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Max HV Battery Life

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by evenjack, Mar 23, 2005.

  1. evenjack

    evenjack Junior Member

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    I've been driving my '04 for over a year now with 21K+ miles. Summer mileage about 53, winter (Colorado) about 48. Records kept religiously. Am very curious about how long anyone thinks the HV battery will really last???? I've got the 100K warranty, and know about the 150K bench test, but what really happens??? :wink:
     
  2. DanMan32

    DanMan32 Senior Member

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    It is supposed to last the life of the car. Really, you only get to use 40% of the battery's capacity, from 40% to 80?%, and even in that range, the car stays at 6 bars, about 60%, so it will last a real long time.

    A taxi service has put 230K on theirs. I think time would be more of the enemy than miles.
     
  3. evenjack

    evenjack Junior Member

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    Thanks DanMan for the good info. I'm really happy with my Prius, but also have great respect for my checkbook, and almost croaked when my daughter told me she'd heard that I'd have to replace the high voltage battery at 100K at the tune of $5,000. Thanks again. This looks like a great website.
     
  4. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    There is a lot of disinformation out there about hybrid cars in general. I suppose you missed the post a few days ago commenting on $15 g's for a Prius front-end brake job?

    That was good for a laugh ...
     
  5. Kemosaby

    Kemosaby New Member

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    I have a 2004 Prius. Yesterday, at 84,000 miles, my main battery died! So, now I know. The good news? Still covered by warranty! Like a new beginning for my Prius! But I do hope this next battery gets 200,00 miles! I plan to drive it as long as I can.
    Had this been 16,000 miles later, I wouldn't be so happy.
     
  6. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Do you have EV button installed? Since you have a new pack replaced already, I think it is safe to answer it honestly. :D
     
  7. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    I have several answers, none of which are the one you want to know.

    1) 1 in 40,000 Prius HV batteries are replaced under warranty before 100,000 miles (Toyota offers free replacement, so in theory no one would decide not to replace a bad battery)

    2) Since more Prius are totaled in collisions than need replacement batteries, you can find replacement batteries for $350 and up on ebay. http://motors.shop.ebay.com/Parts-A...d=p4506.c0.m282&_mPrRngCbx=1&_udlo=300&_udhi=
    (Toyota offers $200 to recycle HV Batteries, so the ebay price should never go below $200) Because used batteries are SO much cheaper than new batteries, I do not think we will get an 'official' statistic on battery replacement, most owners will buy used, so Toyota will have no records. (as of 2008 a new replacement battery was $2588) Buying Prius replacement batteries just got cheaper — Autoblog Green

    3) Big city taxis have averaged 270,000 miles on the HV Battery. However, I question how much taxi driving resembles normal owner driving.

    4) If the owner of an '04 Prius drove 100 miles a day every single day, in 6 years they would have gone 220,000 miles, so we really won't have many 'real world' examples yet.
     
  8. Kemosaby

    Kemosaby New Member

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    How's this for an honest answer? I (sheepishly) admit that I don't know what an EV Button is. Thus, I must not have one. The battery hasn't been replaced yet. Dealership ordering it today. :eek:hwell:
    Also, as a "green" (not as in tree hugger) user of this site, I mistakenly decided to post my battery info on 2 or 3 threads....or 4. I have always wanted to know what to expect with battery life and thought I was giving many an opportunity to see what one owner's experience was...mine. I only now realize the posting shows up all over the place anytime a user logs back in. I thought people had to stumble upon it. Instead, I stumbled. :)
     
  9. GreenSpeed

    GreenSpeed New Member

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    Wow, you know this has been plaguing me for quite awhile, and i'm a long time lurker here. I have 120,000 miles on my '06. One question that point number 2 raises. Who in the world would install your 'used' battery pack?
     
  10. jdcomeau

    jdcomeau New Member

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    I drive 132 miles a day 5 days a week. My 2005 Prius has 175,000 miles on it, so far so good. I will be driving this car at least another year.
     
  11. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Auto Electric shops, Independent garages, shade tree owners. As you see from the link, it is a self contained box with relatively few connectors. It is rocket science to design one, but not tricky to install one. It contains a lot of electric charge, treat it with deep respect, but it is not a highly skilled task, merely an extremely unforgiving one.
     
  12. mikepaul

    mikepaul Senior Member

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    Don't the 2010 models have an EV button? What would have changed where a 2010 is fine using it but a 2004 would die?...
     
  13. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Less restriction and goes higher speed. It can be abused.
     
  14. dcoyne78

    dcoyne78 New Member

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    I have 120k on my 2004 Prius and so far my battery is fine. I also have never needed any major brake work (rear brakes have been cleaned and adjusted every 60k), my only unexpected repair was a front wheel bearing went bad around 100k.
     
  15. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    EV button = equipment on non-US 2004-2009 to allow forcing the car to run on battery when the driver wants, until the battery is drained to its normal-low level.

    All is forgiven. Stay, and sin no more :_>
     
  16. ken1784

    ken1784 SuperMID designer

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    Wow, that's a lot!
    Wonder how much gasoline have you saved on your 175k miles, if you continued to drive the same kind of conventional vehicle prior to Prius.
    Has your Prius already covered the hybrid premium price?

    Ken@Japan
     
  17. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Yeah it depends a fair bit on exactly what was his " conventional vehicle prior to Prius". But comparing 50MPG with 25MPG over that distance comes to about $10,000 saving which is pretty impressive.
     
  18. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    The 2010 uses a larger engine, different battery pack, different motors, new computers and programs, in short, just about everything is changed.
     
  19. ken1784

    ken1784 SuperMID designer

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    Yes, the battery pack was changed, but the change is minimal.
    The battery modules on the 2010 is identical to Gen2, and their capacities are the same 6.5Ah 201.6V.
    The only advantage on the battery pack of 2010 are better cooling structure and smaller packaging.

    Ken@Japan
     
  20. andyprius

    andyprius Senior Member

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    Good answer Jimbo, but you missed his point (IMHO) The poster was asking who in the world would want to install a used, failed battery pack in thier Prius? Answer: nobody.