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Best Rebuilt Manufacturer: GreenTec Auto!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Alex Wilsey, Dec 5, 2021.

  1. Alex Wilsey

    Alex Wilsey Junior Member

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    So to anyone who may need a rebuilt HV battery and may not want to or have the cash to spend on a lithium or new OEM pack. I am sharing my horror story that turned into a love story!

    In July my partner's Prius, in which I encouraged him to purchase for $2,500 with a rebuilt pack and 190k on it. Her name is Penny, and she is a black 2005 Prius, with JBL and Nav. The battery pack was a Falcon Hybrid Solutions pack that the previous owner spent nearly $3000 to replace. After a motor issue in June (TSB where the wiper cowl leaks and causes the plugs and coils to foul, causing misfires) was fixed, a hot day in July rolled around and the dreaded TRIANGLE OF DEATH, Replace Hybrid Battery....oh F*ck. Cleared the codes, came back up 6 weeks later, and a few more times sporadically until today.

    I was going to go to Prius Hybrid Repair in Annapolis, MD. My one friend has an 06 with 275k, and the owner, Jack took amazing care of her HV pack when it took a crap. I wanted to go to him, but his schedule was booked and by the time I had the Prius in MD (where I go to school) from PA, he did not have the inventory and would've had to rebuild the unit, which time did not allow for. I had already scheduled an install for the $995 unit from GreenTec auto in Bowie, MD (nationwide locations also). Jack told me to go to them, and that they seemed to be good people with a good reputation and good products. That was yesterday, had GreenTec do the swap today, which they don't usually do on Sundays but were able to help me out. 45 mins for the entire swap.

    Afterwards, the tech told me that the Falcon battery was junk. He flashed the car's computer and the the voltages were a mess and so were the resistances. He took it for a drive and goes "that car is in pretty good shape", for 212k, that makes me happy. Previous Dr. Prius tests on the Falcon battery determined 34% life left....in other words, junk. Tested the GreenTec unit, 98.10%. Not only is that amazing, but exceeds my expectations. I checked the voltages and resistances, all of them look beautiful. Car not only runs smoother, MPGs are significantly elevated and the acceleration is way better. My symptoms were very weird with the old unit, and the tech basically told me that the other unit was so bad that the car was very confused since the battery definitely had many faulty cells. The motor starts and stops much smoother and overall the quality exceeds my expectations. I was able to peer down into their shop also, they had thousands of modules, and my best guess would be that they only like to use higher-testing cells in their rebuilds instead of a mix of "acceptable" and "exceptional". Given the capacity reading I got, they must have a great matching, rebalancing and testing setup. Their 12 month warranty is easily understood and easily honored. The tech even told me that GreenBean, Dorman and Falcon batteries are no good and are not rebuilt to the standards that GreenTec uses. I am extremely pleased and applaud the professionalism, kindness and quality of Greentec's products.

    So to close, if you want to save some money for your high mileage Prius' HV battery replacement, give GreenTec a call and see how they can help you out. You won't be disappointed.
     
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    So after all that what did the green tech cost in Maryland or wherever it is you are My brother's in Maryland what was the end cost of the green tech I have a green tech here in my yard I just took out of a car that's dead as a fek

    SM-A715F ?
     
  3. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    Glad you have had a good initial experience with this supplier. Time will tell how their product holds up. We'll check back in 13 months. Hopefully you won't have needed the warranty.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  4. Alex Wilsey

    Alex Wilsey Junior Member

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  5. Alex Wilsey

    Alex Wilsey Junior Member

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    Crossing my fingers and toes here. So far they have been very promising. Way better than the last sh!t show I dealt with previously.
     
  6. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    That's why I didn't think my 1650 with the dealer was any kind of terrible thing to be doing brand new too so none of this having to worry about testing anything for 98% it's brand new Toyota's already done all that or the battery manufacturer has already done all that so I'll take it

    SM-A715F ?
     
  7. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    The first Green Tec pack I worked on was impressive. The internal resistance of every module except for the bad one perfectly matched each other. This is because they process so many modules they can match modules with near identical data.

    They also might have some trade secrets that they do when they rebuild packs because for some reason the thermal conditions of the modules was incredible with nothing running hot like most older pack tend to do. Also I put balloons over all the vents when I work on packs and GreenTec was the only pack I've worked on that showed zero signs of venting not even the tiniest bit. Made me wonder what they did to make it like that?
     
  8. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    I'm not sure there are any trades secrets but I'm one of those guys that will carry my gym to another 15 years if I want to or I'll die for first and my daughter will do it or won't so I'll pay the extra $700 for the pack that lasted the original 19 and 1/2 years that's just Toyota for you I don't think there's any tricks you can really do to a whole bunch of batteries here but it all sounds great if I would have seen the 995 I might have given it a shot but I had read the green bean the green tech all these companies have had some huge problems or been inundated with so many calls they couldn't keep up and with the people they did work with they still couldn't keep up with some of the warranty problems or they altered their warranties to reflect this later on etc etc etc I just wanted to try and skip all of that because I need to drive when I need to drive

    SM-A715F ?
     
  9. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Once you've rebuilt a couple dozen battery packs I'd be interested in your opinion on the subtle differences of green tech packs compared to regular packs. But until you get to that point, maybe just work on proof reading and editing what you write because I'm often not understanding what you're saying amidst so many typos and unclear abbreviations.
     
