Stumble in reverse at slow speeds

hard to say. prius never uses the engine for reverse, even if it is running. i would be concerned about the tranny or tranny mounts.
when was the last time you changed the fluid?

 

How many miles?

Sorry, missed it.

 

164K

 

You got a whack a mole hybrid battery repair...just enough to sell it. And it worked.....

Classic.

Someone slammed in an old battery module that has just not failed yet to get it out the door. They call that reconditioning.

This can be confirmed by watching the battery monitor on the MFD. Mileage is bad and does it go into purple real fast like at a light then does it take forever to get some blue bars in it? When it starts showing from fuller charge to no charge real fast then its about ready to throw the RTOD red triangle of death. We've all been through it.

Your basically running on the engine at this point as the hybrid battery is not providing much power so keep a close eye on the engine oil now as the engine is really working hard. keep it at the full line always.

 

I don't think I really grasp what you're saying about "stumbling" in reverse. Is there a noise associated with it? Normally, reverse is as smooth as an electric motor since that's what's powering the car in reverse. It sounds to me like a mechanical issue, but I'd expect some kind of noise to go with it.

In my opinion, if the battery charge is acting like you describe, it's being nice to you and giving you a warning that the battery is about to fail. You can replace it either before or after it fails completely and strands you. But first, I'd get a diagnosis from a good hybrid mechanic about that stumble and the concern about the fan on your other thread. The dealer SHOULD be able to tell you what's wrong, but they have limited repair options. An independent hybrid mechanic who knows his stuff will have options that might save you some money.

 

When my battery was in its final death throes it did alot of stupid things the car was really unhappy in general.

OP's got a whacker in it now for sure so really all bets are off till the battery is happy. How ugly is the battery monitor on the dash...going purple real fast all the time?

And if you plan on keeping the car its vital to have a hybrid capable OBD device. Dr Prius is a good start but for battery rebuild techstream is what you want.

 

What’s the battery life saying on Dr Prius?

Yeah the battery’s struggling. It’s time. Whackers don’t clean upthe corrosion on the battery cables either. You need to drive it don’t let it sit it will kill it.

You know you can help it charge up by power braking it while stopped.

In gear and stopped put your left foot on the brake and while holding the brake down push the gas pedal gently enough to start the engine. Don’t need to floor it just press it till the engine starts then keep it there. Watch the battery meter it will slowly charge up the battery. Don’t need to mash the brake but just enough to keep the car from moving. Practice a little with nothing in front of you.

It’s a common thing. I did that for a year until I bought a new NPB battery.

 

Yup. Welcome to the club.

 

This behavior plus what Dr. Prius is saying are pretty clear evidence that the battery is about done for. When you first start up, the electric motors draw lots of power as they minimize the load on the engine while it warms up. Once the engine warms up, it runs harder so it can pay back the warm-up loan from the battery. So, during that warm up phase, you'll see higher than usual mpg and more rapid battery drain. Once it's warmed up, you see the opposite. If the battery is low on capacity due to imbalance or chemical degradation, the percentage of charge taken out of the battery for engine warm up is greater since there is less power available from the battery.

 

dealer is the only place, and that's a preety good price. you get the core charge back when you return the old.
if you want cheaper, go to 'newpriusbatteries.com'. they have great reviews and are $1,600.

 

If that's the installed price, it's amazing. Last time I checked, our installed price was $2,400 plus tax. That was a few weeks ago. Don't know the OTC price.

 

It won't be given that he was quoted the core charge, That implies pickup of the battery and return of the old battery when he has done the install. $1950 is the bare retail price. If Toyota were to install then the installation would be extra (usually $500 - $600), and minus the core charge. In addition, it will include a 3-year warranty if Toyota installs, a one-year warranty if not.