2001 Prius with 140K was getting P1636 with an engine light warning. By the time I got it to the garage (2 weeks late) it had completely different errors codes P3000,3002,3006,3009. Car seems to be run good except the engine has been surging from time to time, most noticable when I starting the car in the morning.
Do you think it is better to purchase one from Toyota or get one of the rebuilds done with genII batteries (includes relay & ECU)?
Ah, little did you know what can happen to a forum thread when somebody asks that question. There seem to be some people who have tried the rebuild and are satisfied with it, and some observations about the design of the newer modules that would seem to favor the approach. There is also a member of these forums who rather aggressively impugns the methods and/or motives of other posters who favor the rebuilt approach. My car hasn't reached that fateful point yet, so I have no personal experience to contribute. I will say that the Toyota replacement has come down in price over the years and does not seem to be a bad deal; I'll also say that the genII-rebuild idea is one I was planning on trying myself when the day comes for my car, and the companies that are now selling such rebuilds are surely equipped to do a better job than I would have myself. Does that clear everything up for you? -Chap
If you can buy a new traction battery at a discounted price (try Champion Toyota in Houston, TX at toyotaworld.com, or Metro Toyota in Cleveland, Ohio at metrotpn.com for example) that may be a good way to go. However that will require shifting the system main relays and traction battery ECU from the old to the new battery case. I assume that you recognize that the "rebuild" is using salvage 2G batteries. It's up to you to evaluate the relative price/value relationship of the two alternatives. A third possibility is for you to purchase a couple of 2G salvage battery assemblies on your own, and select 38 modules out of the 56 available to populate the Classic battery case. Good luck with your choice.
Thank you. It appears that there are some advantages and disadvantages to each of the choices. I appreciate the input.
