need help with my prius

That is a good price. I can remember when it was quite a bit more.

Bob Wilson

 

This is your quick fix:

EBay ReInvolt Gen I module

Note that the picture shows a DVM reading 8.1V... You may not get one that shows 8.1V, but it should not be hard to charge or discharge whatever you get to match the rest of the pack. Someone please correct me if it is not a good idea to take a known good (i.e. holding > 7.4V) Gen I module for $10 + $12 (or $20 + $13 for two) shipping to replace a single bad one? I am aware that other modules may require Superbrain-type reconditioning, but that would be the next step anyway, no?

No need to kneel before the dealership god, as you already know more about the hybrid system than the average technician.

 

I would say that this is an OK idea as long as you don't expect a long-term fix: you simply want to fix the car so that you can get rid of it and let it become someone else's problem. The failed module probably was running hot, which could potentially cause adjacent modules to fail in the near future.

Not to mention that the car is already 9+ years old. I don't think it is reasonable to expect the remaining modules to last much longer, anyway.

 

It is nice to all of the Gen II salvage modules lying around to shoehorn into the Gen I case. That's definitely the preferred route IMHO as a long term DIY solution, and ReInvolt otherwise, but I think it is always worth a shot to do something cheap and see how long it lasts. Speaking of 9+ year old cars, 2000 - 2005 Honda hybrids have a major problem in that there is no source of replacement sticks other than old packs of the same age or a complete battery from Honda, and the Honda failure rate is much higher than Gen I packs. Fortunately, those cars get 10 year, 150,000 mile warranty extensions, but they are starting to expire, and cars with dead IMA packs are starting to pop up regularly.