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

Fine to drive?

Discussion in 'Prius c Main Forum' started by Josh331, Sep 13, 2019.

  1. Josh331

    Josh331 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2017
    47
    4
    0
    Location:
    Coeur d'Alene ID
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    ----USA----
    I have a 2012 Prius C and I need a new hybrid battery, wont charge past 53%. A buddy erased the codes and for the last few weeks the electric motor was working just fine, cruise control and EV/eco mode were perfect etc.

    Now the “check hybrid system pull the vehicle over immediately” is back on as well as the loss of the cruise control and ev/eco mode.

    I have two questions, is my vehicle fine to drive with just the gas motor? I drive for a living and I don’t have thousands of dollars for a new battery right now.

    I know I asked this question before on another post, but should I get a refurbished battery for around a grand? I do have an acquaintance that has a parts car- it only had 73,000 miles on it (same year as mine though) and he wants just $500 for hybrid battery. Or should I just keep driving with the gas motor until I have about three grand to buy a new battery.… I plan to keep the car for a very long time, it’s just about to be paid off.
     
  2. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    6,690
    6,382
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    It certainly isn’t ideal to operate with a failed hybrid battery, but as you’ve seen it’s technically possible.

    The battery is probably still participating somewhat- remember that in a Prius, reverse gear is strictly electric, no way for the gas engine to do it alone. When the battery really zaps out the car will be painfully, even dangerously slow. If your driving-for-a-living includes passengers, you’ll be hearing about it a lot.

    $3k for a traction battery for a c sounds high, might be worth verifying that/shopping around.

    A used battery for $500 is a much better gamble than a refurbished battery for $1000, mostly because the most common forms of “refurbishment” aren’t worth the $500 delta between these two.

    …and just to verify- you’ve cleaned the battery cooling fan? Not just the vents on the fascia, but actually going in and cleaning the fan itself? Keep that sucker sparkling for long-term battery health.
     
  3. Josh331

    Josh331 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2017
    47
    4
    0
    Location:
    Coeur d'Alene ID
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    ----USA----
    Thanks for your response, quick question, with the parts car having seventy thousand miles on it, it seems like a no brainer to pull the hybrid battery out and get it for 500 bucks, however the car is a 2012, not necessarily new which is not good for batteries I heard.
    Is that BS though? Is it not so much about the age of the car as it is the miles?
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    it's not bs, but it is an opinion. the battery may be worth $500. but you should do some testing.

    i would be very careful of rebuilt batteries, a lot of people are getting burned.

    are you sure yours is bad? what facts do you have, provided by tech stream?
     
  5. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    6,690
    6,382
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    I believe age is more important than mileage regarding batteries. So yeah, swapping a 2012 for a 2012 isn’t great. But a refurb is going to be a composite of cells that are several different ages, and it only takes a few of the oldest tanking out to bring down the whole pack. That’s why I would favor risking less money going in with the used and unmodified pack.

    Now, if you find a used one from say, a crashed 2016? That’s better still, even if it had high miles.

    I support bisco’s suggestion to verify the diagnosis with Techstream software; make sure it isn’t something silly like inverter coolant or a wad of hair stuck in the battery blower.

    EDIT: just adding… have you checked the status of your warranty? depending on where the car was first sold and the exact date, it may still actually be eligible for a Toyota warranty replacement. Maybe. Barely.

    EDIT 2: ah maybe not… Although you’re possibly within 8 years, the 73k miles you listed isn’t for your car, it’s the parts car. I think the most generous version of the warranty was 8 years/100k miles.
     
    #5 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Sep 13, 2019
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2019
  6. Josh331

    Josh331 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2017
    47
    4
    0
    Location:
    Coeur d'Alene ID
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    ----USA----
    I just erased the codes about a month ago and they stayed away for weeks, then they came back last week so I again erased them but the hybrid one came back after just 1 week.. Does this that battery is going to crap fast?


    If so I’ll have to get that $500 hybrid battery out of that parts car..
    How would I check my own battery with this techstream you mentioned? All I did was take it to a shop and they said my battery would not charge passed 53% and said I needed a new one
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    it's complicated

    you'll need to do a lot of reading here

    search: 'tech stream'

    or, 'dr prius'
     
  8. Josh331

    Josh331 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2017
    47
    4
    0
    Location:
    Coeur d'Alene ID
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    ----USA----
    What do you think about that code popping back up after just a week this time, does that mean the battery is going downhill fast?
    If it would not charge past 53% like the shop said, could that really be from dust and crap all clogged up in there? If that’s a possibility I will tear that thing apart today and clean it perfectly
     
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    possibly, but not necessarily. trouble lights are there for a reason. they mean 'something is wrong with me, please read my codes and repair me according to my service manual'.
     
    Raytheeagle, dig4dirt, WHCSC and 2 others like this.
  10. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    6,690
    6,382
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    ^ what bisco said.

    You really can’t infer much from a yes/no lamp on the dash. It needs real diagnosis with proper tools. It’s totally possible to learn how to do this yourself, but it’s going to take some time and at least a small investment in equipment.

    Failing that, you need to pay somebody who is already trained and set up.
     
  11. Josh331

    Josh331 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2017
    47
    4
    0
    Location:
    Coeur d'Alene ID
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    ----USA----
    The dude with the parts car has two hybrid batteries
    One from a 2012 with 73,000 miles.
    Another from a 2013 with close to 100,000.

    Both are $500.

    I know it’s not much different but what would you guys choose.
     
  12. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    6,690
    6,382
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    are you having any symptoms?
     
  14. Josh331

    Josh331 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2017
    47
    4
    0
    Location:
    Coeur d'Alene ID
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    ----USA----
    What do you mean symptoms?
    Is there anyway to test a hybrid battery before buying it? Just so I know that it has a bunch of life left?
     
  15. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    6,690
    6,382
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    You can pop the lid off and verify that the modules all have the same date code, no burns or bulges, little or no corrosion, clean fan etc…

    A proper electrical test requires some really expensive test equipment. Next best is to pop it in a car and drive it around for a while.

    Will the seller offer any kind of guarantee at all? I don’t know that I would expect it, but you can always ask.

    This is why there’s such a big price difference between a real, new guaranteed Toyota battery and everything else.