Need new hybrid battery

Failed traction (HV) battery, what to do? - Prius Wiki

Corolla's not a comparable car. There are many features it lacks that are either standard or optional on the Prius. Corolla's also a compact vs. the midsized Prius (per EPA size classifications). I've driven rental Corollas before. There's no comparison to my Prius.

Before you approve the work, can you please give us the codes? Was the 12 volt battery ever changed? Per the wiki, there are cheaper alternatives.

 

There is an independent repair facility in southern Indiana that will get you Prius running for less than half the quote from your dealer.

Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicle PHEV

You can drive it there and it would be fixed in one day.

JeffD

 

My dealer told me a couple of weeks ago that they had just dropped the price of
the hybrid battery, and the cost, including labor, was under $3000. Probably best
that you shop the price you just got from your dealer, sure sounds mighty high to me.

 

Some people have reported going with a refurbished battery and an independent mechanic for under $2000. It might be an option.

Personally I hope my battery lasts more than 150000 miles, but if it did fail at 150000 then I still would have saved about $12000 in fuel by then.

 

anything could happen to any car at 150,000. but a hybrid can cost a bit more to fix. that's why i always tell people on a limited budget to buy a corrolla/camry if that's a concern even though it's probably a very small chance that something expensive will break.

 

HV batteries have been on national backorder for some time now.

You are presumably over the 100,000 miles hybrid warranty.

I strongly recommend a trip down to Scottsburg, IN to get your battery swapped. out. There is no compelling reason to pay $4275 for a new one.

 

How trustworthy is the dealer? My experience with the Toyota dealerships around my area has been poor, to say the least. They all seem to be woefully ignorant when it comes to the Prius (or any other hybrid vehicle)-- One tried to sell me a transmission flush and brake pad change and rotor machining when my '07 had just 30,000 miles on it, sheesh.

Can you post the DTC codes? If you know the codes, that would confirm or deny what the dealership told you.

Anyway, if your '07 does indeed have a failing HV battery, it would be utter foolishness for you to spend money on a brand-new HV battery.

Remember that the HV battery is essentially part of the Prius drivetrain's electric transmission. When a transmission on a regular car dies, do you spend $3000 to put a brand-new transmission in? Heck no. You buy a rebuilt transmission for cheap.

Same goes for a Prius past its warranty coverage. You buy a salvaged/reconditioned HV battery for cheap. Those used to be available for $600 or so, but it seems now those are getting a bit more expensive, but can be had for $1000 so I hear.

140,000 miles seems awfully short life for a Gen-II HV battery. Things that can kill a Prius hybrid battery include:

- Running out of gas.
- Overheating due to a clogged battery blower fan or duct.
- Parking the car for long periods on hot summer days in the sun with all the windows completely sealed.
- Not using B-mode on very long downhill descents.
- Botched aftermarket modifications.

Hopefully you weren't in the habit of doing any of those things.

 

That's been the average mileage for the ones that I have seen go bad out here.

 

That's what you get for living in a hot climate. Nice for you; bad for your Prius.

JeffD

 

+2 on Scottsburg. Steve at Autobeyours will get you back on the road.

 

I wouldn't exactly call Santa Fe a hot climate (and I'm a climatologist ). Our annual average temperature is lower than that of Bridgeport, CT, for instance. But you're certainly right that much of the southwest U.S. is hard on batteries for that reason.

What we do have here are mountains, which kill our batteries in two ways. First, driving up and down long inclines results in deeper and more frequent cycling of the charge. Second, having less atmosphere above us and typically dry air, we get lots of solar radiation. So even when the outside air temperature isn't too terribly hot, the inside of the car can get very hot.

I replaced my HV battery at 132k miles.

 

Also lower air pressure = lower heat removal for the same fan speed. At 8000 ft you are at 11 psi vs 15 psi at sea level. That's ~ 25% lower heat removal. Fan speed needs to be increased by 25% to compensate (not to mention the fact that whatever the heat exchanger is probably has higher resistance with age).

Tom

 

Can anyone give me some tips on where is the most economical place to purchase a replacement HV battery? A junk yard, ebay, etc. And, let's say you do get a battery from one of those sources (not a Toyota dealer), what kind of person would have the knowledge to install?

Just purchased a Prius with 110k miles and live in Arizona so preparing for the battery funeral soon

Thank you!

 

Call Autobeyours, they might be able to help you. A lot of folks here on PC recommend them. 812-752-5050

Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicle PHEV

Also reinvolt is recommended as well. 919-774-3332

Remanufactured Hybrid Vehicle Battery Packs

They can point you in the direction of a rep somewhat close to you that can handle the repair.

Lots of info here on PC on rebuilding the traction battery if you have the skills, patience, and a good understanding of electricity. Be forewarned, the traction battery has high voltage and can kill you if handle incorrectly.

I think Patrick Wong lives in Arizona. He is a resident member here on PC and does a lot of work on Prii's. You might see if he could help you revive a weak, dying traction battery. My understanding is it is usually one or more cells that go bad, not the whole thing.

Ron

 

Take a moment and read through this string. It will give you an idea of what is involved in repair/rebuilding of the traction battery in the Prius.

Is there a guide to how to rebuild the battery pack? How many cells does it need? | PriusChat

Ron

 

You guys are awesome and have been some great help to me. I'll look up Patrick. Thanks so much!

Rhonda