FUBAR Gen 1 Battery...should I proceed?

Some of what you were prying against was surely the glue from the sealing campaign.

 

The dark colored "corrosion" you speak of is actually a sealant material installed for a recall due to electrolyte leakage. The light colored corrosion is the same fluffy stuff you sometimes see on 12v battery terminals. I've seen this on a few Gen 1 batteries.

Your blocks and modules aren't matching up. Codes for blocks 6 and 8 would be modules 11/12 and 15/16 from the ecu on Gen 1 iirc. Module 7 would be Block 4. Probably self discharged during the time it was removed from the car.

If you do capacity testing, you'll most likely find most of those 38 modules aren't worth their weight in dirt.

Do not mix Gen 1 and Gen 2/3 modules. They are different sizes (physically) and they have a different style interlock with adjacent modules.

 

Did they use Gen 1 modules? Due to improvements mixing module generations in the same pack is not recommended. Usually the best solution for a Gen 1 is a new OEM pack. I believe they made improvements over the original one.

 

What are the first 5 digits on the serial numbers? I'm going to go with those are original Gen 1. No other modules have that sealant. You can immediately tell these are Gen 1 by the orientation of the temperature sensor clips. If you look at the top of the modules, where the temperature sensors mount, the plastic clips go the opposite direction of the later generations.

 

I'm not rich, and my Gen 1 battery was replace by a Toyota replacement in fall 2013. Is this battery yours? or your customers? Is the plan to repair as cheaply as possible? What's the rest of the car like--mileage, corrosion, other worn components?

I ask these questions because, IMHO, a really good Gen 1 is worth a new battery pack. The old point about replacing individual modules is an exercise in wack a mole is correct. It's pretty much a guarantee of future problems, and that is what kills our cars. Treat it like it's a useful car and it lasts longer. Mine is an 02, 208K, with a newish inverter coolant pump, a replacement used brake booster pump, and a newish cat. Literally a daily driver, and in my two years of ownership, it's driven from Tucson to the Oregon shore and back. I wouldn't hesitate to do that again.

The newer factory batteries have much improved modules, btw. Spendy, but for the Gen 1, the best option.

 

If you like your Gen1 and the battery is hosed, the only good solution if the battery is original (15+ years old) is a new OEM pack.

Any "repair" or other battery you find will likely fail in weeks/months. BTDT!

I tell my customers that even though a new OEM battery is worth more than the car, the battery will likely last 10 years. If you kill the car, you can buy another Gen1 that needs an HV battery for $300-$1000 on craigslist then transplant the "near new" battery over.

As of May 2019 we're charging $2500 installed + tax for BRAND NEW OEM batteries installed at our shop in Boulder, CO.
(we also need your old core).

 

What's the warranty on a BRAND NEW OEM battery that you install? The reason I ask is that if it's done at a Toyota dealership, it has a 3 year warranty, but I've read that if it's not done a dealership, the warranty is only a year.

I guess every car situation is different. If the chassis is heavily corroded, or the car in general is kinda tatty, it doesn't make sense to toss $2500 at it. This from a guy that bought a $400 02 Prius and fairly promptly replaced the brake booster pump and reservoir, the inverter coolant pump, the catalytic converter, and had it painted at Maico and got custom wheels at Discount tire. So don't necessarily take my word for it. (tho my 02 is awfully nice!)

 

We provide a 3 year / 36k mile warranty on any new OEM HV battery we install, However, if someone else installs a genuine Toyota new battery the warranty is not that important since there is close to a 0% chance of it failing within 3 years.

Any other battery you definitely need a warranty since there is close to 100% chance of it failing within 3 years and higher than 100% if it's a Dorman battery.

 

This is true for Gen 1 but for Gen 2 & 3 @2k1Toaster 's kit of new cells should last as long as OEM new.

 

I have no direct experience with 2k1Toaster's offerings, but I've installed over 200 OEM batteries and never had any issues with the OEM packs. I have had trouble with everything that is rebuilt/refurbished, even the packs we rebuild in-house. There is nothing as good as new when it comes to batteries.....and anyone that says rebuilt is as good as new is either ignorant or lying.

 

Toaster's kit is new cylindrical cells. So, basically it is a new battery. He sells the kit for $1600 delivered in CONUS. He works with rechargeable batteries in hos profession and started this as a side business.
@ericbecky drove a pack for over 3000 miles before getting bored with monitoring it. He uses it elsewhere now.

 

@ericbecky @TMR-JWAP any ideas or suggestions?

 

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