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dash lights out, surging, power loss, then all good?

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by mcmars, Sep 4, 2019.

  1. mcmars

    mcmars Member

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    I went to Durango yesterday and picked up new Toyota battery following the advice here to not try and do a one trip over the counter exchange as there will be some various "unknown" parts to be swapped over from old to new. I paid $1350 core charge (no tax on cores) and loaded the new hybrid battery into my prius. The new hybrid battery is HUGE due to the bulky packaging and it will take up 70% of the space in your vehicle hatch area with the rear seats folded up. My poor dog was a trooper and rode the return trip on top of whatever could find to stuff behind the seats make a temp dog bed as there was no room with the huge battery, my cooler and my friend in the passenger seat. Toyota wants the old core battery packaged exactly like the new one, so I will take some pictures and notes of how the new battery is packaged and looks when I crack open the huge package.

    I am doing the battery swap today over at a friends garage who is also very mechanically inclined and is also an electrical engineer by schooling, and more importantly is an electric genius/whiz, owns an 07 prius and can help me with any electrical stuff I am nervous or unsure about. I want to do the work myself, but am stoked my friend will be around to help with grunting the 80lb beast out the hatch and to help with any issues I have along the way.

    I am not finding any info on how to actually do the old to new hybrid swap using a new OEM Toyota hybrid battery, but will take some notes and let folks know what I have to do transfer parts over to the new battery. If it goes well and we have time, I am hoping to pull the dash after we get the battery in and running to replace the failed 100ohm cap on combo meter with a 220ohm cap my friend says he has in his shop. Maybe a bit much for a day, but need to get that done asap as dash blacked out twice yesterday on the 6 hour drive. I have the rear battery hatch cover off now and the red terminal protector removed so, it is a 2 minute temp fix to get the white + connector unplugged, but need to get the combo meter fixed for my upcoming trip to Oregon.

    Wish me luck and I will post later how it goes, any problems, and some pictures if I can figure out how to do photos on the forum.
     
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  2. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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  3. mcmars

    mcmars Member

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    I will read the entire thread thread then tonight and see what we need to do to fix combo meter. I thought it was just replacing the 100uf cap with a 220uf cap was the fix.

    I got battery swapped today. It was pretty straightforward after watching the short Boulder Hybrid removal video a couple times, I was able to do the swap from memory. Toyota gives you their new OEM battery in a new metal case and also supplies a bag with new battery cables you swap over. You also swap the cooling tubes. It took about 4 hours including vacuuming all the dog hair and dirt and cleaning up fan and taking my time with some some breaks. Test drive proved to me that although I was not getting the red triangle and other trouble lights, my old battery was losing capacity as no more purple bars, just blue/green bars, less motor turning on and milage went from 46 to 55. After a nice drive, hike and burger, I decided to wait till morning to tackle the combo meter and pull dash. I will do some more reading about combo meter fix and see if I have the parts needed for a DIY repair. Thanks everyone!
     
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  4. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    When you return the core, you can return any modules (failed) to them. You can keep the 28 good modules from your car and give them to your friend that likes to tinker with his cars. The 28 modules would cost a pretty penny on ebay ($30 each)

    If you want 28 failed modules, I have a bunch. Just pay for the shipping to you (2 flat rate boxes) and you can keep the good modules.
     
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  5. mcmars

    mcmars Member

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  6. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Hold on there. You forgot to mention she has to return the core with 28 modules or she won’t get her core deposit back. You are correct that they don’t have to be the 28 modules currently in the pack, but she does have to return the core with 28 modules.
     
  7. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    I offered her 28 failed modules
     
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  8. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    That’s cool but she will have to dissemble the rack and switch them over. Unless you have a rack of 28 bad modules to swap? Plus in good faith you should offer a small amount of cash for her labor. ;)
     
  9. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    easy to do that, remove the bottom of the case and just 4 big 12mm bolts on the module clamp.
     
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  10. mcmars

    mcmars Member

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    Humm, I get it, Toyota does not care if they are dead or still alive, they just want the core to have 28 modules of any condition. None of my really failed, just were overall weak. I will ask my friend if he wants them for his car so he can buy time if/when his starts to fail. That is very nice of you to offer. Wonder how much shipping would be to 81435? I can ask him tomorrow.

    I got through page 4 of the combo meter thread. Looking like we need to replace 3 caps and a IC module? I will keep reading, maybe some more mods? My friend might have the caps, but we would have to order the IC. He is also going to wire in a 2nd 12 volt battery for me tomorrow so I have bit more juice to run a 50 qt DC fridge/freezer cooler and have some back up for the existing 12 volt battery.
     
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  11. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    shipping a flat rate box is around $18 each (I believe). That applies to all of the USA
     
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  12. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    btw, I'm not the friend that likes to tinker with cars. She actually has a friend that's helping her, he should pay her LOL
     
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  13. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    If he gets the modules I agree 100%. Unless his helping offsets the work he did.

    I see what you did there. You offered her 28 dead modules for the price of shipping. Then she could do what she wants with the 28 currently in the pack. I missed that part. I apologize for my mistake. Hopefully you can forgive my error Amigo. :)
     
    #53 Skibob, Sep 10, 2019
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2019
  14. mcmars

    mcmars Member

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    I wonder if my old modules would work for an E bike? My friend likes to build E bikes and is always messing with battery and solar stuff. It looks easy to rebuild the pack. Is there a chance my old modules can be rejuvenated I would love to build an E bike with some of them and my friend would likely keep adding more batteries into his trunk, he already has a ton of them wired in and a switch so he can go all electric for town driving.
     
  15. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    yes you can recondition the modules with a hobby charger. Your friend probably already has this equipment.
     
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  16. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Many of them probably can be rejuvenated but if you do take up @JC91006 on his offer it would only be right to compensate him in some way.
     
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  17. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    @Skibob, what a great guy. I wouldn't need compensation, just me recycling bad modules and I hate seeing good modules being recycled back to Toyota
     
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  18. mcmars

    mcmars Member

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    That is a very nice offer, so yes, I agree, be good to return a favor.
     
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  19. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Not even a case of beer? Plus if you research what Toyota actually does with the modules you would find they get melted into slag nickel. There is no way profitable way to reuse the metals currently.
     
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  20. mcmars

    mcmars Member

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    Case of beer is easy, let me check with my friend, I bet he will want them for projects.