Battery bad, then suddenly good? At 91,000 miles, my 2001 Prius display panel suddenly lit up with symbols indicating a battery problem. After a day or two, the display went off. Then a day later, on it went again. And so on, for a week or so. The local dealership opened up the battery and said one of the cells was in bad shape, and a couple of the others were declining. I began looking for a used battery, and almost ordered one from a salvage yard when the intermittent warning display ceased. I have been driving now for several weeks, 20 miles or so a day, with only the normal energy consumption/audio system options showing on the display panel. What could all this be about?
Without the codes or inspecting the battery directly, it is hard to tell. Corrosion could be causing an intermittent problem, a marginal battery can give inconsistent results. My recommendation is make your battery replacement plans. Bob Wilson
Have you ever considered a vacation to Sanford NC? 850 miles each way, staying out of major cities. 01-03 Toyota Prius Upgraded HV Hybrid Battery Pack: eBay Motors (item 130407009310 end time Jul-14-10 20:54:52 PDT)
i suggest avoid buying the salvage 01-03 battery and getting the upgraded one, if your buying a salvage battery your going to end up with the same problems not long down the road.
Re: Battery bad, then suddenly good? My 2002 did the same thing at 97,000 and had other signs that the battery was going bad (overcharging when stopped, bad gas mileage, loss of power, etc.). But they diagnosed it as the Engine Control Module, which they replaced. AFter the warranty expired the lights went on again and they want me to replace the battery.
