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3rd Battery Reconditioning

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Tracker, Jul 4, 2024 at 8:25 PM.

  1. Tracker

    Tracker Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2019
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    Location:
    Atlanta GA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    My 2008 Prius threw the triangle of death last week. I watched the banks using the Dr Prius app and noticed bank 2 would sometimes work correctly and then a few minutes later would drop low in volts causing the voltage differential to rise up over 1.5 volts. I've had battery problems twice before and removed the pack myself, reconditioned the cells replacing the bad/low cells with better used ones from Ebay. I discharge to 6.3v at 1.5 amp and charge at 5 amp.

    The car has almost 300k miles and I'm thinking the cells are getting past their useful life, but I just don't want to spend the $2k or more to get a new or reconditioned pack. So my plan is to keep reconditioning myself and hopefully get 12-18 months between failures.

    One thing I've never understood is how to match cells together into banks. My previous approach was to place the highest mAh battery with the lowest, the second highest with the second lowest, etc. Can anyone help be with the best approach to building the banks, and also when do you determine if a cell is no longer useable? I've been getting rid of any cell below 5000 mAh, but again don't know if that's the best approach.

    Any help appreciated.
     
  2. Tracker

    Tracker Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2019
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    Location:
    Atlanta GA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    I could really use some help on this thread if anyone would be willing to give me some advice! Just to update my current reconditioning efforts I'm finding my cells have really lost some capacity since the previous repair. Most cells are topping out in the 4000's and 5000's mAh range, and at least 8 of the cells are only 1000 to 3000. I have 10 extra spares over 5000, so hopefully I'll be able to build the pack using batteries above 5000. Just need some advice on how to build the pack, should I use capacity or volts or some other means to pair the cells??
     
  3. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2020
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    Location:
    NJ-USA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    There are many days' worth of reading about replacing battery modules. Lots of opinions about "how to do it right". Charge - discharge rates. Lower voltage limit. Pairing modules for each block. Etc, etc.

    Thing is, it all "works" (mostly). So you just pick something and go with it. As long as the modules are within a few hundred mAh capacity, pairing weak-to-strong will "work".

    If capacity is too different, the weak module will cause problems at very high or very low SoC. Also, since the entire pack is a series circuit, the weakest module determines the capacity for the whole thing.

    How long have your previous battery repairs held up?

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  4. Tracker

    Tracker Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2019
    9
    6
    0
    Location:
    Atlanta GA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Thanks for the reply! The first repair lasted about 2 years, the second maybe 1 1/2 years. I'm not driving the Prius much this last year since I bought a new all electric car, so it sits for weeks at a time. But I'd like to keep the Prius as a 2nd car. I read on a battery sellers website that to maintain their warranty you should drive it for at least 30 minutes once a month, so will try that to help. On another note I also noticed lots of corrosion on my copper plates. I had cleaned them last time with salt & vinegar, but read somewhere I should also polish them with fine steel wool which I'm doing now. Saw they sell the plated copper plates on Amazon, not sure if that's worth the $40 cost or not.