2011 Gen3: Dead Traction Battery

welcome!
you can do better, shop around. also, do you diy?

 

thank you for making this a separate thread tideland!

 

That price does seem kind of high, but I've seen worse. Shop areound like @bisco said. Assuming it's in good shape otherwise and you like it as much as you do, it sounds like a good way to go.

 

Some additional questions:

• If it died in the freeway, did the inverter fail?
• What codes did the mechanic pull?
• Was the IPM flash done?
• Does the mechanic have Techstream?

Keep us posted .

 

A failed battery won't disable your car on the freeway. I'd get a second opinion

 

First thing the mechanic should have done is a system scan of all computers for current faults. What are the codes?

 

Ok got bad battery hybrid code but used obd2 to clear codes car seems fine. Still concerned need car to last another 2 years. Is it possible 12 volt battery is throwing this code?. On my last post post I was told to check it for touch screen not loading so a bell went off in my head that issues could be related. If that is the case Its highly suspicious as an unscrupulous mechanic could take advantage of the situation. chaulk one up for diy. I will check battery 12 volt that is when back at my shop. if the 12 volt battery is the culprit ill let all of you know my results.
Just in case I purchased a prolong battery conditioner to hopefully restore battery if im wrong. I suppose It cant hurt. Has anyone used one of these with good or bsd results? I will be using the torque app to check battery bank to see if any cells are reading low voltage. Is there somewhere on sight I can find modules if in fact I need them? Last question what is agm battery voltage supposed to read if its good bad etc. Im new to posting here but have been reading posts for a year or so. I will respond but it may take till morning. I hope thats accepable

 

Erasing the code didn't fix the problem, you just made your car unaware that there's a problem so it will treat your hybrid battery as if nothing is wrong, leaning on it heavily for acceleration and low speed driving causing it to fail in a more spectacular fashion, possibly a rupture of a battery module and stranding you on the side of the road. You have a weak/failed cell within a module within your battery pack. It will not heal and come back to life.

Under a 30amp load a good 12v Prius battery will hit 11.8v then slowly rise to 11.9v and remain there until about 20ah has been drawn from the battery then voltage will begin to drop. Batteries that aren't good tend to see 11.5 volts soon after you apply a significant load, after a few minutes they hit 10.5v. You will cause the car to cycle your hybrid battery more frequently by running it with a weak 12v battery, the car will not throw a bad hybrid battery code for anything other than the hybrid battery, a weak 12v will throw transmission computer and ABS computer codes for insufficient power supply.

 

If sitting overnight, the 12 volt should read greater than 12.5.

Now for some questions :

• What specific codes did you get?
• What OBD reader are you using?
• Were you using a mechanic to help with this situation?
• Did you buy both the charger and Discharger from Hybrid Automotive?

Good luck and keep us posted .

 

actron obd2 reader from advance auto it is the middlle grade device. it shut code off in car but it has the code still in reader and says permanent under code in code reader. I guess that is to warn unsuspecting buyers that batterry has failed if checked at toyota.
No mechanic but I have a lot of exp. working on cars just a little weak in electrical area. I bought the charger and discharger from hybrid automotive after researching instalation and both charging and discharging process. (reconditioning).

 

• I have not recieved charger yet I am anxiously waiting. If the code can not be thrown by anything but hybrid battery I guess its probably correct. I will be checking my 12 volt when back in NY were I live and have equipment but I think it is the hybrid battery at this point. Another question is should I try to charge battery to see if cell will respond or should I wait until I have A new module to install? I guess what im saying is there a chance to save battery by using the prolong reconditioning system?

 

i tried to start coversation with 2 of you i hope it worked im new at this part of prius chat

 

specifically to hybrid battery exchange do you sell tested individual modules ?

 

oh ya code is P0A80 there was 2 others but that was last week and cant remember what they were. I will say though that those other codes led me to question weather the hybrid battery code could be thrown in error by the vehicle.

 

I’d buy the J2534 protocol mini vci off of amazon and you’ll have Techstream which is what you’ll need going forward .

The prolong equipment allows you to maintain the hv battery, which is a critical component in your Prius and takes the electrical guesswork out of that maintenance .

Good luck and keep us posted .

 

What about torque pro thats the obd2 app for android it will give me battery cells health in sets of 2 do you think 1234 techstream is better I have not heard of that one before but I havent looked for it either. did not buy one yet how much is techstream compared to torque pro?
Torque pro is $5 a month plus $ 25 for bluetooth device to connect to application. I am trying to keep cost down but also want good info on cars health. Just so you are aware I have 235000 miles on the 2014 prius. I have done all necessary maintenance as well as adding oil catch can, cleaning egr cooler, intake manifold, and spark plugs. This car has served me well I drive 200 to 300 miles a day in Nyc for uber and lyft. I would like to get 2 more years out of it if possible. One more thing i wanted to mention have you seen the post of the other prius owner with same results of car still operating after code is cleared from dash is that common? Miles where put on car in a 2 year period so cars apearance is still very good. Any input you have would be much appreciated and thanks in advance. If I have my way I will join the 1000,000,000 club!

 

Techstream is THE tool to have.

Torque Pro will tell you certain info, but won’t give you everything .

You can get the mini vci for $15 on Amazon and that’s what I have.

Sounds like you’ve got te engine side sorted d and if you maintain the battery, you’ll have a good running Prius for the requisite 2 years if not longer.

Good luck and keep us posted .

 

thanks for info ill be getting device for techstream does it matter which one i get. Maybe a dumb ? the mini vci ok I need an app correct techstream will be on google play for android?

 

You need an old laptop to run Techstream .

My in laws had a Windows 98 laptop collecting dust in their office, so now I use that as the Techstream laptop.

Some have had decent luck with the mini vci device and some have not. You have to remember that this is a $20 purchase compared to what it costs elsewhere. You could go with VXDIAG at ~$80 and get a more reliable J2534 protocol harness when compared to mini vci (VX DIAG also works with real time data better) but that’s a consumer choice.

Good luck and keep us posted .