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Less than 3 years old and needs a new battery?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by madchen8, Sep 26, 2009.

  1. madchen8

    madchen8 New Member

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    I recently took in my 2006 Prius (17500 miles) in to the dealership to get a routine oil and filter change and my first tire rotation. During the inspection, they told me they found a few issues- I needed to replace the battery(not the hybrid battery), the cabin air filter, clean and adjust the rear brakes, and get EVAP (?) service. ???

    My car is just shy of the 3 year mark, and already I need a new battery? Is this normal for just 17500 miles? I know they're trying to hose me with the cabin air filter (which was replaced by another dealership less than 5000 miles ago). They said it should be covered under warranty, but I would like to know if this is something that others have encountered. Also, if someone could explain this evap service, I would really appreciate it.

    Thanks so much!
     
    #1 madchen8, Sep 26, 2009
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    The battery is not covered under warranty...I bet they plan to bait and switch...they put it in then deny it being covered, offer you a "discount" on the cost or something.

    If you've had no issues with the 12v I'd be very skeptical that it requires replacement. That said, you apparently don't drive much if you only have 17k miles and it would not be unheard of for the 12v to be replaced at 3 years...esp. if it's every been completely dead and esp. if it's been completely dead more than once.

    I think the dealer's trying to screw you over for a lot more than you really need and would wait until at least 5 years or until there's some sign that the 12v is acting up before I'd replace it...unless they can offer you solid proof that it's bad or that they'll really replace it for free.
     
    #2 efusco, Sep 26, 2009
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  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I'd avoid the "evap" service unless you have a check engine light on. I have no idea what this would entail.

    Regarding the 12V battery, since you are in New York, your car is three years old, and you've only logged 18K miles, my guess is that the car is driven primarily on the weekends. This does not help promote long battery life, because parasitic current drain that occurs when the car is IG-OFF means that the battery spends most of its life in a partial-discharge state.

    If you've noticed problems starting up the car, then you really should have the battery replaced. If you haven't had problems then you might defer the replacement for now. However don't be surprised if you have a no-start problem when the weather turns cold this winter.

    One way to keep the 12V battery charged up is to use a "battery tender", if you have an AC outlet readily available where you park the car, and secure parking.
     
    #3 Patrick Wong, Sep 26, 2009
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  4. Salsawonder

    Salsawonder New Member

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    I agree with the Doc. Mine went out on my 05 at 4 years exactly. It had gone dead (my fault) once during those years and it got plenty of hard work. You should have performance issues if you need the battery replaced not just, "hey you need a new battery". I would try for a different dealer/mechanic.
     
    #4 Salsawonder, Sep 26, 2009
  5. lefat1

    lefat1 Fat Member

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    PatrickWong is right on the money. Had similar issues on MC's when living in NY. A battery will lose its ampacity if not regularly brought up to a certain %age of charge. A load test is the only way I know to check a batt's spec's. Saved many batt's with a tender when I was informed of such.
     
    #5 lefat1, Sep 26, 2009
  6. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Depending on how the car was treated on the dealer's lot before you received it, it's possible that your 12 volt battery got to you in poor condition. This happens and is relatively common in Prius because that battery is small and abuse-able.

    Just about any other car shop in town could tell you if that battery is healthy or not. If not, it does need to be replaced and you have some options there.

    I agree with other responses that you are probably looking at some degree of revenue enhancement with the other services offered. This is your hint to see if other nearby Toyota shops might serve you better.
     
    #6 tochatihu, Sep 26, 2009
  7. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    #7 richard schumacher, Sep 26, 2009
  8. madchen8

    madchen8 New Member

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    Everybody,

    Thank you so much for all your help and advice! I'm extremely impressed with the breadth of knowledge on this board!
     
    #8 madchen8, Sep 27, 2009
  9. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    If the 12v battery failed a test, then it's bad. The dealer is probably using a Midtronics tester, which is the preferred tester for most techs. One of my batteries (not Prius) failed the test, but it was only a year old and it was still working fine. Since I'd prefer to not get stranded, I replaced the battery.
     
    #9 The Critic, Sep 29, 2009
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