Gen II Prius Individual Battery Module Replacement

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by ryousideways, Apr 24, 2013.

  1. MTL_hihy

    MTL_hihy Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    536
    261
    0
    Location:
    Maritimes, Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Yes, try reading any stored codes in there and turn off the CEL then drive it and see if anything comes back.
     
  2. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,517
    14,129
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Good idea on the mini vci. But I have never seen one in a brick & mortar store. Only Amazon & Ebay.
     
  3. Z Paul

    Z Paul New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2017
    1
    0
    0
    Location:
    Orlando
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Hello...looks like I'm joining this thread 5 years later!
    I have a 06 Prius with this same problem, located in East Orlando!
    Was going to go ahead with a module replacement but saw this Forum and thought twice.
    How long had your battery lasted since you completed the job? and, anyway perhaps you could help us out here in Orlando?
    Thanks guys!
     
  4. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,517
    14,129
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Hey! Welcome. @TampaPrius.com is not that far from you. He's in the northern part of Tampa (Lutz). His web site is Home - Tampa Hybrids Inc.. He can give you several options regarding price vs. quality ranging from individual cells to a new Toyota battery.. I went with a replacement battery made up of a full set of cells from a totaled 2015. One of the more expensive choices, but I wanted maximum reliability for my wife's car. I just took him my battery and traded it in on the "new" one. They are pretty easy to replace. Or you can go piecemeal as many others do. Todd has a great reputation here. I recommend you give him a call. It might be worth the drive.
     
  5. austin.hughey

    austin.hughey New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2017
    11
    0
    3
    Location:
    Muskegon
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Okay so I put the case back on the battery and bolted everything back down to take it for a test drive. The first time it would not go faster than 25 mph...no idea what the issue was there. I waited until the next day when I had access to the OBD-II scanner and took it for another test drive. This time it drove fine, got it up to 60 mph before heading home. Then I cleared all the previous codes and waited a bit before taking it on another test drive. Again, it drove just fine. When I got home, however, I had some more codes pop up. Here is what it told me:

    C1259 current - HV System Regenerative Malfunction

    C1310 current - Malfunction in HV system

    P3014 confirmed - Battery Block 4 Becomes Weak

    P3023 confirmed - Battery Block 13 Becomes Weak

    P3014 pending - Battery Block 4 Becomes Weak

    P3023 pending - Battery Block 13 Becomes Weak
     
  6. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2012
    7,903
    3,998
    0
    Location:
    Wellington, New Zealand
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    You have 2 sets of blocks reporting weak – block 4 and block 13. The other two codes come from these, as the HV Battery ECU reports to other ECUs that the HV battery is having problems and to go easy on it.

    Block 4 has modules 7 & 8; and block 13 has modules 25 and 26. It is possible that only one module in each block is weak, but it is better practice to find new modules that have similar charge/discharge/self discharge characteristics and replace all 4. Follow that with a series of charge/discharge/charge cycles and ensure you top and bottom balance the battery before putting it back in service.
     
  7. austin.hughey

    austin.hughey New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2017
    11
    0
    3
    Location:
    Muskegon
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Is there any chance at all that these codes are not accurate? I've already taken the entire thing out, replaced 6 bad modules, done voltage drop tests, and charged/discharged every module within 0.1 v of each other. I'd really rather not go through that entire process again.
     
  8. austin.hughey

    austin.hughey New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2017
    11
    0
    3
    Location:
    Muskegon
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I also stacked all the modules (based on a recommendation on this thread) so that all the modules with higher voltage drops were on the outside and the ones with lower voltage drops were in the middle because they said it gets hotter in the middle, so those four modules have only been in their respective blocks for about three days.
     
  9. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2013
    16,551
    8,446
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    If you're not in a rush, you can let the battery pack sit for 2 weeks. The bad modules would self discharge at a much higher rate. Just replace the bad ones and hopefully they'll be fine.

    Are those weak blocks the new modules you put in?
     
