P0A80, P3014 check hybrid system

Tech info.toyota.com download the service manual by the day, follow the troubleshooting trees

 

Block #4 has an issue.

There are 2 modules in block 4, which will require investigating.

Pull the orange safety plug and check the voltage of each module.

Good luck and keep us posted .

 

That's so unfair that a 2014 Prius C has a hybrid battery problem... Sometimes I wonder if most of the Gen2 Prius will outlast the more problematic Gen 3 and Gen 4 Prius?

 

It does have 177 k miles on it.

The hv battery pack is a wear item, and at mileage above the warranty, I’m not surprised.

But it can be repaired .

 

A four year old battery pack? That's not wear and tear that's 100% manufacturer defect...

Even the 2012 battery packs I've reconditioned are near pristine and like new in terms of all the modules being balance and super strong on discharge after reconditioning work is done.

And why in the world did they put less modules in a Prius C than in a regular Prius? Seems totally irresponsible self-sabotage if you ask me!

Seriously! The more I learn about the failings of Gen3 designs the more I realize the true nature of what made the Prius great died in 2009.

 

And how many miles on those Gen3 packs?

While I don’t mind reading supposition, I also have been known to hail from Missouri.

Show the data.

 

There's way more Gen 2 packs twice the age of Gen3 packs still on the road with no issues. And with all your experience on this forum you know hybrid battery failures don't correlate to high mileage and lots of use, but more commonly lower mileage and irregular use.

If you have some links/point of reference to prove your point that NiMH pack deterioration is a function specific to high mileage and consistent use rather than chronological age and irregular use I'd love to see it because as far as I'm concerned it flies in the face of everything I've seen repairing them.

 

I have the same P0A80 code and I was looking myself alternatives to change my battery, a gen3 2010 Prius and from all that I've been reading, battery wear is more related to time than milage. There are reports of Priuses running for more than 300000-500000 miles, but in a very short span of time. They are cases of people who do package delivery, it doesn't sound too improbable to do that much milage in a short time with an activity like that. I agree with PriusCamper, this battery from the Prius C is factory defective.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Based on the number of rebuilders out there, are you really sure the packs are lasting as long as you think? If I look at the local Craigslist out here in the Bay Area, there are at least a dozen and then there are the “come to you” mechanics to do other services.

How many Gen2 Prii were made? How many posters have listed their results here? A small number.

If the OP comes back and let’s us know how the car was used, it would help. If doing a lot of mountainous climbing (like over the grapevine or to Palm Springs frequently) this puts more wear on the pack than just flat land driving. These are all factors into a packs life and since 177k miles have piled on, it’s gotten plenty of use in 4 years. I don’t think we can call it infant mortality.

I’m sure there are plenty of Gen2 examples out there, but we want to remember the higher mileage ones. I know when I bought out Gen3 in 2009 that’s what I told myself. But remember that the Gen2 is now at least 9 years old and other issues will crop up.

 

Well, so far so good for voltage numbers...

Next step is how far down the rabbit hole you want to go with battery pack work before you address the error code which is related to your engine not your Battery pack... The Gen3 engines have an issue with EGR valve getting gunked up which can lead to a blown head gasket... So a thorough cleaning of the entire EGR system, intake system, as well as adding an oil catch can as per other threads on PriusChat will likely improve engine longevity and gas mileage.

Of course the mass air flow sensor is the error code so maybe do some searching on here here for additional things to check/address related those issues. Also there's sub codes that many OBD2 diagnostic readers can't see. Using Toyota Techstream Diagnostic software will find them if they are there: Mini VCI J2534 OBD2 Diagnostic Tool Code Reader for Lexus Toyota Techstream New | eBay Also you can buy a Bluetooth OBD2 reader and use Dr. Prius app on your phone to read hybrid battery subcodes: Hybrid battery diagnostic and repair tool for Toyota and Lexus

It's a bit early to worry about having a bad battery pack, but since you have it pulled out and PriusC are undersized packs, might as well keep working on it. The next step would be grabbing a halogen or equivalent headlight bulb ~55w 12v and measure the amount of voltage drop in each module when it's hooked up to the lightbulb for 2 minutes... If you have a bad module that might identify it.

Next step would be battery reconditioning which is same thing as above but you let the light bulb drain down to 6 volts and then recharge with a NiMH smart charger that they use for RC cars. Most popular one is the IMAX B6AC V2... Then drain that same module down even lower and recharge and then drain it down super lower low, as low as 0.6v is safe, but don't go lower than that. For more info about the science of all this as well as equipment to do the whole pack at once is here: FAQ But if you want to diagnose a bad module you need to work on modules individually, rather than all at once.

 

Did you have IPM software flash done on the inverter?

This sounds like an inverter issue and while knowing the modules voltages, the reason you are in limp mode is because the inverter is fried.

Worth checking with the closest dealer. If this is confirmed through the trouble codes, you’ll be taken care of.

Good luck and keep us posted .