Advice about failed hybrid battery

I fully agree with Bisco. I have a 2005 Prius with 360K Miles. I have not had any serious issues so far. The car though now is on it's last legs with failed Catalytic converter. I do not think battery is far behind with a couple cells marginally active.

I have a feeling that your coolant issue may be code P1121. This is a common problem on Gen 2 prius. This valve was later eliminated in Gen 3. I used the car with that code for quite some time. You may have to initially top up Engine coolant since some volume may be added in the circuit due to failed valve, and monitor Engine coolant level for some time.

But other than that if the code is indeed P1121 , it should not be a major problem.

 

I agree you have made a good choice; there are still things that can fail, but there are many spares available. I saw somewhere else that secondhand engines can be had for $200-$500, so even if the engine goes, it is cheap to replace. The transaxle is also equally cheap. They are also both very reliable.

The main concern is something called the 'brake actuator'. Mine has been failing for years (weird noises), but no warning lights or brake issues.

The Gen 2 (and Prius in general) is a great car, and as well as saving money, you are helping the planet keeping it on the road for longer, especially with the throw-away society we live in. Please keep us posted with how things are going

 

I'm sure it is already mentioned, but do check the engine oil regularly; these cars do (or most of them do) use oil - cleanly burnt - to enable loose / low-friction engines. The oil can fall a lot more than a normal car.

Also, there are various coolants that should be replaced, some with special procedures (e.g. the inverter cooland and air bubbles).

Finally, there is the transmission fluid in the transaxle / hybrid synergy drive. That should be replaced. Mine is at 252,000km now, which is a *really stupid* idea. I'm going to change it soon, with photos, and keep samples for testing for metal flakes etc.

These are great cars. My mum's Gen 1.5 failed. It was worth 300uk pounds, the battery failed shortly after purchase. I paid Toyota to fit a new battery, it ran great, then suddenly 'bam'. The new battery was maybe 2000+ pounds. It wasn't a waste as I am going over there soon armed with tools and spares and the car will be on the road and fully reliable again soon!

My own car has a well worn interior from shifting heavy objects around all the time, car park dents, and so on. The battery is pretty worn down, the brake actuator is failing, the catalytic convertor system has failed. But I will keep it going (nothing important has failed). I am saving for a brake actuator at this stage, and plan to rebuild the old one once it is off the car. I won't buy a new battery, as I have managed to get it so bad that it goes to '1 bar' and takes ages to start recharging, and also goes to full bars, and has random swings. However, I use a new driving style and managed to commute to and from work, with the battery SOC going between 58% and 70%, no 'swings', and a delta f 0.05-0.10 most of the time.

 

I have a 2006 that is rolling around 240k on the clock. I purchased it from the original owner with 223k miles and have been using it drive around 100 miles a day 5 days a week. She has been solid, other than the coolant valve being bad right out the gate she hasn't needed anything till now.

I just put a rebuilt battery in the car. I can see where some are against using a rebuilt battery. The cells are at least 10 years old, how much life is left. I paid a little more in Oregon to get a battery rebuilt with Gen3 2010+ cells and I am hoping for another two years at least out of the car. I would love it if is still running strong in 5 years though we will see.

What could you replace the car for versus the cost of the battery? A dead Prius doesn't bring much value. Though I would suggest staying away from the super cheap rebuilds and go with a mid tier at least from a good shop.

 

See Green Bean Battery | Reconditioned Hybrid Battery Company Cost us $1,599 delivered and installed replacement and reconditioned battery pack in an hour. Comes with 5 year warranty. No hassles and no sweat.

 

Oh boy...here we go....

 

I have a triangle warning on a 2010 Prius with about 200K miles. I am currently driving it... I just clear the codes from time to time (once every week or two) and continue driving it. My question is can I mix gen 2 cells with my gen 3 battery without a problem or should I stick with gen 3 cells only? If the battery is balanced on a machine will that help?

 

I'll start the popcorn.

 

DaddyLL, You've read enough to realize there's a lot to consider. Another thread that offers more info:

Going to buy a 2005 with a dead hybrid battery | PriusChat

It's obvious that a rebuilt is a used battery. So much depends on the reputation of the rebuilder. Read the entire warranty and consider your tolerance for down time if the car needs work done under the warranty.

Good luck with your decision.

 

And......in an attempt to clarify that comment a little bit........isn't that a company that "rebuilds" the batteries by replacing ONLY the cells that have failed already......so that you get mostly OLD cells ??

 

GRGramps and thanks. You are correct and this option worked best for me. It is just another option and assuming I have this car another year (currently 158K miles), will check back and report on how this option worked.

 

Next person in line that wants to spend 1600 for a rebuilt battery, and you're in the Southeast, call me baby. If you're within reasonable range, I would be happy to provide you with a Gen 2 HV battery, built with Gen 4 modules from some wrecked 2017 Prii, brand new voltage sensing harness/busbars and main cables......sadly, I'll only give you a 3 year guarantee, but odds are very slim you would ever need it...

 

But would you require confirmation from a mechanic or the dealer before you did a warranty replacement? That’s a cost Green Bean really doesn’t talk about.

 

Can you post which codes you're getting?

 

One thing I always do prior to working on someone's car is a full health check, just to make certain there isn't something hanging out in the background waiting to bite us. I also do a 12v battery test to check its health. Most often, I disconnect the 12v battery, just to make sure the car will start normally after 12v power is restored and all the ecus go back to default values.Then after installation, a full test drive with techstream online with the car. I try to keep in touch with customers several times afterward to check on how things are going. If any of them have any problems, they have all my personal contact info and they have my PC forum info. I would NOT require confirmation from a mechanic or dealer before going out to investigate a problem, but I would require a few minutes of their time on the phone discussing symptoms. The majority of customers (and especially forum members) I've dealt with have OBD readers, etc. No trip for me is a loss or waste of time. One of my side hobbies is exploring salvage yards. Anytime I plan a trip, you can bet I'll be visiting a yard or two or three while I'm away.