1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

I need to rebuild my battery...anyone have lipo chargers for sale?

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by Mr.Kenny, Jun 5, 2013.

  1. Mr.Kenny

    Mr.Kenny New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2013
    5
    2
    0
    Location:
    Springfield, MO
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Model:
    I
    I'm a new poster, but a long time lurker.
    I bought Dustin Langston's 2001; and fixed the complex braking system myself; but now it looks like there is an imbalance in the traction battery.....code 3006. Triangle etc...
    Dustin Had "rebuilt" the battery pack a year ago with the newer 2004-2007 batteries; but I don't think they were ever balanced.
    I checked all the voltages; (7.92 to 7.88) so there was nothing obvious, I hooked them all up into a inline series to balance the voltage...... finished with 7.85 volts across the board, then left them alone unhooked for a couple of days. They all stayed within .01 of a volt....nothing obvious. Put it together drove it one mile, and the "bang, boom, whir, triangles, lights, revving engine, etc......
    So I need to balance and find the offending module(s).
    I was just wondering if anyone has some battery chargers they want to sell, or a rebuilt battery or suggestions.
    (I have read a few threads about rebuilding;... gulp)
     
    #1 Mr.Kenny, Jun 5, 2013
  2. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2005
    27,123
    15,389
    0
    Location:
    Huntsville AL
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    Prime Plus


    Welcome to the world of older Prius. My first thought is you need a proper diagnosis and that mean a Prius-aware scanner. There are 19 pairs of modules but at a minimum, you need:
    • maximum pair voltage and index
    • minimum pair voltage and index
    But I would recommend getting a scanner that can record all 19 pairs and the four temperature sensors. Also, do not rule out a possible broken sense wire. The modules could be perfectly fine but if you have a cracked sense wire, the control computer will see the voltage changes even though the modules are OK.

    A secondary indicator is excessive heat. A failing module will run hot. In the worse case, it can turn on the battery cooling fan.

    Don't rule out loose nuts. We've had one poster who was a little 'casual' with his electrical connections and didn't really discover it until driving around after sun-set where he could set the colorful display.

    GOOD LUCK!
    Bob Wilson
     
    #2 bwilson4web, Jun 5, 2013
    dave77 likes this.
  3. Mr.Kenny

    Mr.Kenny New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2013
    5
    2
    0
    Location:
    Springfield, MO
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Model:
    I
    Thank you Bob.
    I guess I should get a proper scan, or scanner before I do much of anything else.
     
    #3 Mr.Kenny, Jun 5, 2013
  4. 3prongpaul

    3prongpaul Hybrid Shop Owner, worked on 100's of Prius's

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2010
    954
    716
    1
    Location:
    Boulder Hybids, Boulder, CO
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Mr. Kenny, where is the car located? (someone with expertise may be close to you)

    If you can get visibility into the 19 blocks (Techstream is best) or at least min and max block#'s (scangauge??) drive the car in reverse uphill. This will give useful info since reverse uphill stresses the battery more than anything (ok perhaps driving uphill in reverse in 100 degrees weather will stress it more).
     
    #4 3prongpaul, Jun 5, 2013
    dave77 and bwilson4web like this.
  5. Mr.Kenny

    Mr.Kenny New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2013
    5
    2
    0
    Location:
    Springfield, MO
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Model:
    I
    I live in Springfield,Mo (i just updated my info)
    I am going to order the knock off china techstream since it is only $26.
    I am not one who "throws parts at cars" until I find the fix. I like to know what is really wrong with a car first.
    I really appreciate the help and expertise; the learning curve for these systems is quite steep.
     
    #5 Mr.Kenny, Jun 6, 2013
    bwilson4web likes this.
  6. 3prongpaul

    3prongpaul Hybrid Shop Owner, worked on 100's of Prius's

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2010
    954
    716
    1
    Location:
    Boulder Hybids, Boulder, CO
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    The "Mangoose" mini VCI clone cables work best on a native Windows XP laptop. Best to use an old computer with XP operating system if you can. If you don't have one they are cheap on Craigslist/Ebay (although you'll most likely need to plug in the wall or replace the laptop battery if it's an older computer)
     
    #6 3prongpaul, Jun 6, 2013
  7. MortenAZ

    MortenAZ Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2011
    26
    6
    0
    Location:
    Phoenix AZ
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I have a charger that I'll be willing to sell. They are the really nice mrc 989. I used them to rebalance a couple of batteries.

    Nexus 4 ? 4 Beta
     
    #7 MortenAZ, Jun 28, 2013
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)