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Hybrid battery change?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by GETAKLU, Sep 13, 2019.

  1. GETAKLU

    GETAKLU Junior Member

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    I picked up 2 used hybrid batteries out of wrecked vehicles for $200 total the other day and I am wondering what I should do with them.

    I have a 2005 Prius that I bought used from a guy that fixed them up and resold them. When I bought our Prius it had 111,000 miles on it and I was told that the hybrid battery had been replaced with one out of a wrecked vehicle that had 60,000 miles on it. Fast forward 5 years later the vehicle now has about 180,000 miles on it and my son uses it to commute an hour one way to college five days a week. The current hybrid battery has not given me any problems yet, but the mileage computer is showing pretty poor mileage compared to what I used to get. That being said, I also did not know about not filling up the gas in the vehicle passed when the pump first cut off, so the poor mileage that the computer is registering could be because of the messed up fuel tank that I have from over filling it.

    Long story short, what would you guys do with the newer hybrid batteries that I picked up? One has around 117,000 miles on it and the other has 150,000 miles on it, and they are both complete units (all I have to do is drop them in and hook up the wires).
     

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  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    For $200, not sure if these will just be really heavy paperweights. Depending on how long these have been sitting, they could be completely out of balance. Unless you charge them up before putting them in your car, the way they are now, you'll most likely kill them once the car starts up.
     
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  3. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    It never hurts to have extra "cores". They are essentially useless as-is. But you may be able to scavenge some of the inside bits for selling on eBay depending on their actual condition. Even known bad modules go for $5. The casings and stuff go for a bit on eBay too.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i would put them on craigs list for $500. each
     
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  5. GETAKLU

    GETAKLU Junior Member

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    How would I go about charging them up?
     
  6. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    With a hobby charger or a grid charger
     
  7. GETAKLU

    GETAKLU Junior Member

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    I am not familiar with those, are they expensive?
     
  8. GETAKLU

    GETAKLU Junior Member

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    Other than the clear coat coming off the whole top of the vehicle, it is in really good condition. I have had to replace the combination meter and the 12V battery and that is about it in the last 5 years (other than regular maintenance). Like I was saying, my son is commuting an hour one way to college with it and I would really like to keep it running as long as I can.

    Also, about the fuel tank issue. Is it going to be worth my time and effort to possibly replace it if I can get one cheap out of a wrecked vehicle? I know that it is bad because it will kick the pump off at about 7.5 gallons when I am filling it up after being on empty.
     
    #8 GETAKLU, Sep 16, 2019
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2019
  9. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    First, please provide the model # and the serial number of the batteries you purchased. I can give you a LOT more information about them if you can do that.

    Second, why do you think your fuel tank has a problem? If you have no codes for it, then you have no real problem. The car is pretty smart. It will let you know when you have a problem. I wouldn't make my own.

    My son also drives a 2005 prius to work and to USC in Columbia. Work is about 6 minutes away and school is about 28 minutes. He ALWAYS gets about 10 mpg less than I do, regardless of which Prius he drives. It's just driving habits. He hammers on the AC, his driving style is completely different. For quite a while, I thought there had to be something wrong with his car. I stopped worrying about it. It is what it is. I check oil weekly, I check the 12v every couple weeks or so. I check the HV battery every now and then. I look at the tires every now and then. It's basically his car, but all the paperwork is still in my name, so I have a vested interest in making sure we experience no catastrophes.
     
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  10. GETAKLU

    GETAKLU Junior Member

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    I have read somewhere on here that the fuel tanks on these vehicles can get messed up when you constantly over fill them and that in turn will mess the mileage computer up and cause it to give inaccurate readings. Like I was saying, I didn’t know this until recently and I have always filled my vehicles up completely instead of stopping when the pump first kicked off. Point being, where I used to be able to put 10 gallons in the tank before the pump first kicked off when it was empty, now I can only get 7 to 7.5 gallons in it before the pump first kicks off and then I have to spend about 10 minutes nursing it to get the other 3 gallons into it.
    While I am sure that my driving and my sons driving are different, the fact that I used to 45 miles a gallon around town, to my driving getting 36 to 38 now tells me something isn’t right.

