3rd hybrid Battery in 140k miles!

What state are you in? Are you going to a Toyota dealer for this battery work?

 

Generic first order question: How old is your 12v battery, and when was the last time you left a dome light on or let it discharge substantially (jump start)?

MFD problems are almost always 12v problems.

A "dealer" will NOT replace your pack with a "reconditioned" pack. They only sell new Toyota packs. If you did, then you got a used salvage pack they probably bought off of a crashed car for a few hundred dollars that had likely over 100K miles and it was just sitting for a long time anyways.

 

other than a new pack, any replacement is 'iffy', and only as good as the warranty.

 

"reconditioning" a HV battery needs to be done very well or you will see repeating failures. My Toyota dealer did install a reconditoned one for me, but it was a ReInVolt (now Dorman) which has performed well for me for 68k miles (over three years) so far.

This is a totally unrelated issue. Virtually all Gen2 MFDs exhibit this failure at some time (my 2004 started going blank almost 2 years ago). It will only get worse over time. Steve at Prius hybrids sales and service Scottsburg Indiana offers MFD repair service for about $325 plus one-way shipping.

Good Luck with your Prius.

JeffD

 

This local "dealer" sure doesn't sound like he's very successful at the rebuilding. You are on your 3rd battery and it's failed again. Do you consider that successful? There is a lot more to rebuilding a battery than to just finding the right voltage to match with other modules in your pack.

I asked for your location because if you were in a CARB state, the warranty on your car would still be valid (well not now since you've tinkered with the battery). But if it were all original, you would have a good chance at asking Toyota for a free replacement or a goodwill assistance in getting replacement.

Since your battery is still under warranty with this so called dealer, just go get your 4th battery and see how long that will last. Do this until your warranty ends then find another option or sell the car.

 

Within service life if not abused.

There is an easy fix to a problem with a blank MFD screen where a high density connector is prone to solder breakage. I forget the actual problem it has been a while since anyone mentioned it. But the fix I believe is simply to touch up a pin with solder.

That makes sense now. I am an EE, and as many here can tell you replacing individual modules in a pack is like playing whack-a-mole. It will not work. Now if you have a giant pool of modules to pull from you can find one that matches well to the rest of the pack, and all is well. This was how the refurb pack companies operate. They have so many cells that they can find a few that match between all of their stock. If you only have 10 modules to choose from, odds are poor you will find one that matches well and then you will get another failure.

 

These refurbs that cut corners either out of ignorance or bad business practices are a waste of money. "Cheap" is not. The more insidious problem is that as mismatched modules are placed in the pack, neighboring modules are stressed and die sooner.

OP: I suggest you ask your refurb guy to install a new OEM you buy for about $2000. Perhaps he will cut you a deal on the installation instead of continuing this merry-go-round of failed batteries.

 

OP, you should read this thread which covers testing, replacing, and rebalancing the HV Battery pack. This is a thorough and comprehensive How-To for HV Battery repair. Read and become informed.
Gen II Prius Individual Battery Module Replacement | PriusChat

Better yet, have the Electrical Engineer read this so he can rebuild correctly, and not waste both your time. Unless you want to continue to see him on a frequent basis.

Consider updating your profile w/ Model year Prius. Location is helpful so other members can offer suggestions on mechanics and parts. If your concerned about privacy, you can be general and just list State, or lie and list a neighboring State (at least location will be in an adjacent ballpark).

 

The problem which can not be easily detected by using, say Techstream is that you can identify the failed pair and condemn the pack, but while on the vehicle - it would be very difficult for you to see the performance of the individual modules. Then you open the pack test the voltage - find the bad module and assume the verdict - "need to change that module" - wrong.
If you do the load test of all individual modules simultaneously - you'll be able to see that more than one module is bad and the remaining capacity of modules is different. At high loads when voltage drops to 6V/module - you are getting bigger voltage delta and vehicle throughs an error code.

 

Charging $325 for doing such a repair is ridiculous, some people just don't know how to make business, just because they are the only ones who do certain things that does not means that they can charge huge amounts of money, far more than what they spent repairing.

 

Time for you to take a refresher on supply and demand

 

Soldering a new capacitor, there is no way it costs $325.

 

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Fixing a Gen2 MFD is not "Soldering a new capacitor". My MFD had a broken solder connection which I fixed myself after buying $35 in tools to deal with surface mount, but I am an experienced electrical engineer. AutoBeYours will fix whatever is wrong with your MFD using their many years of experience in Prius repairs and if it can't be fixed, they send you a rebuilt one from their inventory of salvaged parts. They do this for a fixed price and guarantee their work. $325 is a reasonable price for a turnkey MFD service.

JeffD

 

I see.

 

Price discovery is never a pleasant experience for a prospective buyer when there are no current sellers in the market.
Also, price does not have to equal cost.
Econ 101