almost NOBODY has their HV battery go flat and simply hooks up a charger to it and successfully recharges it and accomplishes anything useful.
     
  5. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    In every case I know it was running out of gas and then failure to restart multiple times draining the battery or military leaving the car parked for 2 years and it self discharging. I'm in a military area so I see that more often. Unfortunately none of the manly men want to drive their buddy's Prius around base every month to keep it going like they do the big diesel trucks. So they sit and rot and discharge.
     
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  6. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    OK. I did say "ALMOST nobody". :)
    And in cases like that, it certainly should not cost $1000 for a simple recharge.
     
  7. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    Unfortunately dealer prices. They don't stock the official grid charger. Diagnostic fee plus flying in a special charger and 6+ hours of shop time.

    I guess the OP needs to come back and tell us what it is they are really asking!
     
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  8. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    It depends a lot on what is actually wrong with the battery, who you know and what equipment they own........

    Where are you in NC?
    If you have an HV battery that actually needs recharging, and can bring it to Columbia, I'd be happy to help you out.
     
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  9. noname87

    noname87 Junior Member

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    OP here. What I was trying to find out was the cost. Unfortunately, my Prius was not used for 3 months and the hybrid battery appears dead. I was trying to get a feel if it is worth repairing. The car is no longer needed and the plan is to repair and sell or scrap it.

    The car is located in Durham, NC.

    Since the car is currently in an apartment complex parking lot a DYI option isn't possible.
     
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you got the cost in post #2. call a local dealer, ask how much including towing.
     
  11. cnc97

    cnc97 Senior Member

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    Silly question, but has the OP verified the 12v has voltage still??

    Depending on the SOC when parked, I didn’t think the self discharge rate was that significant.
     
  12. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Toyota dealerships charge $1K to trickle charge a hybrid pack? First time I heard of that? How long ago did you hear that?
     
  13. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    Last time was mid last year where I helped a person charge up their pack with my lab equipment. Its $185 to tell you they need to charge the battery which you graciously get back if you do the work with them. Total quote was just over $1k for the charge. It was 6 hours of shop time plus "checks" and they charged a part number for the charger "rental" itself. I guess that's how Toyota structures it? They "rent" the charger to franchises that don't own one? I am guessing it is a great selling point for a new car, which is really what the dealership wants. Your car needs $1k worth of work, you've already sunk $185 into it. We'll apply that to your new Prius today and today only. Then they can sell it at auction or if they have the tools fix it for free other than shop time. So when the techs aren't doing an oil change, they can hook it up and press the button. The charger does all the work. It just connects in where the inverter goes and with Techstream it connects the battery and starts the charging.

    2% SOC increase per 10 minute interval. 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off. And repeat minimum of 3 times. The manual for the charger specifies 5 to 6 hours to complete the charge, so the dealerships charge 6 hours of shop time.
     
  14. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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  15. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Based on exactly what indication ?

    It is way, WAY more likely that the 12 V battery is dead or very low.
    And taking that wild guess and throwing a new 12 V at it likely be the least expensive option you have at the moment. Unless it is parked where a charger can be hooked to it for a day or so.

    Well......except for selling it to a salvage yard.
     
  16. noname87

    noname87 Junior Member

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    I posted the details on another post. Short version: car sat for 3 months with smart key off. 12V battery dead. Driver reversed polarity jumped and blow the master fuse. I then removed the battery and fully charged it. I replaced the master fuse and checked all the fuses (now it been 5 months). Push start and engine appears to attempt to start for a second and master warning comes on. During this brief moment, the display show the 12V battery charge jumps from 12.4V to 14.1V indicating that the inverter appears okay. I have not been able to get the codes yet.

    So pro bally not the 12v battery.

    And yes, I read every page of the manual 12 years ago which is why I turn off the smart key function. Apparently, I miss the warning about the hybrid battery needing to be charge frequently by driving.
     
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  17. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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  18. noname87

    noname87 Junior Member

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    Thanks. Have you ever used them?

    I am not local to Durham. The mechanic that usually works on the car does not have the ability to charge the battery.
     
  19. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Would that be the needed equipment, the skill set, or both?
     
  20. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    No sorry I haven't used them. They were the first hit on my duckduckgo search. Prius / hybrid mechanic Durham, NC or something like that.