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battery vs cat conv.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by A1Framer, Mar 22, 2021.

  1. A1Framer

    A1Framer New Member

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    I don't know much about what I am doing on here. I do know that they were telling me my 09 HV battery needed replaced. I had it checked out and only one cell was in the 13's. but it wouldn't recharge very well. It stayed in the purple at highway speeds and most other times. It would not climb a mountain at more than 45 mph..Made a terrible fluttering sound when the accelerator was demanding horsepower or torque.IDK.. I drove it Many times with the giant red triangle and the check engine light constantly blinked the first 60 seconds it was started. Anyway..not to mention the coolant control flow valve code had been on for like 5 years now and it's missing on the 2nd cylinder. Fuel injector, almost positive. anyway.. My catalytic converter was stolen, and I got a 2 1/4" fence post and cut and bent it to fit. Apprx 2' in length. not perfect by any means but has made it much quieter,,, it's like a flowmaster on a Honda civic now..LOL.. So the Battery stays GREEN 90% of the time...I can go over Afton mountain now @ 80mph...it ain't legal, but it certainly wasn't the battery !!! Or was it?? How much Amp...Volt.. does the Cat Conv. take from the HV battery? Is the battery still bad but doesn't have the draw on it now?? It has 250k on the odometer and I have a newer RAV4.. I don;t need the Prius but I Love it and don;t wanna lose it...I either have to get it legal or get rid of it...My question...If I spend the money on a new CAT, will I need a new Battery, or was the Cat sooo clogged it was messing up the rest of the vehicle? Thanks !!
     
    #1 A1Framer, Mar 22, 2021
  2. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Welcome to PriusChat!!

    Many may not know where 22902 is located, a simple search yielded Charlottesville, VA, but seemed unnecessary. Update profile?
    Who are "they", or was there a prior thread/post you could link to?
    Sounds like that "module" (or pair of modules) may have one or more failed "cells", you could try replacing the failed module(s).

    With 250k, it might be a good time to recondition the existing HV battery, or not.
    Unlikely if there was an extra draw, more likely the engine rpm was being limited by a clogged cat, which kept the HV battery from charging when demand was greater during the mountain climb.

    Would recommend a "mini-vci cable" and techstream, or OBD2 bluetooth adapter and Dr Prius for retrieving stored OBD2 codes, once you have the OBD2 codes (DTCs) post them in this thread for additional guidance.

    Is this 250K HV battery still the factory installed OEM, or has it been replaced with mix matched used modules?

    Does the HV battery fan in the back seat sound louder than normal?
    Given that you can buy a new aftermarket cat from Canada for $120+, best to install that and some expanded metal for protection.
    Not sure about the rest of the vehicle, but it sounds like it it was clogged. Does the vehicle use or burn much oil between changes?

    FYI : your postings are being moderated until you've posted five (5) times.
     
    #2 SFO, Mar 23, 2021
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  3. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    The check engine light blinks ONLY for a serious misfire.
    The catalytic converter was obviously a problem, based on the results after it was replaced by pipe.

    The question is,
    Was it the chicken or the egg?

    Did the misfires cause a ton of unburned fuel to get in the cat and kill it?
    Or did a cat that was horribly clogged cause an exhaust back-up that caused misfires and poor engine performance?

    Your battery was being killed by the poor engine performance, as it was trying to make up for the lack of engine power. It can only do so much, and then it's effectively drained and the engine isn't running well enough to maintain car speed and charge the battery at the same time.

    And this:
    Made a terrible fluttering sound when the accelerator was demanding horsepower or torque
    was probably the exhaust pipe flange pushing off the manifold/gasket due to excess exhaust pressure. Remember, the exhaust pipe is mounted to the exhaust manifold using bolts and springs. The spring pressure is what keeps the pipe seated against the donut gasket. Excess backpressure will cause it pop off like a machine gun as it relieves pressure. Another sure indicator of a clogged exhaust system.

    The car was yelling and screaming at you but you just didn't understand what it was trying to say.
     
    #3 TMR-JWAP, Mar 23, 2021
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2021
  4. A1Framer

    A1Framer New Member

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    Wow, all of you have been so very helpful !! I will try to find where to update profile. Thanks ! The fan doesn't sound any louder. Dern thing runs great and with the extra exhaust noise now, the misfire is hard to discern.
    You have brought back my faith n this lil Prius and I think the money into it will be well spent. I will get a Canadian aftermarket.
    TMR-JWAP The chicken and the egg scenario is spot on. I left the cap off the oil filler one time when I put in half a quart, I drove about a mile before I discovered it ( Smell ) the oil had pooled on the fuel injectors behind it. on the electrical part I believe. They were cleaned and only 1 bad one was replaced. That was 2 years ago. The other one failed shortly after ( I believe) and been missing for quite some time. I read on here about a wet compression test and I had that done 2 years ago but it was fine.It did go thru a phase of burning a quart of oil between changes but that has since gone away..IDK, gift horse..lol..I'm new to posting although I do alot of reading here, so forgive if I miss anyone, as I do appreciate ALL the advice and input !!!
     
    #4 A1Framer, Mar 23, 2021
  5. A1Framer

    A1Framer New Member

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    SFO- So many great points. Do you have any recommendations on which Canadian website to get the Cat from? I'd like to get that ordered. Thanks again.
     
    #5 A1Framer, Mar 23, 2021
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  6. strawbrad

    strawbrad http://minnesotahybridbatteries.com

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    I recommend a Mayasaf converter available on Amazon. They sell for $143.99 and fit much better than the $125 ultra cheap versions.
     
    #6 strawbrad, Mar 23, 2021
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  7. A1Framer

    A1Framer New Member

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    Thanks StrawBrad but I'm looking for a Catalytic converter not the HV Battery
     
    #7 A1Framer, Mar 25, 2021
  8. Socal_Prius

    Socal_Prius Junior Member

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    #8 Socal_Prius, Mar 25, 2021
  9. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    #9 TMR-JWAP, Mar 25, 2021
    A1Framer and strawbrad like this.
  10. A1Framer

    A1Framer New Member

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    #10 A1Framer, Mar 26, 2021
  11. A1Framer

    A1Framer New Member

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    #11 A1Framer, Mar 26, 2021
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