Testing Tool for Modules / Cells (with load) - Step 1

You're probably a bit confused by all the mixing of "loads" and voltmeters/ammeters. If you're looking for a "battery load tester" which is actually a combination of a voltmeter and a large resistor as a "load" they can be found, but in your case a simple DMM (Digital Multimeter) would work nicely and can be fairly inexpensive. Before going further, if you aren't familiar with HV systems (we're talking 200-300 volts dc here), find someone who is. That being said, I found a link to an earlier post here on PriusChat which might help you.

Gen II Prius Individual Battery Module Replacement | PriusChat

 

Hey, I just saw this. I saw that you've also been involved in some other similar threads.

A couple thoughts.

First thing, make sure it's really the HV battery before you proceed. A low 12V battery can give all kinds of squirrelly errors. If that's good, then get the codes read to see exactly what's the problem.

The load tester Jeff sells at Hybrid Automotive looks pretty handy. But if you already have a digital meter, you can make one with a little ingenuity and a headlight bulb and socket. What he's selling is the skill to assemble it and the convenience of having it ready made, which is absolutely worth some money if you can spare it and aren't addicted to inventing your own tools.

That said, the whack-a-mole battery repair technique of replacing a module at a time has proven to be rather frustrating for many people. And the inexpensive (rebuilt) batteries have proven to be just the first mole whacking done by someone else. They don't last long till another cell fails, as apparently happened to you.

If you can get to Tampa, there's a guy here who sells used, grid charged batteries, if you don't want to spring for a new one from Toyota. Home - Tampa Hybrids Inc. I got one that's just two years old (all the cells from a totaled '15 transplanted into a 2nd Gen battery case) all grid charged and ready to go. He also has older ones for less $$.

And there are a few other people here who sell new, used, or rebuilt batteries. I think, long term, you'll be happier going that route than replacing modules every few months if you're keeping it for the long term.