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Dead 2007 Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Larryy, Oct 8, 2017.

  1. Larryy

    Larryy Active Member

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    Hi again everyone. My success in solving my Prius problem was short lived. Recently the dash lit up again with all the usual lights, brake, master warning, slip, VSC, ABS, MIL, even the MFD has a red car symbol with an exclamation mark. We were out and about in the car when it first happened. Power was ebbing and the engine was revving as though it were a conventional transmission that was slipping. I had my scan tool with me so I retrieved a “Replace Hybrid Battery” code. I deleted the code and the car returned to normal for a short while then the process repeated. It did this several more times before we got home. Now it is dead in the driveway. No error codes in any of the ECMs. The dash lights are all on. It will not go "Ready". It will not go into D, B or R. If I erase the codes that do not exist, the lights go out for half a second then come back on with a beep and the word "problem" appears across the top of the MFD. The hybrid battery contactors remain open. 12 v battery is over 12 v and to eliminate suspicion I connected a battery charger and maintained system voltage over 13v with the same results. All but one cell in the HV pack test over 7.5v, most around 7.7v and one cell tests 6.5v. Again I connected an alternate power source, a 6v battery charger, across that one cell and boosted its voltage to 8.5 and tried to boot the car with the charger connected. This made no difference so I am hesitant to simply throw batteries at it as I suspect it will not resolve the issue. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    idk if you can fix a hybrid battery like that, have you read through the rebuild threads?
     
  3. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    The 6.5v module may likely be shorted and can't really hold up under load.

    If you try to charge it the voltage may rise quickly, but as soon as there is a load it will fall quickly. Since in reality it cannot accept the charge.

    I would get some tools (cost you less than $50) to monitor the voltage of the HV blocks live. The bad actor would be obvious without having to even open up the pack.

    It's been less than 6 month since your ebay module swap.

    You are just playing a classic game of Whack-a-mole with your failing pack.

    If the replacement module was OK, then it is likely that a different module in your pack has failed.

    Sounds like you'll become really good at teardown swapping since you will be doing it a few times a year.

    Keep playing the game as long as you are still having fun.
     
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  4. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    You need to re-seat the orange interlock connector on the hv battery.

    1. Insert into battery, flip up the lever.
    2 important final step is to push the connector DOWN towards the car's floor to lock it. You'll hear it click.

    That should get your car to start. But to fix your problem, you would need to replace the 6.5v module first
     
  5. Larryy

    Larryy Active Member

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    Okay, I should have included a few more details. During the HV batt testing, the interlock connector was in place and the lever pushed down. My voltmeter shows 214v at the main contactors, which remain open. The 6.5v module was supplanted by the 6v battery charger and the voltmeter left across just that cell, this maintained 8.5v, at that cells terminals, during the boot up attempt. No drop in voltage is the result of no load being applied. This process was not done in an attempt to repair the HV battery, it was done to confirm whether or not the problem is HV battery related, because my suspicion is that it is not.
    As for playing whack-a-mole, I figured I would replace a couple and see just how long I could go between incidents, If I could measure it in years it would be tolerable. And shame on Toyota for making the battery so inaccessible. Way too much interior tear out to get to it.
    Lastly, where is the best place to get a new HV battery should I decide to go that route?
     
  6. exstudent

    exstudent Senior Member

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    +1

    Glutton for punishment?
     
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  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    most people report that battery removal is quick and easy. maybe a half hour for the experienced? it's gonna take a lot longer than that to rebuild it, so, it's not a big deal.

    toyota didn't design it with whack a mole in mind.
     
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  8. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    I thought it was amazingly easy to access and replace the battery on the Gen 2. Several parts to remove, but none hard to do. At least you don't have to remove a wheel and fender liner like replacing the battery on my son's old Intrepid. ;)

    As for where to get a battery, I haven't heard of anyone in the Detroit area who does stuff like @ericbecky and some of the others here, so you're probably stuck shopping the various Toyota dealers in your area. You'll probably find a variety of prices, but the best repair in a new battery.
     
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  9. exstudent

    exstudent Senior Member

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    Wishful thinking. Had you just replaced w/ a New OEM HV Battery, you would not have to disassemble the rear for another 8-10+ years. Not to mention the inconvenience of this breakdown.

    All manufactures are the same. Cram as much stuff into the car. Convenience to access is an afterthought.

