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Help diagnosing HV battery issue on 2006 Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by pauljus, Jan 3, 2018.

  1. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Madison, Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I would think the customer pays for labor including crating labor.

    Shipping could go either way or shared I suppose?
     
  2. pauljus

    pauljus New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2018
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    Location:
    Detroit, MI
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Below is their warranty. There is definitely some contradictory language in there. For instance, it states:
    "Hometown Hybrids will only perform the same installation or shipping service as originally provided." They initially provide "free" shipping round trip for the rebuilt and core return.

    However, it goes on to state:
    "All warranty work performed by Hometown Hybrids must be done within 200 miles of our Magnolia, Texas service center. Any warranty claim out of this range will require the battery to be shipped to our service center at the customers expense regardless of the original installation location. Upon receiving your battery, Hometown Hybrids will ship a battery back to you at our expense." So which is it...warranty covers original shipping service (i.e. covered by HH round trip) or customer pays for return shipping of defective battery and HH pays for shipping of replacement?

    Also, another discrepancy is they state:
    "Any installation, transportation, rental, loss of use, or other costs are to be incurred by the customer regardless of whether Hometown Hybrids performed the original installation" which directly contradicts "Hometown Hybrids will only perform the same installation or shipping service as originally provided."

    I shared my concerns regarding the "fairness" of the warranty with Jessica - particularly for those customers outside of their service area. Though I am not thrilled with their current warranty, she assured me that they have not had a warranty claim made as of date (within the covered warranty period). So I'm hoping I don't have to cross the bridge of warranty work and disputing the discrepancies in their language.

    Limited Hybrid Drive Battery Warranty
    Hometown Hybrids warranties its hybrid batteries to be free of defects in workmanship and materials for the time or mileage
    limit specified on the invoice; whichever occurs first.

    Warranty Transfers

    Warranty is transferable to one subsequent party. The new registered owner’s name must be provided to Hometown Hybrids
    within 30 days of transfer. You may not resell the battery to another party separate from the vehicle and maintain the
    warranty.

    Covered Items
    This warranty covers repair or replacement of your hybrid battery only. If a technician is dispatched and Hometown Hybrids
    determines that your battery is not defective at the time of your service call, you will be charged a $125 diagnostic fee plus $30
    per hour for roundtrip travel from our Magnolia, Texas service center.

    Warranty Claim Process
    In the event of a suspected hybrid battery problem, please contact us at 1-844-447-7487 to report the problem. We will a
    printout of all fault codes before any warranty work is performed. Hometown Hybrids will only perform the same installation
    or shipping service as originally provided. Batteries that were shipped or delivered to customers or third party installers are not
    eligible for free installation by Hometown Hybrids and are not subject to reimbursement for labor charges.
    All warranty work performed by Hometown Hybrids must be done within 200 miles of our Magnolia, Texas service center. Any
    warranty claim out of this range will require the battery to be shipped to our service center at the customers expense
    regardless of the original installation location. Upon receiving your battery, Hometown Hybrids will ship a battery back to you
    at our expense. Any installation, transportation, rental, loss of use, or other costs are to be incurred by the customer
    regardless of whether Hometown Hybrids performed the original installation.
    In all cases the remaining period of your warranty will transfer to your replacement battery. Warranty terms will not be
    extended for any reason. We reserve the right to repair or replace a defective battery.

    Warranty Exclusions

    The following conditions will render this warranty void:
     Vehicle is not driven at least 30 minutes per two week period.
     Improper installation by a party other than Hometown Hybrids.
     Physical damage to the battery caused due to accident after installation.
     Battery that has had exposure to harsh weather, chemicals, or water.
     Battery that has misuse, abuse, or the installation of unauthorized accessories.
     Batteries that have been tampered with, opened, or disassembled.
     Batteries that are missing any seals and or stickers installed by Hometown Hybrids.
     Batteries that have been depleted to less than 20% State of Charge (SOC) due to running out of fuel, engine or
    regenerative system malfunction, or user error.
     The presence of any of the following engine codes at any time during the warranty period: P3191 (Engine Does Not
    Start), P3193 (Fuel Run Out), P3190 (Poor Engine Power) and P0A0F (Engine Failed to Start) or their equivalent engine
    code.
     Any vehicle malfunction or user error that does not allow the vehicle to charge the battery per manufacturer
    specifications.
     
    SFO likes this.
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
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    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
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    Plug-in Base
    i hope you never need it!(y)
     
  4. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

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    Location:
    Chesterton, Indiana Another third world country.
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Just out of curiosity, have any of those other codes returned?

    Was the 12 V battery bad or not?
     
  5. pauljus

    pauljus New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2018
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    Location:
    Detroit, MI
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Only code that returned is B1442 AC Damper Servomotor Circuit, which is unrelated to either the hv or 12v battery.

    As far as the 12v battery being dead, I am honestly not sure. The dealership did not recommend replacing it, however, it appeared to fall short of where it should when I performed load tests on it. My main reason for replacing it was that this is my wife's car and she lives in a different state a few hours away. She normally only drives about 5 miles at a time per trip. The car had been sitting in a garage for about 10 days and had not been started or driven - possibility of discharge. The 12v was approaching 5 years in age. Given all these factors, we decided to get it replaced.
     
    Lloyd-ss, strawbrad and bisco like this.
  6. Lloyd-ss

    Lloyd-ss Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2018
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    Location:
    Ivy, VA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    Wow, this is a great thread. The 12v and HV batts in my 2007 are still original, so this has given me an awareness of the situation so that I'll be able to make informed decisions when the time comes.
    As always, when researching on the internet, your critical thinking skill is your most valuable tool.