Hi all: My 05 has had a bad traction battery cell or two for the last month. My local dealer is still quoting end of July for delivery of a new complete one. Unfortunately I have a family vacation/business trip out to Boston in mid-July. I'm looking at a junker battery locally but need a certified tech to do the cell/module replacement. I am, of course, concerned that other cells might get the corrosion problem or more cells that just may die on the trip. Of course the dealer is not interested in doing cell replacement, but with the parts shortage out of Japan really can't/won't help. I did get a case number from Toy, but have not heard from anyone at Toy. So does anyone know of a reputable tech in or around Salt Lake City?
If the junkyard battery is fresh, less than 6 months from the time of the accident, just have someone put it in, the entire assembly. Ask around to independents that claim to work on Toyota. Basically, you just need to find a shop that can access Techstream for the instructions, as a battery swap is pretty easy. Then take your trip. You'll probably make it fine, and then you can call the dealer when you get back, cancel your appointment, and save a few thousand $$$. Module replacement is generally done only when are buying a couple of them on Ebay. Contact jdenenberg, PriusChat Forums - View Profile: jdenenberg, if you would like to buy modules that are Plug n Play. Unfortunately, no one was able to answer your question, i.e. recommending a specific person to do the job. But I would encourage you to call independent Toyota shops in town to see if they would install a salvage battery for you.
There are independent Hybrid repair stations in MA. This is a list from an organization that trains hybrid techs: http://www.hybridcars.com/service/preferred-hybrid-shops.html MASSACHUSETTS Bob's Motor Workshop 49 East Main Street Millford, MA Contact: Mike Bonnell (508) 473-8383 [email protected] Bravo Motor 32 Cambridge Street Worcester, MA 01603 Contact: George Sotiropoulis (508) 363-2500 [email protected] Crystal Car Care 4 Stadler St. Belchertown, MA 01007 (413) 323-8789 Contact: Steve Miss [email protected] DJ‘s Automotive Service 1150 Central Street Leominster, MA 01453 Contact: D J Pothier (978)534 3380 [email protected] Hilltown Hybrids 73 S. Central St. Plainfield, MA 01070 (413) 634-8808 Contact: Jamie Wooldridge [email protected] Ranstroms Automotive 133 West Boylston Street Worcester, MA 01606 Contact: Ricky Ranstrom (508) 853-6606 [email protected] Wayside Auto Sales & Service 1651 Fall River Avenue Seekonk, MA 02771 Contact: Karleen Gouveia (508)336-7143 [email protected] As Selierts said, I am re-balancing and charging the 27 good modules that came out of my 2004 Prius. All of them (18 so far, it takes 32 hours to do each one) measure better than 6.5 amp-hours capacity after the reconditioning. I will start selling them on eBay soon for $30 each plus shipping, but they are available now if your tech can deal with a module replacement. I am about 2.5 hours down the coast from Boston in CT. If you want to stop in southern Indiana for a couple of hours Steve at http://www.autobeyours.com will fix you up at a reasonable price. JeffD
