2008 Battery Dilemma, what would you do?

Take some time and watch youtube videos of replacing the modules.

Once you got it down, head over to ebay and pick up some modules.

They should be around $25 each module.
Once you have verified which ones need replacing go ahead a swap them out.

After disconnect the 12v battery for 5 minutes and reconnect again.

Start it up and drive it around.

This should get you back on the road.

http://www.RedBullet.net

http://www.ProjectLithium.com

http://www.Pulstar.com

http://www.PlugOutPower.com

 

See if @ericbecky or @strawbrad can offer a solution or if they know of someone closer to you.

@strawbrad at MN Hybrid Battery – MN Hybrid Battery

@ericbecky "at 608-729-4082 during the daytime during the week"

Can you locate a verifiable lower mileage gen3/gen4 HV battery at car-part.com and swap over the modules?

Since you want to make it to 500k+ without further interruption, then a new OEM battery or new aftermarket battery would be best. $1600+

 

If your charger was able to do 4 modules at once it would still take over a month to do a decent job of balancing. 5-6 hrs per discharge/ charge cycle for 1 module times 3-6 cycles per module times 28 modules total.) Plus time for load testing. More chargers will mean less time overall but more $$

A grid charger (like Prolong system) is more $$$ but cycles all modules at one time and requires less in depth know-how to accomplish. So it's faster but you can't evaluate individual modules.

Either method will only buy you some time. Maybe a month or two, or a year or two. About the same as most "rebuilt" batteries.

A new battery would give you the best long term reliability and fastest turn around time.



Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

The "rebuilt" batteries are junk. Had at least 7 of them "refurbished"....2 out of 7 will fail in a year. But you could get lucky and that warranty is decent. Many of those refurbished batteries failed with 200k miles on them so you really have a 200k mile battery when you go that route with most cells being original.

As you experienced the hybrid battery almost never fails if you drive a lot...took you 350k miles...They are more likely to go bad on the low mileage ones with under 100k (because of sitting).

I suggest getting one from the scrapyard on car-part.com or LKQ

Takes about 45 minutes to change the battery. My mechanic does it for like $60. LKQ sells them to me for $650 but they give me a discount cause I've bought a few....local yards (smaller companies and less trustworthy) sometimes have them for 400 or 500.

 

personally, i would look for a new vehicle. but if that is not what you are asking, get the toaster battery, and start worrying about the rest of the car.

 

Wait, you're in Michigan? If you want to sell it for "scrap" or at least low price I'd buy it.

Or you could use my mechanic for the 45 minute fix if you aren't far from Ann Arbor...We might even have a hybrid battery sitting on the shelf.

I do see where you might not want to put $750 into a 350k mile Prius ---- but that's not much.

I would definitely buy it off you though for right price -- just for the tires, miscellaneous parts (info screen, vents, seats if clean), and then scrap.