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Battery acid is eating exhaust shield

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by zander, Jun 8, 2013.

  1. css28

    css28 Senior Member

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    *but* a feed from the inverter serves as a "virtual alternator" providing regulated charging voltage for the 12V battery from the traction battery any time the car is in Ready mode.
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    except in neutral?
     
  3. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    The caps are usually under the labels on top of the battery, so you don't mess with them.
     
  4. zander

    zander Junior Member

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    First: I think for safety reasons the vent tube end for the battery is located above the exhaust shield, I think that's a BAD location, I will stop by at the dealer and show them the problem to see if can be resolved by a safety recall. I think I may have put to much H2O in each cell( 2 oz) I should have put 1 0z in each cell. Next if I replace the battery Exide has 4 year replacement optima has 3 year, my concern with the optima is this is a sealed battery, no vents and what would happen to the battery if the charging system went wild
     
  5. css28

    css28 Senior Member

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    I'm not sure you understand. You're not supposed to put *any* water into an AGM battery.
     
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  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i'm pretty sure the correct optima has a vent?
     
  7. Bill Norton

    Bill Norton Senior Member

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    Just for reference, there is a DC to DC converter that comes online when the car is in Ready mode.
    It converts the HV DC ( +200vdc) to the 12 volt bus ( ~14.5vdc).
    That the LV battery is only for boot up of the system and ACC mode, interior lights, etc. when not in ready mode. The battery 'floats' on the 12v bus when in ready, there is no battery charging system as such.
    The boot up is a brief + 20 Amp load, I have read here. That battery has an easy life. There is no overcharging.

    OP, you screwed up your battery and made a big mess.
    The Owner's Manual, the Big Label on the side of the battery and the fact that there are no visible servicing ports
    should have been a tip that you don't dick with this type of battery.
    Are you really going to the dealer with this problem you created and tell them "I think I may have put to much H2O in each cell"



    Better luck with your next battery,, whatever that may be.

    For the tech crowd, here's a good primer on Prius electrical system attached. It does not show the location of the DC to DC converter but I'm pretty sure it is located in the HV battery area.
     

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  8. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Yes the Optima has a vent tube for gases (H2).
    For Zander I probably recommend Optima or the Toyota OEM replacement.
     
  9. Bill Norton

    Bill Norton Senior Member

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    Yeah, Optimas are the way to go!
    And then, I recommend cleaning up the big mess you made with baking soda.
    Use some corrosion preventative, like LPS 3 in the area and on all the battery hardware.
    ( hopefully this will stop the rust and corrosion that you created inside and outside of the battery area )
    Close up the access panels to the battery...
    And never go there again for at least 3-4 years.
     
  10. szgabor

    szgabor Active Member

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    what alternator he has a prius !!!!
     
  11. doc2mee

    doc2mee Junior Member

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    Why do you need to add water to a AGM battery?
    It is sealed, the hydrogen produced when charging is converted to water via Manganese Oxide catalytic converter.
    Oxygen is produced when discharging and stored inside the each cell with manganese converter forming manganese oxide and when charging hydrogen produced will the interact the manganese oxide forming water. That is why there will never be excess water in the battery.
    By tampering with the seal,O2 & H2 will leak into your car compartment, when overcharging acid steam will vent out. Not only is your car hazardous to fire, it is now poisonous from acid fumes besides the water level will dry out due to imbalance in the water recovery of the MgO2 converter.
     
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  12. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    To the OP.

    I'd advise, clean up the battery acid as carefully and thoroughly as possible.
    Then replace your battery with a new AGM no maintenance battery.
    Don't add water to it.
     
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  13. WE0H

    WE0H Senior Member

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    That's a neat document ;)

    tnx
    Mike

    Mobile on my SGH-i717
     
  14. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Oh my god....I don't know exactly how I got onto this thread and I apologize for bringing it back to the top, but I've been laughing so hard I'm about ready to puke. I actually had to go back and read the original thread where the water was added to the battery at the 49k mile point.
    omgomgomgomg

    PEOPLE....please don't take your AGM battery, remove the large sticker label on the top, pry off caps (that are under the sticker label) and add water. Over and over and over again. I would imagine it kept getting "low" because it was blowing out the vent tube after each "fill up". omgomgomgomg

    And if you do, then have a bunch of electrolyte/acid blow out the vent tube to the exterior of your car, please just hang your head in shame and go buy a new battery. Don't go to the dealer and try to make it into a safety recall issue. Can you imagine the look on a tech's face when they hear the story? To have a sealed battery, go through all the work of unsealing it and adding water. Does that even pass the common sense test? At all?
     
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  15. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    But anyway as long as we're at it:

    Well, happily, the ~ 14 volts from the converter is enough to keep a 12 volt battery charged.

    The converter is located up front in the inverter/converter assembly, callout ❹ on page 5.

    -Chap
     
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  16. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Well, I know how I got onto it. You floated it to the top. I'm glad you did. It was pretty incredible. But I rolled my eyes so much, I may have pulled an eyeball muscle. :ROFLMAO:
     
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  17. jack black

    jack black Active Member

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    This reminds me a story about a prius owner inflating tires to 100PSI, bringing the car to dealer for service, tire bursting injuring a tech, and owner having a fit about lost tire and car damage. Being a prius owner is no guarantee of being sane.
     
  18. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Good conditioning exercise for 2018 in general.

    -Chap
     
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  19. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

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    I hope Sam Spade doesn't see this thread. :)
     
  20. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Just don't say the name three times in a row...
     
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