    Serial #’s are:
    H258HAQ0117A - Model #G9280-47100
    2345P24711008410111 - Model #G9280-47110
     
  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    correct. there is a rubber bladder that doesn't always expand the same. however, that does not effect the average mpg display, which is measuring fuel to the engine

    best you can do is get a long term average of manual mpg calculations at the pump, graph it and watch for trends

    there are many things on a prius that can effect mpg, not just the hybrid battery
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you can get a prolong grid charger at 'hybrid automotive.com'
     
  13. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Your first battery was manufactured August of 2004 based on the serial number on the case sticker.
    The second serial number appears to be missing a digit. Should be 20 digits, but it was most likely manufactured in 2008, based on the style of sticker on the case.

    I would recommend removing the safety disconnects rather than leaving them partially installed, especially with the main cables severed and hanging out the side. Full voltage is put on the battery side of the main relays as soon as the disconnect is inserted merely one or two millimeters. If, for any reason a relay shuts (or is currently stuck shut) there's a chance you could have full voltage at those exposed conductors.

    I don't think I've ever met anyone who managed to fit 3 more gallons into a tank after the auto shutoff, but like I mentioned, the car would tell you if there was actually a problem. The leak detection system would have provided a DTC by now if you had actually damaged anything. Personally, I would back off the extra 3 gallon thing. How many miles are you getting on a tank when you refill?

    I guess I misunderstood this:
    Fast forward 5 years later the vehicle now has about 180,000 miles on it and my son uses it to commute an hour one way to college five days a week.

    I took it to mean you were saying your son was now the primary driver/operator of the car.

    While I am sure that my driving and my sons driving are different, the fact that I used to 45 miles a gallon around town, to my driving getting 36 to 38 now tells me something isn’t right.

    The above could very well be true about something not being right, but odds are slim that the fuel tank would be the source of your mpg reduction. The emissions control system is typically very sensitive to problems.
     
  14. GETAKLU

    GETAKLU Junior Member

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    Its hard to do this when you can’t get the same amount gas in it every time due to the messed up tank.
     
  15. GETAKLU

    GETAKLU Junior Member

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    Its hard to do this when you can’t get the same amount gas in it every time due to the messed up tank.
     
  16. GETAKLU

    GETAKLU Junior Member

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    I found a sticky thread that had information for people that were new to Prius’s and I remember it saying that it said something about not filling the tank past the pump
    cutoff because it will damage the tank and mess up the fuel mileage computer (make it read wrong), unfortunately I can’t seem to find that post anywhere.
    That being said the tank is somewhere between an 11 or 12 gallon tank and if the pump is cutting off at 7 gallons it’s really not that hard to nurse another three gallons into it, it just takes a little time to get it in there.

    My son is the primary driver, but I also drive it when he is not in school.
     
    #16 GETAKLU, Sep 16, 2019
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2019
  17. GETAKLU

    GETAKLU Junior Member

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    Picture of the serial number
     

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  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    it doesn't matter how many gallons you get in over the long haul. miles driven divided by gallons pumped will average out.
     
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  19. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Looking back, I'm not really expressing very clearly. When you go to fill the tank, how do you know it doesn't actually have 3 gallons left in it? If the indicator is messed up, couldn't it be messed up at the low end instead of the high end? Maybe when the pump clicks off, it really is full? The only time I can get even close to 10 gallons in my car is if I drive for 40 miles after I get the one blinking dot. Is that where you normally fill up?

    I'm pretty sure there's a procedure available for resetting the fuel level inclinometer calibration. I'll see what I can find. Maybe someone else has it handy in the meantime.

    nvm, found it pretty quick. Here's a youtube version. There may be better ones available.

     
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  20. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    If all that checks out, then I suppose you could have a bladder issue going on. A new fuel tank is in the $600 range if I remember correctly. A used one could probably be had for significantly less, but idk how trustworthy it would be for the amount of work involved.

    yes, the battery from post 17 was made in 2008.