Traction battery failure at 113k

Well, I would not panic too early. 45 deg Celsius will not kill the battery.
But use of built in air-conditioning is good both for the driver and the battery. So it would be stupid not to use it.

 

What do they do with (sometimes new) batteries when they convert them to plugins? I would think you could call those places up and they would have some they took out.

 

You're all crazy, really.
Here is an announcement with one guy which sells cells from affected 2005 Prius cars. Cels, not the whole battery. Find which is bad and change it yourself. The cell cost 30USD!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...20431302491&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:MOTORS:1123

Say thanks, thanks, thanks!

 

How are you going to ensure they are matched correctly to the cells that are in your battery pack? Do you have the tools and the testing equipment to ensure it is done right?

 

For 30USD I wouldn't test anything. Just change it directly and I would be happppyyyy to find that it works!

I can do myself this job. You need only a measuring instrument to measure voltage, a screw driver and talent..

 

It's not just about the voltage on the module itself, but the internal resistance of each cell. You can bring the module up to the same level as the others so it doesn't immediately pull charge out of its neighbours, or vice-versa, but the long-term health of the battery depends on it charging and discharging at the same rate as its neighbours, and that requires matching resistances.

I would suggest that Toyota and their battery supplier, Panasonic EV Energy, are better at matching cells in a battery than the average bloke with a voltmeter.

 

I should point out you have the potential to be exposed to upwards of the entire battery pack voltage of 208 vdc. There is a fuse in there in the event of a dead short, but how lucky do you feel?

If you have had training to work on HV DC then you understand the risks. If you have not had the appropriate training, the danger factor is many times greater than a 12 vdc car battery

 

Trust me, I've been electroshocked since I was little. I broke the fuses before '93 to all the block where I live in Romania, only because I've made a short-circuit.. I had 10 yrs old then.. now I'm 25.

Moreover, I've been electroshocked more than 10 times at 220VCA, 50Hz, and the alternative current is more powerful than 208VDC..

I'm alive now.. :rockon:

 

Well, if you don't mind being shocked, then fine. Otherwise, since you've been shocked > 10 times, maybe you might review how you are working with high voltages, to prevent future occurrences.

 

I don't like to get shocked, but this is happening when you like Electronics and you use to DIY a lot of things, including to repair yourself a TV, radio or the washing machine. I've done that a lot of times..

 

Best of luck

 

you might want to read up on the post by "aminorjourney" this might give a bit of insight to how difficult battery management can be.

i think we all tend to think we "know" enough about battery technology because we can charge our cellphones and change the batteries in our flashlights.

you may think you know what you are doing, but lets keep a few things in mind. Toyota is pretty much the runaway leader in hybrid cars which includes charge management. if it were so easy to do, why is EVERYONE else so pitifully far behind? i dont suppose you heard about Mercedes vaunted German Engineering team and their hybrid debacle??

probably not since they did everything in their power to bury any news about their tryst with the technology.

one parting shot about what we know about batteries in general. when your cellphone battery lasts 8-12 years give us a call, then you actually might know something

but then again, at $30 a pop, its almost cheap enough to get a handful and swap them around. if you do do this, let us know how you gather data... after all, that is the real job

 

The following were the only cars I/we owned. (All under or just over 100,000 miles, all automatic transmissions): Ford Maverick--no problems, but did sell it "early"; Chevelle--new transmission; Cutlass Supreme--new engine at 70,000--they had experimented with an aluminum engine; Delta 88--new transmission; Grand Caravan--new transmission; We just came to expect these type of major repairs. Then we (me, hubby and two 20 somethings) switched to Camry's. Still own: used '97 at 96,000 and a used '98 with 100,000 for the kids. Our new '05 Camry at 75,000 and our used '97 with 160,000. No problems with any of them.

We are now thinking Prius, and I've been reading everything I can find out about them, reviews, youtube videos, nearly every one of PriusChat's threads.

Your current discussion about traction battery failure: is this the "hybrid battery" that the dealer recently told me have had NO FAILURES since the Prius came out?? Or was he referring to the 8yr/100,000 warranty timespan? I was left thinking he meant no failures, ever ever. Are there any numbers available re: failures out of warranty? If heat is a suspected issue, could this be the reason behind the new solar cooling panel on the 2010's?

 

wow you have definitely had a run on some major car repairs!!

as far as traction battery failures, they have happened and i wish i could give you a number or even a guesstimate of how many there have been, but i can say, they are not very common.

if i had to guess, i would probably say maybe as much as a few hundred. when talking over a million cars, that stat aint too bad but then again, i could be wrong.

on PC, it was a few years before anyone heard of the first one and they do pop up occasionally. but as far as making a buying decision based on isolated issues, i would have to say that you are likely to be very happy with the Prius should you decide to go that way.

they have also had other issues, MFD going out (might not be an issue since all models dont have them) is actually a much more expensive repair as battery prices have come way down because so many have become available thru salvage now, good used ones can be found at a very good price.

but everybody who is anybody in the auto reporting industry, rates the Prius very high for overall reliability and after 9 years and dozens of competing models (some only half the size@!!) you still cant beat the mileage