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Considering the Prolong system on a 2007 with 175K miles. Worth it?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by VFerdman, Aug 26, 2017.

  1. VFerdman

    VFerdman Senior Member

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    I just bought a 2007 with 175K miles on it a few weeks ago. Already put close to 2K of my own miles and am absolutely loving the car. It is in great cosmetic and mechanical shape, but I am worried about the battery, of course. It was a one-owner car before me and the owner took amazing care of it. Most maintenance was not at the dealer and minimal. I have already performed basic things like new spark plugs, etc. But the battery just seems like it's more out of my control. I have learned about the Prolong system here and am wondering if it's worth the $700 in my case. the battery seems healthy and charges and discharges seemingly normal (I have not looked at it with a mini VCI yet, that's coming in the mail soon) judging by the MFD only. The mileage is great (around 43 on the highway and closer to 50 otherwise. I do not hypermile and not really good at various hybrid techniques like pulse and glide, etc. I'm a novice at hybrids. This is my first). I really want to make this battery last as long as possible, so I am seriously considering the Prolong. Would like to hear others' experiences and suggestions.
     
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  2. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I bought the setup at 149 k miles on our 2010 Prius II for the preventative maintenance purpose;).

    I have done one top end cycle and a two cycle discharge reconditioning. I used to have the engine come on in traffic, but now the battery is more resilient to periods of stop and go driving. I also noticed on the last oil change when I used maintenance mode that the battery was still on the top end of the display :).

    You can always pm @jeff652 with any specific questions. He installed the harness for me and is very knowledgeable.

    Glad I did take the plunge and I have seen better battery performance (y).
     
  3. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    I used a setup after my 10/150 warranty had expired on an 07 Prius, which was in June.

    Only did one top balance cycle and one discharge reconditioning cycle (which included a final full charge and a cooling off period). Hope to do another version of the above soon, and this time I might even take the HV battery to a lower voltage on the reconditioning cycle.

    I installed the harness (and cleaned the filthy battery fan vanes) with the help of a friend :whistle:

    Pretty sure you will have positive results all around.
     
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  4. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Not Prius related, but a coworker used the Prolong system to rejuvenate the battery on a hybrid Civic so I know their system helps older batteries.
     
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  5. VFerdman

    VFerdman Senior Member

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    Thank you for the responses. I am glad to hear there are good results. The system seems to make sense and seems to be of good engineering and manufacturing quality.
     
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  6. StephenJ

    StephenJ Member

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    I'm curious about this as well for the 09 I just bought. How does it hook up to the car? Can it be used interchangeably with any hybrid car? I was thinking about splitting one with someone who has a Ford Fusion hybrid. Is that posdible?
     
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  7. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    I think you would need a harness for each car. http://www.hybridautomotive.com for details.
     
  8. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Only for some Honda, Toyota and Lexus at this time.

    Hooks up with an installed harness, best to buy a second harness (or more if needed).

    Unless you go 'Pro', the consumer version of the charger/discharger is mostly application specific.
     
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  9. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    There is a specific harness that getsbinstall and makes the process "plug and play";).

    Install doesn't take all that long (Jeff did mine and it took ~2 hours on a Gen 3) and when we did @SFO 's it took about the same. We cleaned the fan as we went (which is a good idea when doing this job).

    There are pictures that accompany the instructions on the Hybrid Automotive website which makes it super easy:).

    There are specific Charger and discharger combinations that are model specific. Several years from now I'll be looking for a kit for our 2017 RX450H (once the 8/100 warranty gets close to expiring).

    Hope that helps(y).
     
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  10. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    I got one to nurse along my 06 pack that had had two previous module repairs so it was a very weak pack to begin with. It kept it going for another year but the car was only driven about 5k miles over that time which is bad for battery longevity so the charger had a very tough assignment. (y)

    IMO, older gen 3 owners looking to get several more years from the original pack should be getting these RIGHT NOW for it to do the most good and bang for the buck. Once there's a module failure, it's a game of diminishing returns.
     
  11. GrGramps

    GrGramps Active Member

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    From what I've read the system does not fix a failed battery, so now is the time to install it if you want to do it. This is something that you would use immediately, but if the battery does not fail while you own the car you may forever wonder if it was due to using the Prolong.

    Is it worth it, I think it is.
     
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  12. VFerdman

    VFerdman Senior Member

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    My gen 2 '07 still seems to have a pretty healthy battery. This is why I am seriously considering Prolong. I am sure the battery is not super strong as it has 175K miles and 10 years on it, but I still get great mileage and the card drives like a dream. I really want to keep it going that way. I hope I am not tool late in the game for it, though.
     
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  13. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    You're probably getting close, but it's still not too late;).

    There are some warning signs (quick charging, battery depleting fast, etc) which Jeff has outlined on his website.

    But sooner rather than later will help ensure it is maintained(y).
     
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  14. jeff652

    jeff652 Senior Member

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    As long as their in no red triangle/DTCs present, additional life can be expected from our systems. The sooner they begin being used, the more incremental life is possible. This outlines what to watch for:
    ProlongĀ® Battery Systems FAQ - Hybrid Automotive
     
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