  10. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2004
    4,379
    3,238
    1
    Location:
    Madison, Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Did you fully check the sensing wires for breaks/corrosion.
    Also check the plug end of the sensing wire harness as well as the pins on the hv battery Ecu. Make sure there is not green corrosion.
     
    jerrymildred likes this.
  11. gittarpikk

    gittarpikk Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2015
    58
    19
    0
    Location:
    East Tennessee
    Vehicle:
    2002 Prius
    Model:
    I
    Just a note... this happened to mine once as well... and since I had used the lawnmower battery trick ...I just went to Walmart and bought another battery ($30 incl core)...and my problem was also fixed... so yes, I think there should have been some sort of battery meter for the 12 v aux
     
  12. Igoryan

    Igoryan Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2017
    28
    16
    0
    Location:
    Chicago, Illinois
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Hi guys, decided not to start a new thread.
    I left my 2005 Prius at a parking lot for 5 weeks. When I drove it after, the battery discharged quickly to minimum and I got the red triangle. Battery was charging and discharging quickly.
    After a couple of days of normal driving, triangle disappeared and battery was performing as before.
    Now, when it's hot outside - 90 degrees, car stops charging the battery when I brake, it's is charging slowly when ICE is running.

    I just got one of those bluetooth OBDII scanners off ebay, using it with Torque app.
    It shows me only these two codes: P0420 - Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold
    and P0A80 - Powertrain.

    I was also reading the voltages from 14 battery blocks using live feed from Torque app while driving.
    The MaxV and MinV difference is not exceeding 0.2-0.3 V at any time.

    I understand that battery is failing, but I was hoping to keep using it for a bit more, until I rebuild it.
    Any ideas what's going on?
    Is battery overheating and shutting down?
    Would I get more codes with better scanner?
    Also, I have a hobby charger Turnigy Accucel 6 . I can i use it for balancing, right?
     
    #1932 Igoryan, Jul 11, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2017
  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    110,467
    50,206
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    sounds like your battery is on the edge, and heat makes it worse. look at the prolong battery charger threads to see if it might help you out. all the best!(y)
     
    jerrymildred, Igoryan and Raytheeagle like this.
  14. Ed Widy

    Ed Widy New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2017
    2
    0
    0
    Location:
    San Jose
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I've just started this whole process, and cycled my first set of modules with a Hitec X2 AC PLUS and X4 AC PRO. I know a lot of you have at least the X4, so help me out with this - how can I see the Discharge and Charge data for each cycle? It's showing me the final Charge data, but nothing else. The manual says I should be able to see all the cycle data using the arrow keys, but that's doing nothing for me. Google is offering me no help. I'm hoping I don't have to resort to manual discharging and charging - the automated method takes long enough. I fear I just lost a day because I don't know what the cycling actually accomplished....
     
  15. Ed Widy

    Ed Widy New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2017
    2
    0
    0
    Location:
    San Jose
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I've just confirmed with Hitec support that the chargers only store the last cycle, so I'll have to run everything manually.
     
  16. MTL_hihy

    MTL_hihy Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    536
    261
    0
    Location:
    Maritimes, Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I typically just run one cycle first to get a baseline then run additional cycles as needed........don't run more cycles than you have to because it does bring down battery life running outside the 40-80% used by Toyota when hyper-cycling in use.
     
  17. Jose Reyes

    Jose Reyes Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2016
    63
    21
    0
    Location:
    Anaheim
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    Im in the process of refurbishing the battery of a 2005 Toyota Prius that i bought a year ago with a "refurbished battery" and a week ago the triangle of death came up. With codes for a weak module on block 4 and replace battery pack. I have the battery out and have let it outside for about two days and i just finished checking voltages at rest and load testing. For the load test I used using two 55w light bulbs in series on the suggestion of one bulb not being enough.I have 4 chargers on order and expect them to arrive by Friday. Anyone in Socal loan me some more chargers? I plan to cycle the cells three times and then conducting another load test. Then I plan on putting all of the battery in parallel to balance it with a rc charger. Im attaching the data i have on the car and appreciate any and all tips you guys may have. How many modules should I order? (besides #8)



    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
    #1937 Jose Reyes, Aug 2, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2017
  18. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2013
    16,551
    8,446
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    How many modules can you charge at 1 time using the 4 chargers?

    I can probably help you charge the entire pack, it'll be faster if you don't have all the equipment.

    Wiring in parallel is not recommend
     
  19. Jose Reyes

    Jose Reyes Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2016
    63
    21
    0
    Location:
    Anaheim
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    According to my calculations it will take about four days more or less. I can charge about 8 modules per day. How do you balance the pack without putting it in parallel? If you can help me with the charger that be great!
     
  20. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2013
    16,551
    8,446
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    To properly balance a module, you would overcharge it. The weaker cells will keep charging, the stronger full cells will give off the extra charge as heat....until all 6 cells are 100% charged.

    I do this at the pack level, 28 modules at a time using 1 charger

    The parallel balancing is childs play