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Prius Gen2 Traction Battery Experience

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by jdenenberg, Apr 21, 2011.

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  1. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    My 2004 Prius began to have HV battery problem symptoms at 194k miles,

    • The ICE RPM went higher than normal when accelerating or going up hill
    • The SOC fluctuated rapidly
    • MPG, however, seemed OK
    Then about a week later the dashboard lit up like a christmas tree [​IMG]

    The OBD2 code was P0A80 which confirms the failed traction battery. I had expected it to last 250k to 300k miles, Oh well.

    My Prius now had some new symptoms since the ecu knew there was a problem:

    • MPG dropped a bit
    • Cruise control was disabled (Probably AC too, but I didn't check it)
    • No help accelerating from the MGs - Only the ICE so a bit sluggish
    I checked with Dave at Re-InVolt in NC and he could ship me a refurbished battery for $1475 plus $125 shipping to CT as long as the shipping address was a commercial site. He did not have any installers in CT.

    I contacted my usual Toyota dealer and he priced a new battery as $3300 installed. I talked him into pricing using a battery that I supplied and after informing him that it would be a drop in (fully equipped with the required electronics) he said 4 hours ($360 plus tax - installing a Toyota battery is a 5 hour job).

    The battery was shipped directly to the dealer and was installed (Dave now has a CT installer). My Prius is back up and running like new. I expect that the Re-InVolt battery starts out with some previous use, so I expect that its life may be about 50k miles less than a new one, but we'll see.

    So all in all not a bad experience. Under $2000 after 194,000 miles is a penny per mile (for comparison my tires also run about a penny a mile - $500 every 50k miles).

    JeffD
     
    #1 jdenenberg, Apr 21, 2011
    Meg&Bear, usbseawolf2000, That_Prius_Car and 11 others like this.
  2. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Thanks for the info!

    Did you also hear the battery fan running more or at higher speeds than it normally does?
     
    #2 cwerdna, Apr 21, 2011
  3. Hal W

    Hal W New Member

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    Hi Jeff;
    I would have expected more than 194, but then again that is probably above average? I think that is just part of owning one hell of a machine. Good luck with your new pack!
    Cheers;
    Hal
     
    #3 Hal W, Apr 21, 2011
  4. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Excellent post, thank you.
    Did the shipping costs include returning your old battery to RE-involt ?
     
    #4 SageBrush, Apr 21, 2011
  5. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    I was lucky, Dave had a surplus of salvaged batteries and didn't need mine. Now I can part my old battery out on eBay :)

    JeffD
     
    #5 jdenenberg, Apr 21, 2011
  6. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    I didn't notice the fan running, but it was in cold weather.

    JeffD
     
    #6 jdenenberg, Apr 21, 2011
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    great story. i'm amazed a dealer would install a used battery. that's a pretty class act.
     
    #7 bisco, Apr 21, 2011
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  8. tpfun

    tpfun New Member

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    At that high mileage/yr, I presume they are mostly highway commutes.

    What kind of highway miles did you put on it ?
     
    #8 tpfun, Apr 21, 2011
  9. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Is that so much better than collecting a bounty from Toyota ? I do not know specifics of the Toyota recycling rules, but you might be able to resell the electronics and just return the battery.
     
    #9 SageBrush, Apr 21, 2011
  10. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    Generally speaking, only a dealer can collect the $200 bounty, and it does not get passed along to the customer.
     
    #10 seilerts, Apr 22, 2011
  11. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    That is nice to know at least one dealer that was willing to install a non-Toyota battery to help the customer save some money.

    Nice write-up.

    Thanks
     
    #11 jdcollins5, Apr 22, 2011
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  12. striker308

    striker308 Three time Prius owner

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    ok, i'm sure this is a stupid question....

    what is a traction battery? is this the hybrid battery, the 12V battery, or something else?
     
    #12 striker308, Apr 22, 2011
  13. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    The traction battery is the "hybrid battery", the big silver box behind the back seat that runs most of the width of the car. You might also find http://www.myprius.co.za/technical.htm insightful.
     
    #13 cwerdna, Apr 22, 2011
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  14. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    It's the large, nickle metal hydrid battery pack. You'll see it called the HV pack, they hybrid battery, the traction battery, the big battery, etc.

    The 12v will be called either that or the accessory battery in most cases.
     
    #14 efusco, Apr 22, 2011
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  15. striker308

    striker308 Three time Prius owner

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    Thanks!

    I just tested the 12V and under load it shows 11.8 (time for a new one) the car started with a lock issue I remembered reading about on here and that one ting to check was the Fob battery then the 12V battery.

    is the OEM the best bet for a replacment?
     
    #15 striker308, Apr 22, 2011
  16. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    It is the easiest bet in terms of installation effort.

    Whether or not it is the best bet depends upon your local dealer pricing for it (MSRP is $138.70) compared to the price of an Optima battery which many owners here seem to like.
     
    #16 Patrick Wong, Apr 22, 2011
  17. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    It helps when you have a long term relationship. I've trained them in Prius maintenance for 7 years.

    • 3 ATF refreshes - They questioned the need at first
    • Coolant refreshes twice (Water Pumps at 150k miles)
    • Plugs & PCV at 100k
    • Upper Steering column assembly repair at 150k
    JeffD
     
    #17 jdenenberg, Apr 22, 2011
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  18. TommyG

    TommyG New Member

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    Hi Jeff,

    My '05 Prius has had the same issue this week at 120k miles, all the warning lights, no cruise control, sluggishness, battery fan constantly running, lower gas mileage, and the P0A80 code. Dealer quoted me the same $3,300, but said they won't install a 3rd-party battery. So i'm wondering a few things:

    1. How you succeeded in getting your dealer to do it?
    2. What kind of warranty did you get on the battery and installation?

    Thanks.

    Tom
     
    #18 TommyG, May 4, 2011
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  19. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Was your Prius purchased and operated in MA? Currently, MA is a CARB emission states and would receive the 10 year/150K mile HV battery warranty. I don't know if it was a CARB state back when you car was purchased.

    Can you check your warranty booklet for the inclusion of MA in the California warranty?
     
    #19 cwerdna, May 4, 2011
  20. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    I have had a long relationship with this dealer in CT (A1Toyota - 2 hours from you, talk to the service manager) and they may do it for others as the experience was good.
    Re-InVolt gives a 12 month/Unlimited mileage warranty (same as Toyota). The dealer just did the installation and checked it out before delivery.

    There are some useful shops around the country that can get a Prius with a HV battery problem back on the road for less than a dealers $3k+. Ones that I know of are in CA (Arts Auto, Luscious Garage), North Florida (Forgot the name, do a search), Indianapolis (AutoBeYours) and, of course, NC (Re-InVolt).

    I also noticed a "Hybrid Certified" repair station just northeast of Harvard when I used to drive to my son's apartment. Check around.

    JeffD
     
    #20 jdenenberg, May 4, 2011
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