2008 T4 now has 235,000 miles, speculating either Hybrid System or Battery Pack tiring???

actually, you can have problems anytime, and you have done really well. there is not cut off time/mileage that makes things change. the older it gets, the more likely it's age will show.

to try and help you, we would need to know what diagnostic trouble codes they have retrieved.

as far as independent shops are concerned, 500 pounds will be you a rebuilt battery pack, and that will only be as good as the warranty (parts and labor) and the reliability of the shoppe backing it up.

 

Hi Chris,

The thing to remember, and this does not change the world over, is that no-one can truly re-manufacture a battery pack. Re-manufacuring implies replacing old worn out parts with new parts. This is because no-one but Toyota can buy the genuine GreenEarth battery modules. So far, the jury is out on Chinese look-a-like knock offs–these are proving to be very unreliable. The genuine GreenEarth modules are manufactured exclusively for Toyota.

So your best option is to try a buy a used battery from a dismantler, preferably from a car with a wrecked front end and very recently wrecked. You can use a battery pack from any model Gen II, III or IV, however, only the Gen II is directly drop in. With the other two generations, it will require the opening both packs and swapping every module over. If you have the ability to DIY that will be the most cost effective, but you could also find someone and pay them to do this, for not more than £50-£100.

You are correct, us non-UK members cannot really help you find a reliable "rebuilder", but personally, these people are not really worth the time and aggravation dealing with.

The best options are DIY or get a new HV battery from Toyota.

 

Agree with this. While a battery problem is certainly possible, it's important to check to see what the actual problem is before jumping ahead too far.

 

Most Gen 4 in the US are a different battery chemistry Lithium Ion. I do not know what other differences there are for Gen 4. I have not heard of anyone putting a Gen 4 battery into an older Prius.

 

Gen 4 cells in a Gen 2 | PriusChat

While you have to make sure it was a NiMH pack and not a Li-ion, it is doable as per the above thread. I did forget that some Gen 4's were using Li-ion, so thanks for pointing that out.

 

I thought you meant a whole pack swap. I apparently misread your original posting.

In the US, only Trim 2 has NiMH. The 2 ECO, 3, 3 Touring, 4 Touring all have Lithium Ion. There may be a mix of batteries in Canada too.
Perhaps the Lithium Ion ones would work on the Plugin Prius?

 

please keep us posted, all the best!

 

My 2008 with 240,000 miles has started to have very similar issues. I got the triangle with the car outline and ! On the screen then it went away. I've been advised to invest in a scan tool to get the codes. Have you thought about doing that?

Saving money and time at the dealer can make a big difference to your wallet. Let us know what codes you or Toyota pulls and you can get a better idea as to what the possible solutions are.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Get your codes read. Can't speak for the UK, but in the US, most auto parts stores will do it for free. This will give the basic OBD codes to help diagnose the problem. Just copy them down and then google them. The Prius is very good at reporting what is wrong with it.

However there are more specific Toyota ECU codes, that are even better. These can either be read by a dealer/specialized Toyota mechanic for a fee, or you can get a Mini Vci Techstream cable for a Windows laptop for about $15-20 that can capture these codes (google these terms for additional information).

Even if the car doesn't have any warning lights on, so long as the battery remains connected, the ECUs will have saved the existing codes (until they are cleared or the 12V battery is disconnected).

 

was wondering if CJ Lynch has ever posted the results of his 2008 Prius Hybrid or battery problems ?
I own a 2006 Prius w/ 273,000 miles and he described exactly what my car has done , except now all the lights have come back on and it shows nothing from electric motor going into battery and only one purple line in battery picture. I made it home with only the gas engine running , very slow take off then got up 45 mph top speed and didn’t push for more because the engine was revving . This car has been a great car I am the original owner and have only had a couple of minor problems that we fixed at home ! Would love to get it back on the road without dealing with our local dealer they are awful !!! ( And over priced )
Thanks , Kimt

 

Welcome! Where in Florida are you? Todd at Tampa Hybrids is a trusted expert here. He sometimes posts here with username @TampaPrius.com He services and sells used hybrids, mainly Prius.