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I switched to nickel plated copper busbars

Discussion in 'Prius v Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by PriusV17, Oct 18, 2018.

  1. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    definition of the delta SOC parameter: "The normal, low to high SOC deviation is 20%. If the Delta SOC exceeds 20%, this means that the HV battery ECU cannot correct or maintain the SOC difference within the acceptable range."

    This may be per runtime so it may require some driving to show anything.
     
  2. srivenkat

    srivenkat Active Member

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    Mr. S. Keith over at GreenHybrid has similar experience/advice:

    P0A80 code for good HV battery? - Page 10 - GreenHybrid - Hybrid Cars

    Seems like a waste of time, effort and money to me to proactively replace the bars in the absence of any battery performance issues...
     
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  3. chronon

    chronon Active Member

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    perfect marketing NOT to put nickel BB's on the terminals .. built in obscellescence and they can throw their hands in the air and point the finger at some other group subdivision .. prius has been out since 2000 , and even earlier (97?) in Japan .. they know the schtick ..
     
  4. Tim Jones

    Tim Jones Senior Member

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    Resistance is Futile......................
    TELEMMGLPICT000222301717_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqO6QpIblidqHYceykOFBymEDlT6p8TPuWfOauUen7XeM.jpeg
     
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  5. dekzz

    dekzz Junior Member

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    Recently my battery start to gave 1.2V drop at block #8 and throw code PA080. I found at local market almost unused 2nd hand battery core from low mileage Lexus (32 modules) and planning to fit 28 modules in my old battery. The Lex bus bars had a little bit corrosion which i removed using vinegar. Now i found nearby facility where they do plating. I paid $0.65 per piece for silver plating of 10 microns. Hope this will stop further corrosion on newly installed modules. Also thinking to install original nuts that are in good shape. Any comments?
     
  6. Tim Jones

    Tim Jones Senior Member

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    I tried all that stuff a few years ago.
    Waste of time and $$$
     
  7. PriusV17

    PriusV17 Active Member

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    It's been 5 years now. Driving feels normal for me. I do drive in PWR full time. My last mpg from last fill up 11/21 is 48.89mpg. Previous fill up was 47.7mpg.

    I also have K&N filter full time. My oil reports are still consistent. Overall nothing has changed. Add a bit of Seafoam per fill up (about 1/3 of a can each fill up). For me Seafoam quiets my engine on high revs.

    I took my car for the inverter recall done by dealer. And the power to accelerate quickly as slowed down a bit. I'm okay with that. I assume for safety reasons. But it was more fun (for me) before the recall software got updated.

    I have not opened my HV battery pack. But I was hoping to 'never' open the pack. Until I am ready to change the pack completely. I might do that to upgrade to Dr. Prius's lithium packs. But will wait a while since I am still under warranty and I still want to see what others say about that lithium upgrade.
     
  8. Tim Jones

    Tim Jones Senior Member

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    To bad the Headgasket and brakes will go out For Sure....
     
  9. dekzz

    dekzz Junior Member

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    This "low mileage" Lexus core found to be more than 90% of original capacity (cell-by-cell hobby charger tested before installation). Almost 1yr with no problems. Looks like silver plated original-copper bus bars doing fine too.
     
  10. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    The "hobby" chargers discharge batteries at a low current. The "original capacity" specification (6.5 A-H, or 6500 mA-H) is at a 6.5 amp discharge rate so your test is overstating the module capacity by at least 10%.

    JeffD
     
  11. PriusV17

    PriusV17 Active Member

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    I would be cautious long term with silver plating:

    tarnish.jpg


    Google response to queries:

    does nickle corrode?

    "It is hard, yet malleable, magnetic at room temperature, and a relatively good conductor of electricity and heat. Most notably, nickel is highly corrosion resistant, which provides for a variety of uses by industry."

    does silver corrode?

    "Even though it is a noble metal, silver will corrode in ambient atmospheres, predominantly by reacting with sulfur-containing gases such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbonyl sulfide (OCS) to form the silver sulfide (Ag2S) acanthite."
     
  12. PriusV17

    PriusV17 Active Member

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    Actually that picture could be misleading. Because sterling silver is likely part copper and other alloy. So pure silver could work long term.
     
  13. PriusV17

    PriusV17 Active Member

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    Does pure silver tarnish?

    Pure silver, like pure gold, does not rust or tarnish. But pure silver is also incredibly soft, so it cannot be used to make jewelry, utensils, or serving pieces.
     
    #73 PriusV17, Oct 9, 2023
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2023