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Prius 2006- Battery problem - Red Triangle - Helppppp

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Musti, Sep 8, 2017.

  1. Musti

    Musti New Member

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    - Here are the code C1241,C1259, C1310 and P3021 it says battery block 1 is weak. How can I know which battery cells ? I have ordered battery load test machine ? Is it easy to use and understand which battery cell is bad ?
    Thanks alot
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    'easy' depends on your abilities. what machine did you order?
    how many miles on her, and how long do you plan to keep her?
     
  3. Musti

    Musti New Member

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    132K on I ordered this load tester
    Schumacher BT-100 100 amp Battery Load Tester
    What does it mean battery block 1 - ?
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    not sure that will work. you are aware it is the hybrid battery, and not the 12 volt?
    the hybrid battery is made up of modules which contain small battery 'cells', similar to a double a battery.

    there are many battery rebuilding threads here, and some help identify which cells are which. they are numbered so you can identify the defective ones after you take the battery out and open up the case.
    CAUTION: HIGH VOLTAGE CAN BE DEADLY.
     
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  5. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    The hybrid battery cells are 7 volt, not the 6 or 12 volt supported by that load tester. IT would probably the modules as failed 12 volt batteries.
     
  6. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    That load tester will not fix your battery. Without reconditioning the battery first you could fry the entire pack with the 60 amp load that you were thinking of putting to it
     
  7. HBS

    HBS Member

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    Just use a voltmeter to check the modules in block 11 counting in pairs of two from the opposite end of where the HV ecu is located, and more than likely you will see one with 6 volts which means you need to replace that one if that's all you want to do. However, most people recommend cleaning the bus bars, rearranging the outer modules with the inner ones and then reconditioning the battery pack using the Hybrid Automotive reconditioning charging and discharging tools.
     
  8. Musti

    Musti New Member

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    I know it will not fix the problem but I need to find out which battery cell I need to change. How they are testing battery ?- not just voltage
     
    #8 Musti, Sep 8, 2017
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2017
  9. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    It would probably fry the battery tester. It is looking for 12v DC, if it gets 200v DC something's going to go boom...

    To the OP, you need a new hybrid battery. The "big battery" in your car. You can replace individual modules for $20-$30 a piece and play whack-a-mole until you give up, buy a refurb battery ($300-$2400, $300-$1400 after core), a new aftermarket battery ($1600-$2000), or a new Toyota battery ($3400-$4000, $2000-$2600 after core).
     
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  10. Musti

    Musti New Member

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    How they are finding out the bad cells? Is it enough to just check voltage ? I check all the cells and none of them under 7 volts.
     
  11. Musti

    Musti New Member

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    I just want to try my luck if it fix the problem if I change the bad cells. If not I will look for refurb battery. Where can I find good battery and how can I trust it ?
     
  12. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    Easiest place to buy battery modules is eBay. $20 to $30 usually for good-enough cells. $50+ for "reconditioned" cells. In both case, they are old used cells pulled from non-working cars. Some are sold straight up ($20) and some are drained and charged a few times to cycle them (a.k.a. "recondition", $50+). You could be buying a cell from a damaged 2015 Prius (3 years old) or from a 2004 Prius (14 years old). It may fix the problem for a day, a week, a month, or a year or two.

    None of these options are "good batteries". They are "good enough batteries" if you have infinite time on your hands to continuously swap out 10+ year old cells with other 10+ year old cells, taking your car out of commission for a few hours at a time. The upside, you'll get really good at installing a hybrid pack!
     
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  13. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    If you let your battery sit for 1 week, the bad ones will self discharge much faster. You should be able to identify the bad ones after 1 week

    How did you get the idea to use a 100A 12v load tester? If you use it on a single module 7v, it'll probably be around a 60A load. Which is crazy high, if you don't know what you're doing, you'll easily over discharge and ruin a weak module.
     
  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    get mini vci to load test your modules, diagnose the problems and set you on course to the service manual for authorized repairs.