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Traction battery replacement/ computer reinitialize

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by 86grandwagoneer, May 23, 2016.

  1. 86grandwagoneer

    86grandwagoneer New Member

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    Hello,
    I am inheriting a 2006 Prius with 80000 miles on it from a family member because the traction battery died and they couldn't get a good deal trading it in to the dealer. I have been lurking on the site to see what is needed to replace the battery and get it back on the road. I have decided to go with the Dorman reman battery and the installation looks straightforward but the repair shop my parents took it to before giving up on it claimed the new battery might need be reinitialized to the ECU before it would work. I have watched several install videos and it seemed like everyone just unplugged the 12v battery and after installing the traction battery they were able to start the car normally. is there any procedure to set up the new battery with the car or will removing the battery and doing an ECU reset be sufficient?
     
    #1 86grandwagoneer, May 23, 2016
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    no initialization needed. That shop is just trying to fleece your money. Order a Dorman from a local auto parts shop and install. Very straightforward. Cost should be around $1500

    You might want to call Toyota corporate for a good will warranty on the battery. They might cover 50% of the cost because the car's miles are fairly low. If the cost is reduced by 50%, should still be around $1500....but this will be BRAND NEW and you won't have to do anything but bring it to the dealer
     
    #2 JC91006, May 23, 2016
    Gregg C. likes this.
  3. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    #3 wjtracy, May 23, 2016
  4. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    It's unlikely that a mechanic would only charge $150 for installing a hybrid battery.
    You will have to pay more than that.
    The other extreme is dealers charging 5 hours of install time at $120 per hour. ($600)

    The reality is somewhere inbetween.
     
    #4 ericbecky, May 23, 2016
  5. 86grandwagoneer

    86grandwagoneer New Member

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    Hey thanks for the quick response! right now I am seeing the dorman battery for 1200 OTD plus 1000 core charge at JC whitney. once I do the title transfer I suppose I can look into getting some sort of goodwill credit from toyota but I want to get on the road asap. So, really, all there is to it is to plug back in the main battery and then the 12V and when the car is started the car will run normally?
     
    #5 86grandwagoneer, May 23, 2016
  6. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    You may get on the road quicker with the Dorman, but you'll stay on the road longer with a New Toyota battery. The rebuilt batteries will fail over and over again while a New Toyota battery will be good for another 8 to 10 years.

    Toyota goodwill warranty ranges from anywhere from 100% free coverage to about 25% coverage. Most people are getting something in between
     
    #6 JC91006, May 23, 2016
  7. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    You will have to pay shipping on the battery as well as the core.
    So make sure to add that to your budget.

    The other thing to note is that there have been serious supply issues so it **may not ship for up to 14 days from the time of the order**.
    Most parts suppliers note this in the fine print. So up to 14 days to ship out, plus actual shipping time could make it even longer.
    If time is of the essence, then a Toyota replacement may be the quickest.

    My local dealer has one in stock for me almost all the time.
    Or worst case, it can arrive next day.
     
    #7 ericbecky, May 23, 2016
  8. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    And also to make it quite plain to the OP, any "goodwill" discount offered by Toyota, if any (it is in no way clear cut or guaranteed), it is offered on a Toyota supplied and installed battery. You will not get any credit towards a Dorman supplied battery.
     
    #8 dolj, May 24, 2016
  9. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    Maybe they would be interested in offering it on your self installed Toyota battery?
    I don't know if anyone has tried that yet.
     
    #9 ericbecky, May 24, 2016
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