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Stumble in reverse at slow speeds

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by PriusHead05, May 21, 2022.

  1. PriusHead05

    PriusHead05 Member

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    I was backing our 2009 Prius into the garage and I noticed an odd stumble. The whole car was shaking similar to a non-hybrid misfiring at idle. The ICE was not on. The electric motor was the only thing powering the car. My foot was not on the gas pedal but hovering over the brake pedal because of the slow speed. And no, the shaking was not from accidentally pressing the brake pedal. The shaking felt exactly like a non-hybrid misfiring at idle. The car has 164k mi. on it. I don't think this is normal, and if it's not normal, what would be recommended for me to look for. I am not sure if this is related but I have also been dealing with this problem in this thread: Hybrid battery fan issues
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    hard to say. prius never uses the engine for reverse, even if it is running. i would be concerned about the tranny or tranny mounts.
    when was the last time you changed the fluid?
     
  3. PriusHead05

    PriusHead05 Member

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    We just got it in February. There are no records for it in the Toyota records. I haven't check Carfax to see if there is any record on there. I don't know when it was last done. It seems like it is hesitating while it is shaking as well. The other thing I noticed is when you are driving and then you take your foot of the gas to coast down a hill or to a stop light, the car seems to jerk/hesitate for about 5 seconds before it smooths out again.
     
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    How many miles?

    Sorry, missed it. :unsure:
     
    #4 Mendel Leisk, May 21, 2022
    Last edited: May 21, 2022
  5. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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  6. PriusHead05

    PriusHead05 Member

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    The coolant was changed (from how I read the records) at 100k mi. The previous owner has replaced the front shocks and one of the front wheels bearing. He said the HV Battery has been replaced, but based on the way it been acting and from what the others have said in the other thread, its probably a reconditioned battery. That's as far as what is known to be done on the car.
     
  7. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    You got a whack a mole hybrid battery repair...just enough to sell it. And it worked.....

    Classic.

    Someone slammed in an old battery module that has just not failed yet to get it out the door. They call that reconditioning.

    This can be confirmed by watching the battery monitor on the MFD. Mileage is bad and does it go into purple real fast like at a light then does it take forever to get some blue bars in it? When it starts showing from fuller charge to no charge real fast then its about ready to throw the RTOD red triangle of death. We've all been through it.

    Your basically running on the engine at this point as the hybrid battery is not providing much power so keep a close eye on the engine oil now as the engine is really working hard. keep it at the full line always.
     
  8. PriusHead05

    PriusHead05 Member

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    I figured it was a whack a mole. @jerrymildred also said the same thing. A reconditioned battery are half the cost of an OEM battery, but the reconditioned ones last 1/15th the length of the OEM ones. So the failing battery is what is causing these weird problems, correct? At any rate, the battery will need to be replaced, and I could see it coming. Should I wait to replace the HV Battery until the RTOD appears or will operating the battery in it's lower condition damage other systems?
     
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  9. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    I don't think I really grasp what you're saying about "stumbling" in reverse. Is there a noise associated with it? Normally, reverse is as smooth as an electric motor since that's what's powering the car in reverse. It sounds to me like a mechanical issue, but I'd expect some kind of noise to go with it.

    In my opinion, if the battery charge is acting like you describe, it's being nice to you and giving you a warning that the battery is about to fail. You can replace it either before or after it fails completely and strands you. But first, I'd get a diagnosis from a good hybrid mechanic about that stumble and the concern about the fan on your other thread. The dealer SHOULD be able to tell you what's wrong, but they have limited repair options. An independent hybrid mechanic who knows his stuff will have options that might save you some money.
     
  10. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    When my battery was in its final death throes it did alot of stupid things the car was really unhappy in general.

    OP's got a whacker in it now for sure so really all bets are off till the battery is happy. How ugly is the battery monitor on the dash...going purple real fast all the time?

    And if you plan on keeping the car its vital to have a hybrid capable OBD device. Dr Prius is a good start but for battery rebuild techstream is what you want.
     
  11. PriusHead05

    PriusHead05 Member

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    Not all the time. Took it out for a drive today, and within the first five minutes of driving it dropped from the green 7 bars to 3 bars, then charged back up within five minutes. It wasn't sunny today, so the A/C didn't have to work as hard. The battery seems to drop down to the one and two purple bars during the first five minutes when the A/C is on high and especially if getting up to speed (45-55 mph). It seems to fluctuate more drastically within the first five minutes of driving, but if at a stop light for a few minutes with the A/C on high, the battery will drop down to the two purple bars and will take a good 5 minutes or 3 miles to charge back up again into the blue bars.
     
  12. PriusHead05

    PriusHead05 Member

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    I have a Bluetooth adapter with Torque Pro and Dr. Prius. I just recently figured out how to get the custom PIDs on Torque Pro and those have been really helpful. Techstream can only be connected via laptop, correct? Or is there a Bluetooth option now?
     
  13. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    What’s the battery life saying on Dr Prius?

    Yeah the battery’s struggling. It’s time. Whackers don’t clean upthe corrosion on the battery cables either. You need to drive it don’t let it sit it will kill it.

    You know you can help it charge up by power braking it while stopped.

    In gear and stopped put your left foot on the brake and while holding the brake down push the gas pedal gently enough to start the engine. Don’t need to floor it just press it till the engine starts then keep it there. Watch the battery meter it will slowly charge up the battery. Don’t need to mash the brake but just enough to keep the car from moving. Practice a little with nothing in front of you.

    It’s a common thing. I did that for a year until I bought a new NPB battery.
     
  14. PriusHead05

    PriusHead05 Member

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    49% It said it was in bad condition but will still run. It also said block #9 and #12 have poor balance.
     
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  15. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Yup. Welcome to the club.
     
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  16. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    This behavior plus what Dr. Prius is saying are pretty clear evidence that the battery is about done for. When you first start up, the electric motors draw lots of power as they minimize the load on the engine while it warms up. Once the engine warms up, it runs harder so it can pay back the warm-up loan from the battery. So, during that warm up phase, you'll see higher than usual mpg and more rapid battery drain. Once it's warmed up, you see the opposite. If the battery is low on capacity due to imbalance or chemical degradation, the percentage of charge taken out of the battery for engine warm up is greater since there is less power available from the battery.
     
  17. PriusHead05

    PriusHead05 Member

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    Well, the cheapest I have found for a brand new OEM battery is $1950 plus the $1,350 core charge the dealer wants. The lithium-ion conversion from NexCell is $2,170. I don't really want to try the lithium-ion, because the conversion hasn't been around long enough to prove itself. The NiMH has been around for 20+ years. I'm trying to find a brand new OEM battery, but not sure where else to look other than the dealer. Any suggestions?
     
  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    dealer is the only place, and that's a preety good price. you get the core charge back when you return the old.
    if you want cheaper, go to 'newpriusbatteries.com'. they have great reviews and are $1,600.
     
  19. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    If that's the installed price, it's amazing. Last time I checked, our installed price was $2,400 plus tax. That was a few weeks ago. Don't know the OTC price.
     
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  20. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    It won't be given that he was quoted the core charge, That implies pickup of the battery and return of the old battery when he has done the install. $1950 is the bare retail price. If Toyota were to install then the installation would be extra (usually $500 - $600), and minus the core charge. In addition, it will include a 3-year warranty if Toyota installs, a one-year warranty if not.
     
    #20 dolj, May 24, 2022
    Last edited: May 24, 2022
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