1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Battery dies too fast and takes too long to charge

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by DirkG, Mar 28, 2019.

  1. DirkG

    DirkG Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    54
    8
    0
    Location:
    Eugene, OR
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Well I seem to be plagued with battery issues right now.
    This is a 2007 and any time I need that extra battery power like to go up hills or accelerate for long periods or really just don't pay attention to how hard I pushing the pedal to maintain highway speeds, the battery level drops down to 1 bar and a lot of times 0 bars in just a minute or two and then may take 15 minutes to move from 0 or 1 bars. Then it goes full real fast.
    Is this a bad battery? There are no codes coming up. Could it be a bad connection or ECU?
     
    Nortnarg likes this.
  2. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,476
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Early signs of hv battery failure;).
     
    edthefox5, Mendel Leisk, SFO and 2 others like this.
  3. DirkG

    DirkG Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    54
    8
    0
    Location:
    Eugene, OR
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    [​IMG]
    So this is what I deal with on 2 80 mile a day trips in the freeway. 0 battery the whole way. Hope that image works..
    Here's the url if it didn't .https://s.amsu.ng/ScHp5G9gVXvN
     
  4. DirkG

    DirkG Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    54
    8
    0
    Location:
    Eugene, OR
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,659
    38,203
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    From link you posted:

    upload_2019-4-5_7-21-41.png
     
  6. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2007
    10,096
    4,795
    0
    Location:
    Clearwater, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Hybrid battery is done. Expect to hear the hybrid battery fan in the backseat come on soon then followed by the rtod.

    Its becoming the most common post.

    I would like to refer you to the HYBRID BATTERY CARE AND MAINTENANCE SECTION but there is none. All hybrid battery posts
    for repair and replacement and rebuild etc are spread out all over this site. Thousands of them.

    Use Search Forums button up top and search:

    Hybrid battery

    You have alot of reading to do.

    Good luck.
     
    Skibob and Raytheeagle like this.
  7. DirkG

    DirkG Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    54
    8
    0
    Location:
    Eugene, OR
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    What's and rtod?

     
  8. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2007
    10,096
    4,795
    0
    Location:
    Clearwater, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Red Triangle of death.
     
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  9. DirkG

    DirkG Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    54
    8
    0
    Location:
    Eugene, OR
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Nevermind. Red triangle has has never come on and no battery codes . Just a bad CAT
     
  10. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2007
    10,096
    4,795
    0
    Location:
    Clearwater, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Glad I could help.
     
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  11. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,476
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    You mean right now;).

    Soon the hybrid battery will be failed and it will be the next repair up. All @edthefox5 is saying is be ready for this reality (y).
     
  12. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2018
    2,912
    1,495
    0
    Location:
    Northern California
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    What is that thing above your MFD? 2 longest lasting solutions are Toyota new battery or 2k1toaster.
     
  13. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,476
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Looks like it is a taxi meter;).
     
  14. davecook89t

    davecook89t Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2016
    1,057
    789
    0
    Location:
    Washington State, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    I'm guessing that is a meter for a cab.

    The picture you attached shows 1 bar, the way I see it. Does your car actually get to 0 bars? I've never seen that and did not know it was even possible. I'm curious because a few weeks ago my HV battery was not charging when I was on the highway with mismatched front and back tires. (After replacing the front tires, I was not aware the rear tires were a different size). The VSC light was on and the AC was running. If I hadn't happened to glance over at the MFD, I would have completely run down my HV battery. It was down to 1 bar and stayed there for quite awhile, even after I slowed down enough for the VSC light to go off, which allowed the ICE to start charging the HV battery again. I'm just wondering how close I came to killing the battery and having to junk the car. (With 275k miles on it, I won't be putting in a new battery).
     
  15. DirkG

    DirkG Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    54
    8
    0
    Location:
    Eugene, OR
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Ray- that's a taxi meter.

    It was not the battery. I out a new one in today. No change. Drove down to highway and battery went down to nothing, yes it does go to zero bars. Stayed there until I got off the freeway. So that was a waste of time and money.

    On top of that I got in it today and the hybrid brake warning buzzer was triggered. No electric brakes. I was hoping it was just because the battery was junk but new battery and still no brakes. I know I shouldn't have been driving it on the highway with no electric brakes but I did. This is the second time this car has had the electric brakes fail since I bought it 4 years ago.
     
  16. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,476
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    What batteries are you buying and from where?
     
    Skibob likes this.
  17. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2018
    2,912
    1,495
    0
    Location:
    Northern California
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Did you replace the brake actuator with a brand new unit?
     
  18. DirkG

    DirkG Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    54
    8
    0
    Location:
    Eugene, OR
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I don't remember, that was right after I bought the car. The mechanic will get to it and the battery issue today.
     
  19. DirkG

    DirkG Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    54
    8
    0
    Location:
    Eugene, OR
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Update.
    So the previous owner pried a hole in the firewall and previously water had gotten into the brake actuator ecu. Mechanic pulled it out a couple years ago, died it off and tried to seal up the hole and the car worked. Now it looks like water has gotten back into the ecu from the hole again. He is going to put it out and see if he can get it to work after drying it out and try to reseal the pried open area to keep water out again.
    Then we can look into the non-charging battery issue.
     
    bisco likes this.
  20. DirkG

    DirkG Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    54
    8
    0
    Location:
    Eugene, OR
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    The PO did some strange things to this car including taking out the fog lights and pulling the HID system and replacing with halogen but not updating the wiring. So the halogens can't get enough juice and are only about 70% as bright as they should be. I'll be going back to his units soon. It also has aftermarket body stiffening braces and no horn.