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2007 cat stolen, hybrid batt, and more! Keep the car?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by AEE, Mar 26, 2021.

  1. AEE

    AEE New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2021
    1
    0
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    Location:
    Chapel Hill, NC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Hello all! I've got a sad Prius story to share and need some advice...

    My fiancee and I are both students at UNC and were home for ~2 months over winter break. When she came back to her 2007 Prius that was sitting in Chapel Hill, we found that the cat was stolen - got that fixed (aftermarket) but now we're still having issues with the car.

    We've got the classic Christmas tree of warning lights for the hybrid battery (code P0A80) and were quoted $2750 by the dealership for a brand new replacement. This wasn't a huge surprise after letting the car sit for ~2 months and after 160K miles, but still disappointing. However, we're also having more problems with the car that don't necessarily seem related to the battery. The car is still drivable, but will randomly shift from driving normally with weak acceleration to having a very high idle and almost no acceleration at full throttle. After restarting the car at a traffic light or parking lot, it's back to "normal." She's also burning a good bit of oil.

    At this point we're trying to decide next steps... it feels like a bit of a gamble to invest in a new battery when there might be additional issues with the engine. Is the high idle/acceleration issue related to the battery or something else? Do you have any advice on replacing the battery vs. getting a new car?

    Thanks so much for your opinions, any and all help is appreciated!
     
  2. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2007
    10,096
    4,795
    0
    Location:
    Clearwater, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    The engine issues you are seeing are exactly related to the hybrid battery failing. Its in limp mode now. The hybrid battery delivers a large percentage of the power the vehicle has and now its basically offline which means all propulsion falls on the little 90 horsepower engine.
    It does not enjoy that at all.
    In limp mode you have to basically floor it to get anywhere. Very hard on the engine.

    The car is very unhappy try not to travel to far in this car.

    There's a few hybrid battery rebuild guys on here that may live by you and may be able to help you with the battery they should be along soon. Standby.
     
  3. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2018
    3,118
    2,172
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    Location:
    Taylors, SC
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    Unfortunately, a new battery is really the only viable option. Rebuilt batteries are a real gamble as they use batteries from the available installed and salvaged base which over time has gotten older and older.
     
  4. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2017
    5,286
    4,225
    0
    Location:
    Northern California
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Welcome to PriusChat!!
    How much oil, and for how long?

    Will ping @TMR-JWAP for battery assistance.