Dorman Battery Experiences

We have had issues with multiple Toyota dealerships. I think the service writers need better training on hybrids. One insisted that there was only one engine coolant system in our Prius. We had one write in the notes that there was a nail in the sidewall of a tire but failed to tell us. We drive the car on winding mountain roads. I read the receipt the next day and was not happy that they failed to actually TELL US.

Also, once this debacle happened, I was asking the Temecula service writer if Findlay replaced the power cable with the inverter per the TSB, and her response was, "What cable?"

All of this gives me the impression that even people who work at Toyota do not fully understand how Prii work.

 

I meant to say he didn't understand that the inverter cooling system was separate from the engine cooling system. He thought it was all one cooling system.

 

no question. most dealerships are poorly run and poorly trained, not just toyota. that being said, yours is the first i've heard of a dealership not understanding the new vs rebuilt batteries.
they have separate part numbers and prices.

 

Thank you. I am hoping we end up with a NEW Toyota battery since our previous one lasted a long time even without a filter and without us knowing that the cooling fan needed to be periodically cleaned. I still feel Toyota has some culpability for not notifying us of the problems caused by the fan getting dirty/clogged.

 

the fan only gets clogged if you carry furry shedding animals. but i suppose they should have tested for that.

 

No furry shedding animals. Unless you count 3 kids, one a snacking toddler whose carseat was right beside the intake. I never even knew it was there until the battery failed.

 

Ugly story for sure socalcajun, apologies.

If you can verify with other local dealers that Toyota does offer both new and reman Gen 3 batteries for sale in Cali, then it would be worth opening a case with corporate in an effort to gain some form of goodwill. Toyota has proven to be very generous with this over the years, although typically with a car just out of warranty. I believe Cali is the first state to offer a Toyota factory reman, so who knows what corporate may be imposing on the dealers. If Temecula did indeed mislead you on your purchase options, this would give you some footing.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

 

I realize that this is off topic and really belongs in the Gen 3 section but anybody who owns a Gen 3 should know this:

Toyota re designed the battery cooling system on the Gen 3 Prius. The intake sits very low next to the back seat and will suck up just about anything that falls down in that area. To make matters worse the blower has smaller blades with much smaller spaces between them which causes it to clog up much faster than any Gen 2 ever would have.

We replaced four (4) Gen 3 batteries last year, I realize that doesn't seem like a lot unless you consider that out of 350 Prius battery replacements we've never had an 08 or an 09 in our shop. All four of those G3 cars had very restricted or completely clogged cooling systems and none of them were from pet hair. They were all from kids in the back seat dropping stuff and regular use. If I owned a Gen 3 I would be cleaning the battery fan every couple of years.

As for replacement batteries, I won't even sell a Gen 3 owner a rebuilt battery, it doesn't make sense to put a 2-3 year battery in a car that will last another 10 years. They either get a new Toyota battery or they have to find another place to get their car fixed.

The part number that m.wynn listed is for a NEW Gen 2 battery. If your trying to get a Gen 3 battery new from Toyota the P/N is G9510-47060 and the list price is $2729. To my knowledge Toyota is only offering their (-84) rebuilt batteries for the Gen 2 currently. That means that if you get a battery from Toyota it will definitely be a new battery AND if you have it put in by the dealership it will come with a 36 month warranty. Service writers need to learn their stuff.

Matt

 

Thanks Matt. Removed part numbers from my previous post. If Toyota doesn't even offer the reman option for Gen 3, I'd think the op's chances for a goodwill deal would be even stronger.

 

there is a section in the owners manual regarding the fan grille, and not blocking it.

 

They installed the 3rd Dorman battery. The shop owner called Dorman and demanded that they send the third from a different vendor since the previous 2 duds both came from the same vendor. I'm disappointed that this one worked because I wanted a refund so that I could get a Toyota battery instead, but I did my Dorman research too late in the game. In my opinion, 3 strikes and you're out.

So my dilemma now is... do I wait this battery out until it fails too or do I contact Toyota about getting a NEW battery from them so that I know I have a quality product?

 

i would wait it out. some people have had pretty good luck. but it's more of a personal financial convenience decision for you.

 

This is excellent information. Thanks!

 

Mine was never blocked. The way it's positioned, it seems pretty difficult to block, even with a carseat beside it.

 

When I went to pick-up the Prius, started it up, got violent rattling/knocking immediately at start-up. Thanks to this forum, I've read that this is common and likely due to fuel injectors that need a good cleaning. The first time this happened was 5.5 weeks ago, just a few days after the inverter was replaced. I naturally thought it had something to do with that, but again, glad to read that it seems to be a simple solution.

Fingers crossed that this Dorman replacement lasts at least 8 months so that we can trade it in. Thanks to everyone for your advice and your wealth of Prius knowledge!

 

If the fuel injectors don't cure the rattle/knock, try the ignition coils.

 

and don't start the car and shut it down before it finishes warming up.

 

scc, there a few other Gen 3 issues you can consider when chasing down cold start knock. Very well may be that the car was started and immediately shut down just as the gas engine kicked on, which in turn causes a flooded condition on the following start-up, inducing the knocking. Otherwise...

EGR circuit sludge blockage is notorious around here. It can range from just through the intake manifold and EGR pipe to entirely through the EGR valve and cooler. If your 170k mile car has never had it cleaned, it's probably time to at least have a look. Pulling just the EGR pipe is an easy way to assess where you're at here. My personal opinion is that if the car isn't throwing P0401, the sludging is more localized to the intake manifold side of the circuit. However, the valve and cooler may be dirty, just not bad enough to throw the code. With the EGR pipe removed, you can site into the EGR valve and get an idea of cleanliness in that direction. I'd guess you will likely see sludging in the pipe and the intake manifold, regardless. @Raytheeagle did an excellent tutorial on the valve and cooler and there are a few documentations of cleaning the intake manifold around here, too.

Also, keep an eye on your engine coolant level in the storage bottle, too. Head gasket issues are starting to surface with Gen 3 and you're at the sweet spot mileage-wise. You don't want to see the level in the bottle dropping. At 170k, this coolant loop should have been drained/filled at least once at around 100k. This is likely not an issue, but something to be aware of and keep an eye on as you move forward.

Did the car get spark plugs (factory Denso or NGK) at around 120k miles?

 

Attached is a copy of the tutorial @m.wynn mentions. Thanks to @Mendel Leisk for making it a useable file.

If the EGR Circuit has not been investigated, this is a good place to look. But making sure the car completes its warm-up cycle before shutting it down is also something that will help prevent condensation collection or cold start knock.

 

Mine has been going for 26 months now 0ct 2014. 65k plus i paid 1305 after core summit auto self install the math worked for = warranty better then toyota.good hope all goes well