142k miles on car with original traction battery and it DID have the resealing of battery done in 2004. The car runs great, nothing has changed with that. Still averaging 45mpg with mixed city/hwy driving. Today the triangle warning came on with the letters PS (I'm assuming power steering) and a battery light. I shut the car off for about 10 minutes and restarted it and the light was still on. I drove it to the Toyota dealer a few miles away. When they restarted it the warning was gone but they pulled the codes P3000 and P3009. They said bring it back to drop off that it would take 2-3 hours to diagnose the voltage leak but that it could be just about anything causing this but might be the traction battery. After leaving the dealer I drove it about 50 miles with no problems or warnings. My question is, since I'm in North Carolina, close to Re-Involt in Sanford, should I let them look at it or the dealer?
I upgraded my traction battery to Re-Involt in November 2008 and never looked back. The new modules are much better than the original. I've talked with David Taylor and he has a clue. Bob Wilson
1. It is true that P3009 can be caused by any component exposed to high voltage, including the traction battery, the battery ECU, the battery cable to the inverter, the inverter, and the transaxle. 2. Since you drove 50 miles without any issues after the DTC was cleared, that shows you that the high voltage leak is fairly minor at this time. 3. Even if the high voltage leak gets worse so that warning lights persist, the car can still be driven. However this constitutes a safety issue, so the issue should not be ignored indefinitely. 4. My suggestion is that when you decide that action needs to be taken, that you first have your local dealer determine the source of the high voltage leak. If the leak is due to the traction battery, see whether the modules can be cleaned (electrolyte leakage to the sheet steel battery enclosure can result in the high voltage leak.) Should you decide that the traction battery must be replaced, then Re-Involt provides a reasonable alternative.
I wouldn't do anything at this point but keep driving it. I would look for the DTC's to become consistent. The Gen I can give you false codes periodically.
Maybe time to change the trans fluid? Luscious Garage | Blog | Toyota Hybrids P3009: High Voltage Leak Detected, internal to battery
Actually I should have mentioned this, the transmission fluid was just changed about 300 miles before the DTC's appeared. The pan was removed on the transmission, new pan gasket and Toyota T-IV put in. Also had the coolant replaced in both systems by someone who has never done this on a Prius but followed closely the instructions for all jobs.
Maybe listen for air in the inverter coolant and pump.. If they didn't change it coorectly you could have air and overheating the inverter... probably not likely at all. If they didn;t put in T-IV it might account for high voltage leaks.
Drove car from Greensboro to Sanford and ReInvolt looked at it and determined the traction battery is good but throttle body was dirty and they cleaned it. I asked if that would cause P3000 and P3009 they said they would start there and see what happened. On the way home the warning came back on and so we turned around and dropped it off at ReInvolt. They will test everything in the morning but David thinks it could be the transaxle windings. He added that it could be a number of other things. I found used transmissions for around $600 with 120k miles. I'm just wondering what this combination (P3000 & P3009) is most commonly attributed to.
Your car is in the hands of one of the most respected, independent Prius shops. There is nothing more I could add . . . unless David would hire me as an apprentice 'shop boy.' The P3009 is something I usually associate with traction battery issues ONLY because an electrolyte leak can induce it. High humidity can make it come and go. However, there are other potential causes including connectors. With your car in David's hands, I would stand back and take notes. Feel free to let David know I said 'Hi.' Just curious, have you heard a 'humm' that seems to be speed related and stays even if the car is rolling in "N"? The reason I ask is MG2 burn-out is progressive and one of the earliest symptoms is the 'humm'. It can also be associated with P3009. Bob Wilson
I will tell David you said 'Hi'. I have not noticed any humming noise. He is looking at the car today.
David Taylor determined the HV leak was the battery and quoted a replacement price of $1875 plus labor to replace. I'm looking at my other options since that one is beyond my budget. I have seen tutorials online for replacing batteries and am leaning towards doing this with my mechanic. I know the used batteries are a crap shoot and most likely not going to last long but would probably be the most economical. Is there a way to use a newer battery from 2nd gen Prius?
You need 38 modules and a 2G battery contains 28 modules, so you will need to buy two 2G batteries and select the best 38 out of 56. Further, if money is tight then you don't need to take any action at this time. The car is still driveable. It's just a safety issue if you have an accident, the system main relays for whatever reason remain closed, and the high voltage line or another part subject to high voltage is damaged and contacts the chassis.
I would offer that David also uses and balances the modules. Still, you know your budget better than anyone else. Did he give you a read out of the module-pair voltages? The good thing is you probably have a couple of months before things get icky. Bob Wilson
What I'd like to do is take the battery apart and replace only the bad module(s). I know there are no guarantee's on longevity but the cost would be minimal. What are the other risks of doing it this way?
No risk other than a potential waste of time. Any Classic used battery module is going to be 9-11 years old and you should expect that other modules will fail in the near to medium term.
Given the fact the David Taylor suspects a transmission problem in addition to the HV battery but could not confirm, it would seem wise at this time to just get the car going with replacement modules until the condition of the transmission can be conclusively determined. If it is concluded that the transmission is in fact fine, then at the next sign of battery problem, I would get the Re-Involt battery installed.