    Don't forget, everyone will add a refundable $1350 core charge, unless you bring the core with you.
    Not all dealerships will sell to the public or even another mechanic. Call and ask.
    See if the dealership will price match Olathe @ $1993.28.

    Metro Toyota, Kalamazoo, MI; closest to you. $2256.03 Toyota Parts: Search Results
    Toyota Parts e-Store (Chicago, IL), $2083, 2007 Toyota Prius Electrical Parts & Components battery Battery - OEM Toyota Parts
    Olathe Toyota (Olathe, KS) $1993.28, Battery - Toyota (G9510-47031)
    Austin Toy (Austin, TX), $2588.67, Battery - Toyota (G9510-47031) | Discount Toy
    Gulf Nation Toy (Houston, TX), $2083.88, Battery - Toyota (G9510-47031)
    Camelback Toy (Phoenix, AZ) $2210.73, 2007 Toyota Prius Parts - Camelback Toyota Parts - Genuine OEM Parts - Free Shipping
    San Bernardino Toy (San Bernardino, CA) $2200.80,2007 Toyota Prius Parts - Toyota of San Bernardino Online Parts Store
     
    #9 exstudent, Oct 8, 2017
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2017
  10. exstudent

    exstudent Senior Member

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  11. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    So much great info about the most posted subject on PC the HYBRUD BATTERY REPLACEMENT CHOICES. But it's all over the place.
    Wish to god PC would start a G2 HYBRID BATTERY forum with stickys. Got a lot of guys who know there stuff and contribute like crazy buts it's over hundreds of posts,
     
  12. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    Larryy,
    When playing whack-a-mole, it will not last a year. Unless you get very, very lucky. That is just part of the agreement you make when choosing to play the game. Good that you tried, though.

    Best place for a new battery is through a Toyota dealer, or independent shop that sells new Toyota batteries.

    If you have problems getting one let me know, sometimes I can persuade the dealer to sell one since I have a business working on hybrids. (Maybe round $2,500?)
    Feel free to call me 608-729-4082.
    There are some aftermarket new cell setups, but they are still in experimental stage. If interested in that I can talk about that and pricing, too. (Under $2,000?)
     
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  13. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Sometimes it's much better to repair your own battery vs a refurbished battery. At least you'll know how many modules you replaced in your own battery and know the mileage/condition. Many people would give up their battery with 150k miles to get back a refurbished battery with multiple replacement modules and 400k miles on it
     
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  14. Larryy

    Larryy Active Member

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    Lots of great info on battery replacement and that will no doubt be very helpful, but, there is still this nagging question; is the HV battery at fault here? I would hate to spend $2500 and still have this dead car problem. Are we saying that 27 cells at 7.5v average and one at 8.5v is incapable of at least booting the system and engaging forward or reverse? If that's the case then this design has little to no redundancy and is a breakdown waiting to happen. Imagine if your cell phone stopped working when your battery got down to 90%. Can these cars really be like that?

    And what good is the OBD in this car? An obvious electrical problem that is 100% debilitating and no codes? I did initially get a HV battery code and I found some corrosion again on the copper connectors that looked bad enough to cause it. I cleaned it up and now there are no codes. At what voltage does a block cause this problem and are there other criteria that are considered by the battery module when the decision is made to make you walk.
     
    #14 Larryy, Oct 8, 2017
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2017
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  15. Larryy

    Larryy Active Member

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    That line of thought is why I usually repair everything myself. Some of the other posts I've read here suggest that lower mileage usually means a worse battery due to inactivity and that is consistent with what I know about most batteries.
     
  16. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    are you using tech stream to check for codes?
     
  17. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Larry.

    Since there's some beating around the bush going on, I'll be happy to tell you. The problem IS the battery. You're wasting your time worrying that it's something else. Fix the OBVIOUS first. You have one module that is reading 6.5 volts. It's OBVIOUS that it's BAD, there is NO saving it. Replace it and get your car back on the road.
     
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  18. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    If you're not using a reader that is Prius capable, such as Techstream, you're not seeing all the codes.
     
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  19. Larryy

    Larryy Active Member

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    Thanks guys. I have a replacement block coming and I will be ordering a new OBD scan tool that is Prius specific. Where is the Techstream software available from? How much?
     
  20. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    There must be a thousand threads here about the mini vci adapters and techstream. Lots of the readers on Amazon for $15-20 with the software, but you'll need a laptop with Windows XP or with a 32 bit version of Windows 7. I've heard of people getting it to run on other versions, but it's a bit of a challenge, mainly due to the drivers.