I have a Prius 2008. It has close to 115K miles. The car is showing red triangle on the dashboard and giving P0A80 code. Is it really the battery failure since it has such low miles? I used Dr. Prius free version and Hybrid Assistant apps and have attached their screenshots here. I am new to Prius so not sure if the whole battery needs to replaced or just some cells or is something else causing the battery to look like it has failed. If the battery needs to be replaced what is the best option and what kind of battery or cells or what seller offers the best quality batteries? I am totally lost. Some batteries are for $900 some are $3400. My vehicle is stalled it is overheating too when it runs so I am not driving it anymore. I have attached the screenshots for someone to help me understand if it is really the battery or something else. Note: I am also getting P0420 code but it has been going on and off for a while but I am not sure if it has anything to do with P0A80.
The number of miles driven is less important than time in service. Have you verified that the odometer is reading the true distance this car has travelled? Looking at your screenshots, I wouldn't be surprised if you found that the battery has been monkeyed with by someone prior to you acquiring it. Yes, your battery requires work or replacement. The best option is to replace it with a new OEM from Toyota. (I would do this if the car is in premium condition and you are 100% sure the mileage is genuine.) Everything else is a crap shoot. If you do not have the money, but have time, you could spend many weeks doing a refurbishment. Be prepared for a lot of study and trial and error. Block 3, which contains modules 5 and 6, is definitely very unhappy. One of the modules, if not both, needs to be replaced. There could be other modules you should replace as well. The P0420 could be because the car is not running well due to the bad battery.
How to verify original miles? Is there a tool to check it? Car is not in a premium condition. I just checked on one of the Toyota dealers website and the OEM battery is for $1700 with $1300 core charge. What is the cheapest option for the battery replacement since the car isn't premium condition. Do you think changing the modules or cells would help resolve the issue? Maybe I can change those modules and if the problem is resolved I can sell the car. I heard replacing modules is cheaper. I don't know how to fix cars so I am not sure how to replace modules so I cannot fix it by myself. P0420 code is probably because the CAT on that car isn't original, I found that out after buying the car but I was just wondering if that could contribute to the current problem. Thanks.
that's a great price for a new oem. I think you can find rebuilt for under a thousand, but don't expect it to last too long. you can try replacing bad modules, but it's hit or miss, and that probably won't last either.
I jump on that 1700 price that's what I paid at the beginning of the pandemic but the same deposit they put a 3000 something hold on my card until the old was in their hands. Has to look original no green bean stickers painted cabinets etc
You should figure out your overheating first. Then price the PO420 repair. PO420 is very likely a cheap aftermarket catalytic converter. New Jersey is a carb state meaning a PO420 will fail inspection and may require an expensive oem catalytic converter. If you get those two taken care of for reasonable cost, then the battery. If its a keeper then go oem for $1700 installed by an independent shop for a lower cost than dealer. You may want to bail if the total repair costs quote too high.
Since my car isn't in a premium condition so I was thinking about some cheaper option. I checked some junkyards and they have batteries for $400-$600 but there is no warranty. Do you know a way to test batteries or get them tested before installation? Is there any place you can take them to get them tested before installation?
Overheating happened only after the battery died down. I did some research online and it says that it is possibly bad hybrid battery causing it to overheat. You are right, car's CAT is also not original. I got scammed when I bought this car so it is definitely not a keeper. I am not sure how much I get it for it if I sell it with a bad hybrid battery and aftermarket CAT.
The battery is not going to cause the engine to overheat if that is the concern. That is the number one problem to resolve as it could ruin the engine. The battery temps in your pics are unrealistic especially the -521f. A junkyard battery is no bueno. Plus there is no way short of an advanced disassembly and charge discharge regime to test other than just putting it in and trying it. The odds a 20 year old junkyard battery is good is maybe 5%. A professionally "reconditioned" battery takes bad modules out and replaces them with better used modules. Maybe $1000. Which is likely what you already have since they usually don't last more than a year or two. The cat is also a big hit in a carb state like NJ. If you just bought this car I would take it back. Get a lawyer if necessary as it sounds like deceptive practices.
Yeah there's a whole bunch of nonsense you can do to test batteries are you willing to go by test equipment a dvom so on? By the good battery when your car conks out you keep your battery put it in the next Prius oh you're trying to move to better car! I'm not have 3 to 5 of at any given they all have new Toyoda batteries . So we can worry about other things besides batteries in car for about 8 to 10.. there really aren't a whole lot of better cars so I better round up what I can and keep. I'm not looking forward and trying to obtain a 40 or $50,000 car personally doesn't interest me at all cost maintenance tires . Noop in the generation too I'm as close to driving for free as ever will be even if I go electric and have solar . The Prius is rt up they're with that setup too on all the solar and the electric car will be quite a few years out . The Prius I enjoy the return immediately
If that isn't a problem with the tool used to read the value, then it indicates a problem with the sense wires and/or CPU inside the battery. Corrosion inside those wires and that CPU are fairly common problems, especially in humid locales. That said, if that is the original pack, even if you were to fix those problems (replace wires, CPU, maybe new nuts for the modules) it is unrealistic to expect it to work forever. It is currently 18 years old, which is really pushing the lifetime limit hard. 1700 is a great price on an OEM battery, and if you are at all handy and have some common tools changing the pack oneself is doable. That would also replace all of those parts mentioned above with brand new ones. Having a helper for moving the pack in and out of the car helps though. Also, the old one must be an OEM battery or they won't give you the core deposit back. If you do decide to change it, inspect it when you pick it up at the dealer. The first one I got had apparently been dropped and the plastic "railing" along the side of the modules was broken, so it had to be returned. (This is not a common problem, I have not seen anybody else post in this forum with the same issue. )