  10. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    I don't really think batteries are made to be rebuilt and balanced and played with unless that's just what you want to do because it's more costly to go any other out I mean items that use big ticket batteries Tesla's bolts whatever I don't think they really deal in rebuilt batteries I know Tesla you wind up with a new big honking thing that cost 20 grand but it's supposed to go near a million miles or such I think whatever. I have a green tech here laying on the floor that just died in an '04 and was put in I can't even guess I can't find the slip for it for this car so and green tech apparently can't look it up very easily like they say they can but I'm guessing by looking at the car and I drove this vehicle probably put in around 2014 maybe something like that was a Florida car and it failed pretty badly and 2020 late 2019 so I guess not too bad for a rebuilt battery but I think they didn't pay the 995 they probably paid more around the 2000 because this is when all this stuff was fairly fresh

    SM-A715F ?
     
  11. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    If nothing is running hot that would suggest that none of the modules are high resistance. There are two ways they could achieve that: find a source of new modules (Toyota or ?) or "rejuvenate" the older modules.

    If the latter, I wonder if they have figured out how to rehydrate and then permanently reseal the modules? My impression is that most NiMH batteries on the way out are going mostly because they are drying out. There is a huge thread in one of the forums here about adding water (or ionic solution) back to these modules, but the last time I looked nobody had posted a method of reliably permanently resealing the modules. Perhaps one of the other battery rebuilders here might want to look at a recent GreenTec pack, from a wreck, not a battery failure, to see if there is any indication on the modules to indicate that they have been "rejuvenated" in a manner like this? A big company like that could invest in some very specialized equipment which might be capable of welding (in some manner) the holes in the plastic case shut. In the most extreme form of this they could cut the entire top off the module and then after "servicing" it weld a new one back on, which would probably leave a seam not present in the original Toyota modules.
     
  12. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    They actually sell 3 different batteries for the 2nd generation Prius:

    Prius 2004-2009 | Greentec Auto

    The most expensive one at $1750, with "new cells" costs as much as one from the dealer. I bet these are cylindrical cells, like these guys use (maybe a different battery manufacturer) NewPriusBatteries. There is a four year warranty. The middle one, at $1550 has "high capacity" batteries. Not sure what that means. Do they sort all the recycled cells into a big distribution and use the upper half for these, and the lower half for the $995 battery? That would be consistent with the difference in the warranties offered.

    Anyway, it is probably a mistake on our part to discuss a "Greentec battery" when there is not just one type.
     
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  13. ammdb

    ammdb Active Member

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    Having multiple price points and warranties makes me think these remanufactured packs are only expected to last as long as the warranty period.

    I see on their website that GreenTec buys old packs which I like.
     
  14. Another

    Another Senior Member

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    Aren’t Toyota OEM packs now sold for the Gen 2 also just factory remanufactured with new cells and other components that need to be replaced? I can’t believe Toyota still makes the battery packs new after being out of production for more than ten years.
    Similarly GreenTech puts new cells in old packs and checks other components in their top of the line product.
     
  15. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    I don't know you tell me the pack I just bought looks brand new down to the stickers so I have no clue I really don't care as long as Toyota claims they're new that's what matters nothing's remanufactured in a battery sale it should be new new electrolyte new liquid new metal hydride new lithium ion I have no clue I know that the Toyota battery went close to 20 years I've seen no remanufactured anything go much more than four or five just to get you through the period where you're going to get another car loan . I've never had a car loan in 67 years

    SM-A715F ?
     
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  16. ammdb

    ammdb Active Member

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    Toyota battery packs are brand new, but don't come with many of the other internal parts such as the ECU or relay module, which must be taken from the old battery assembly.
     
  17. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Yes I have two or three front end assemblies of the battery here put up in my shop also one or two from the Gen 3 wish I could easily use the Gen 3 battery in the Gen 2 car such a cleaner setup but really doesn't matter

    SM-A715F ?
     
  18. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    I think your sense of things is probably what's going on... It would explain why there's never once been any signs of venting even when pack temp is up. Perhaps when/if they rehydrate they add some type of seal that will pop and restore venting once its absolutely necessary but not until. This also brings up the question that perhaps the issue of a module needing to vent is primarily a function of how much electrolyte has been lost / dried up?

    I suspect to research this further I need to precisely weigh modules from a couple green tech packs and compare that module weight to other packs.
     
  19. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Toyota never rebuilds packs because forcing people to buy brand new is way more profitable for them.

    My understanding of it in recent years is that Toyota looked at all the businesses rebuilding battery packs for a bit under $2K and realized they could take over a great deal of that market share if they negotiated a new contract with Panasonic to create way more brand new NIMH packs so they could lower the cost of a brand new pack to be near the same cost as the rebuilt packs.
     
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  20. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    That is data I have searched for a few times on line but never found. If "drying out" is most of the story in the demise of a NiMH cell one would expect that the worst modules (electrically) would have the lowest weight. This assumes the exteriors are all equally clean, and that the weights of new modules are all very similar. A lot of kitchen scales are only accurate to 1 gram. If they are really dry that should be enough to tell, since 1cc = 1g and the modules are pretty big. For better accuracy a somewhat more expensive scale, like this one (I don't have one myself but the specs say it is good to .01g) would be needed. (Edit, rats, URL won't post. Look up "bonvoisin lab scale 5000gx0.01g" on amazon.)


    I have never cut one open, but I vaguely recall reading that the cells in a module are open on top above some baffle height. because they could be rejuvenated by injecting liquid at a single point. That always made me wonder if it might be bad for a Prius to traverse a really steep slope parallel to the long axis of the modules, since that could redistribute the fluid irreversibly towards the downhill cells, leading to earlier failure of the uphill cells. (Hard to say, easy to demonstrate though with a fridge ice cube tray. Fill the 12 cells [2 x 6] to a little below the baffle height. If it is flat and level the fluid levels will stay like that. However, tilt it towards one end and then flatten it out again and now the cells which were most downhill will be full right to the baffle, while the ones which were most uphill will have much less fluid.)