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Battery drains fast in idle or without gas

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Matty803, Jul 7, 2020.

  1. Matty803

    Matty803 New Member

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    Four
    So my battery power drains under like a minute idle and driving without using any gas with the ac on. It last a little bit longer with the ac and fan off but still dies fairly quickly. When i am using the engine it constanly chargers the battery and im driving and the battery hits 2 bars and the traction charge cuts on the engine like overloads and makes loud noises feels like its on the verge of breaking down. Now i cant run any diagnostics that come with car because my touchscreen was cracked when i purchased the car i can see everything just cant press the touchscreen buttons. What is going on? Is this my hybrid battery failing or could it be something else ? 12volt? Spark plugs? I dont have much money if any to put into my car right now what could be some options for me to reolve this ?

    I can keep the battery charged as long as im using the engine to charge the bat3rery while driving. But if it sit over 2 minutes it drains to 2 bars. If i try driving on the 2 bars with or without the engine it makes the loud noises the more i try to press the gas and wont really move and i have to stop or i feel like it would break down.*


    I also try driving in power mode as much as possible to get more gas and accelration to keep the engine charging the battery as much as possible so ot doesnt deplete 2 bars and do the auto low battery charge. Sorry im not very knowledgeable in the prius terms and lingo yet.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #1 Matty803, Jul 7, 2020
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 7, 2020
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    it is impossible for us to know what the problem is, if any. what you describe sounds fairly normal.

    how many miles on your car?

    watch @NutzAboutBolts youtube on cleaning the egr circuit. you can do that for free.

    what is the service history?
     
    #2 bisco, Jul 8, 2020
    NutzAboutBolts and Mendel Leisk like this.
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    ^ This.
     
    #3 Mendel Leisk, Jul 8, 2020
  4. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    No one posts there mileage on this site. Its like going to the dentist and refusing to open your mouth.
     
    #4 edthefox5, Jul 8, 2020
    Raytheeagle, kenoarto, Montgomery and 3 others like this.
  5. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Hmm, so how long have you owned this car?

    It's certainly not uncommon for folks to sell, trade-in, etc a hybrid when the HV battery begins to have issues. And yours sounds like it is showing one of the classic signs of weakening but hasn't failed yet (tripped the error lights/notifications).

    There are several avenues: keep driving it, look into grid charging, save up for a new HV battery, repair the original or replace it with a rebuilt one. Every owner of an older hybrid with the original battery will face this; it's not a matter of if but when. Yours may still be under warranty but it will need to have the necessary codes before Toyota warranties.

    GOOD LUCK!
     
    #5 fotomoto, Jul 8, 2020
    kenoarto, Matty803 and jerrymildred like this.
  6. Matty803

    Matty803 New Member

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    2012 Prius
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    Four
    177856 miles. Had it over a year. Havent had any problems with it until now

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

    I saw there are individual cells for sale online about 30 a piece. What would be a cheap easy way to test out the cells ?

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

    I dont believe its under warranty anymore

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

    177857 only had oil changes and struts replaced never had any issues

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

    Ive owned it over a year. Is there a cheap way to test the hybrid battery cells?

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #6 Matty803, Jul 8, 2020
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 8, 2020
  7. AzusaPrius

    AzusaPrius Senior Member

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    Give it some time Im sure someone will tell you to just buy a new pack from some site. Around here they seem to call it whack a mole and it saves a lot of money. Watch YouTube and see if you can do it then order from ebay.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #7 AzusaPrius, Jul 8, 2020
  8. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Now you have a mask on so opening your mouth gets the same result:p.
     
    #8 Raytheeagle, Jul 8, 2020
  9. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    But it doesn't save a lot of time which for many people is "money".

    The wack-a-mole process can takes many days or even weeks to complete and is really only a viable solution for those who have other means of transportation, don't need to drive, or don't mind the lower reliability of a repaired pack and repeating module failures down the road. Using cheap multiple "hobby" chargers can take even longer.

    Fast, light, cheap. Pick two.
     
    #9 fotomoto, Jul 9, 2020
    Matty803 likes this.
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