P0A80 advice...

i don't have anything useful to offer, but i'm shocked that such a young, low mile battery is testing so poorly.
i have to wonder if it was one of those experimental toyota replacements that they gave up on.

 

You should drive it more. Maybe an hour at a time? Give the battery time to work maybe?

 

Please do me a small favor and let me know what the winning powerball numbers were for one of the drawings in December 2021, so I can give my wife an awesome Christmas present!!

 

What does Dr Prius show for voltage differential? Which block number (in the data- not the battery "life expectancy" test) has the lowest voltage? Unless the voltage data points to a fault with the battery ecu / connector for the voltage sense wires, then you should start by seeing which block(s) have a failed module.
Grid charging after you have a code is like exercising after you feel the pain of a heart attack. Ain't gonna help because it's too late.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

sitting is definitely bad for older nimh batteries. there's a slow chemical change, and then they go

BOING!

 

Howzit Paul. I’m in Honolulu and my 2010 Prius just got the P0A80 code. It has about 117k miles. The car wasn’t being driven much for about a year because of COVID-19. Servco wants to replace the hybrid battery for $$$$. I have 3 bad blocks/modules according to the Toyota scan.

I’d like to know how you plan to repair your hybrid battery since I need to do the same. I was thinking of replacing the bad blocks/modules, then doing the Prolong reconditioning also. Lmk how your progress goes, or how we can get a new reconditioned hybrid on island for a reasonable price. Mahalo

 

Do you have the Prolong system? If so, why not run it through it's cycles, 3 discharges and 4 charges,
before you start replacing modules?
It might recondition the apparent bad modules. And it certainly can't hurt to do it.

 

When you stated that you "load tested" block 8; did you physically remove the batteries in block 8 and used a carbon pile load resistor to test the two cells separately? This is the only way to definitively test a battery - software diagnostic can only take you so far.
Go to Harbor Freight and get a carbon pile load tester. Test each battery in block 8 separately with the bus bar off; also check the two blocks adjacent to block 8 - since they had to carry the additional "load". A carbon pile load test is 30 sec. max. per a cell; read the instructions. Don't use one of those digital battery testers; they lie. I've had batteries pass a digital tester; but would fail a carbon pile load test. They still had voltage, but wouldn't start a car.

Good luck...

IMHO; regarding the Prolong - if you have a bad cell/battery; no amount of reconditioning is going to bring it back. Your dealing with a decline in the battery's internal wafers and chemistry. You also got more than 100k miles out if it, which is it's estimated useful life. I'm sure most daily drivers get a lot more mileage out of a pack; but again - its' a "daily driver".

 

It will NOT hurt to run the Prolong system. I only had 243850 miles on my 2010 Prius when
I ran the Prolong system. I worked, for me. There is a big difference how the battery charges
and discharges. And I gained 4mpg! I cleaned the rear bus bars, but they weren't really bad
at all. The fronts were good, only minor "greening" on the Positive and Negative terminals where
the harness connects.
And since changing 1 or 2 cells is just doing the wak a mol thing, why not replace them all?
I agree is a cell is damaged, there's no fixing it. And if you already have the Prolong system,
why NOT use it?
If you don't have it, then do the other test.

 

A H4 bulb draws less than 5 amps. Rig an old fry- or heater- lamp for a good current draw to test your battery. You can just replace all cells that fall below 0.45 volt using your H4 test; but I don't believe that's enough of a load.
If you ever had a car with a dead battery, the first thing you do is turn on the headlights to see if the battery has power. If your headlights turn on; you try to crank the engine with the headlights on - the battery is dead or you got a loose connection, if the headlights go out while trying to turn over the engine. The same applies here; some of your cells are borderline - that's why it takes a few hours of operation to throw the code again.
I would focus on 5,16,18,19, and 21. At a min.; I would replace 18, 19, and 21 - that should get you back over 50% on the Dr Prius App.

 

I do not have the Prolong system. I will get a HF carbon pile load tester and check the bad blocks. I’m watching this thread and waiting to see how successful Paul is in reviving his hybrid battery. Hopefully he is, then I can do the same.

 

Hi Paul. I may take you up on the Prolong rental, maybe later next month.
I will be traveling to the mainland in 2 weeks and plan to pick up the HF carbon load tester then. I can let you use it if you want.