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Has anyone reconditioned their old battery and how is it now?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Brando714, Jun 15, 2020.

  1. Brando714

    Brando714 Member

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    Watched a videon youtube where this guy bought some battery charger system. He first replaced few of the really bad blocks, about 4 in total and then he charged/drained the battery about 3 times. The total cost of the equipments I believe were were $200. Def heck of a lot cheaper than buying a reconditioned one from a store so I am thinking about doing this DIY but want to get your experience on it
     
  2. George W

    George W Active Member

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    If you decide to get into your high voltage battery pack, you might find other factors that have contributed.

    Corrosion on bus bars,
    Corrosion on pins of the connectors,
    Loose terminals,
    Leaking acid from an individual module.

    If you are confident your issue is one or two modules, it may be cheaper and quicker to purchase them from experienced member here on priuschat. You won't really know until you look inside the case.
     
  3. Brando714

    Brando714 Member

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    Ive taken off the battery cover and cleaned all the bolts with Deoxyit and also the brass washer looking parts also and brushed it clean with tooth brush. I have not taken even block out to air dust it and check the contents under but will do that in couple weeks. I'm just burnt out for taking off the cover twice in 2 days since I had to take it off again to undo the dent that was on the top of the cover from someone kneeling or sitting on it while servicing in the past
     
  4. George W

    George W Active Member

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    Not trying to take anything away from deoxit, but a little baking soda and water can indicate the presence of acid and corrosion around the modules, on connections, and on pins.

    If you are re-connecting the terminals, borrow or buy a torque wrench to make sure you have at least 48 inch pounds. The 28 modules depend on good connections.
     
  5. Brando714

    Brando714 Member

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    I only had foot/lb torque and just hand tightened it but next time I take it off I will be torquing it to right spec thank you.
     
  6. davecook89t

    davecook89t Senior Member

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    I've been following some of your posts, and it seems like you are very thorough and have put a lot of effort into getting the most out of your car, especially as it pertains to the hybrid system, getting the battery temperature down, etc. I would really like to see that you are properly rewarded for all your efforts. The 2 threads I'm going to point you to are not light reading, but in case you haven't come across them yet, they may be beneficial for someone like yourself who wants to learn as much as possible and is willing to do whatever it takes to get your car running right.

    Dorman HV Battery with a new lease on life..... | PriusChat

    Just Another HV Battery Thread and Experiments | PriusChat
     
  7. Brando714

    Brando714 Member

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    Thank you. I will def be checking it out after my online class or tomorrow after work. I want to know as much as possible what I am working on and dealing with.
     
  8. LukUsc

    LukUsc Member

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    Hi. Generally, now (at least in Europe) the availability of decent chargers is a big problem. All recommended, which can be seen on YT are no longer produced, and new clones have prices from space.
    I recommend You start by verifying the availability of equipment. If in Your area is a problem with them, in my opinion a better solution is to send all modules to someone who has the appropriate facilities to check and regenerate them properly. Later You can experiment on one charger, even a simple iMax B6, but something more is needed to rebuild the entire package... if You don't have 3-4 weeks off without a car ;)
    Chargers that will allow you to correctly assess the cells must have the option of discharging / charging at least 3A, preferably 5A.
    All iMaxes have max. 1A discharge, and this is not enough to be realistic check battery status.

    I drew such conclusions on my example when I started to study the topic of regeneration from scratch... but because I am also a freshman in the subject, of course I can be wrong :)

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  9. George W

    George W Active Member

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    I have an Imax B6, and supplement it with a 20W and 50W 12V lamp.
     
  10. Brando714

    Brando714 Member

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    Ya, you guys are right. I don't know if I want to get myself into something that is probably complicated and has the potential to ignite in fire. All the time I have done DIY repairs/maintenance on my cars I've said quite a bit so I can allocate those savings towards a conditioned battery for about $1300.
     
  11. George W

    George W Active Member

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    For $1600, you can DIY a new battery pack that is compatible with your Prius. I've done this with my car and have had zero issues.

    NewPriusBatteries
     
  12. Brando714

    Brando714 Member

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    when the time comes, I'll most likely just swap it out with a new one and do the install myself
     
    Isaac Zachary likes this.
  13. Frank1234

    Frank1234 Member

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    • I reconditioned my pack with the prolong system not modules swap, I did the charge and balance couple times in about 6 months but still purple SOC every morning so I ordered the discharge did a full reconditioning one charge and balance one discharge and one charge and balance for me this was enough didn’t need more reconditioning my battery it’s performing like never before.
     
    #13 Frank1234, Aug 3, 2020
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2020
  14. srellim234

    srellim234 Senior Member

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    I used the full Prolong charger/discharger system for three years on a weak battery and highly recommend it if you can get one or two other members to share the cost. Put a harness on each car and pass the system around. I did finally replace the battery pack with OEM before it threw a code because we were moving to the 120* summer heat in Laughlin. The heat is pretty tough on things.
     
  15. Frank1234

    Frank1234 Member

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    The best fix is a new OEM pack in the first place, but if for any reason is not possible the prolong system can buy you some time.
     
  16. maximusdec

    maximusdec Member

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    How does it work and how often does it need to be used?
     
  17. srellim234

    srellim234 Senior Member

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    Their recommendations have changed some since I bought my system. It used to be the full maintenance with four charges and three discharges every six months and a "charge to balance the system only" session in the middle three months. It's changed now to more of a "use it when it's needed" attitude and the full sessions can only be three charges with two discharges. Too much heating up of the cells by using the charger too often can wind up weakening the system over time.

    You can see a better explanation of the whole thing at Hybrid Automotive's website. Here's a good place to start:

    Battery Reconditioning Overview | Hybrid Automotive
     
    maximusdec likes this.
  18. Frank1234

    Frank1234 Member

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    Well, little update here after only 30 days of using the prolong kit (just 2 charge and one discharge) my battery is getting the morning start purple bars again, so doing the reconditioning again and I don’t know if I have the patience for the full 4 charge and 3 discharge but so far moving on my first.
     
  19. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    It doesn't sound hopeful. You'll be looking for failed or weak modules to replace very soon. Unless you decide to replace all of them at once.
     
  20. Frank1234

    Frank1234 Member

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    You right 14 years old battery even if I replace couple modules the others one probably are not too far behind to fail too, I have 4 cells that charge and discharge more than the others ones but they can keep within the voltage so not trouble code, block 1 and 14.
     
    #20 Frank1234, Aug 31, 2020
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2020