Reconditioning Experience with Hybrid Automotive's Prolong System

Toyota hybrid battery replacement cost guide (2016 update)

Found this too. Interesting.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Well, the best laid plans etc. etc. An emergency came up which required use of the car, so I abandoned the latest full-recondition attempt was aborted at the end of the second charge/balance session, just before the discharge to 87V. But, no problems, it's happened before, and as @jeff652 explained to me the first time it happened (a couple of years ago just after I got the "lightbulb" version) cutting short the process won't damage the overall process, it's just that the full benefit of the process won't be realized until each of the steps are completed! (…at least that's how I see it! (…and I must add I hope¹ that my understanding of that response is correct!)

¹ that seems to be all I've been hearing on the Nuus all morning!

 

Mine is cruising along, trickling between .341 and .342. Slow but steady and thorough.

 

If you have the time, a 4-6 hour balance is ideal between discharge cycles. However, it's not absolutely needed and people like to speed things up so we adjusted the instruction to recommend charging only until the voltage levels off - then stop and discharge. I balance between each cycle, but not everyone has the time for it. The benefit is small, so not much is lost if you are not able to balance on each cycle.

The Prolong Discharger has data logging ability already, but we don't have instructions for it online (and I don't know how to do it hahah). My engineer is heavily focused on getting the ProlongPro series to market so I have not pressed him to write instructions for how to interface with the unit for data logging yet. Once we get the Pro series development done, I will get the instructions online.

 

Correct. It has to be low when charging the cells at 100% SOC or they will be damaged. It's slow by design to protect the battery.

Also correct. "(Martha Voss, a spokeswoman for Toyota, said that an after-market part would, in fact, void the warranty if Toyota decided it was responsible for the failure that occurred; this would be determined on a case-by-case basis, she said.)". Basically, if Toyota determines an aftermarket part is the cause of a failure, they can then void a warranty. So any aftermarket part does not automatically void the warranty. Our products don't cause battery failures, so it'd be a stretch for Toyota to fault our systems and void a warranty. It has never happened to on of our customers. Of course with our Plug-and-play harnesses a concerned vehicle owner could easily remove the harness before taking the vehicle in for battery service to reduce the risk effectively to zero.

 

I wonder what they would say when they saw the modified fan wiring. Just wondering. Maybe they wouldn't even see it if it was well patched and taped.

 

Our harnesses have had plug-and-play fan wiring for a little over six months now. No cutting of the fan wires required, it just plugs right inline. But yeah for the older kits there would be splices in the wires to close up with some heat shrink.

 

Well, Hybrid Automotive sell a connector-block for those who want to remove the Prolong Harness, and return the wiring to its origjnal state, in a nice, neat and tidy fashion. I was impressed by the quality of the components used, and the finish of the Prolong equipment, so I would guess that any discerning Toyota engineer might even be jealous of the modification!

 

Yes, that about right, it goes slow (by design). Remember, for this process slow is good, the longer it takes to charge and also discharge, the better the condition of the battery.

Mine normally does 344-345 mA.

The charger/discharger cannot be used for checking the condition of the battery. Using Techstream or Torque Pro, you can though.

 

We also weighed the "warranty vs. Prolong installation" and decided it was worth the risk. Our battery is warrantied through May of 2018. It was showing signs of wear but we have multiple long trips planned for the the next year. The last thing we need is for it to quit when we're 3,000 miles from home or in the middle of the Mojave desert in August. There's no guarantee it actually would die so it was also a matter of $660 now against the possibility of $3,000 - 4,000 as early as next summer. We're playing it safe.

 

But if it would've died anywhere between now and May 2018, you would get a brand new battery from Toyota that will last another 10 years. You don't want that?

 

I wonder if there is data of mpg falling as a battery is being depleted? Or is it negligible?

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Also, I was informed a few hours ago my 2013 left Carmax in KY on a hauler and is on the way.



Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

It would be nice and if it were to die I am willing to take a shot at trying to take advantage of the warranty, maybe with Jeff's help. Rright now I'm more concerned about family, the car's reliability and our upcoming trips. Since it was showing some signs of weakness, what if it gives out in the 115* heat in the middle of the Mojave Desert, 50-100 miles from services, on any given weekend? We're out there often. Or it gives out on our 5,500 mile journey from here to the mountains of Colorado to North Carolina and back in the July heat? Or our possible trip from L.A. to Seattle in August?

If we weren't going anywhere or it was just me in the car I would have taken my chances on the battery, almost hoping it gave out, but using the Prolong system now gives me a lot of peace of mind since my wife and daughter will be in the car too.

 

If you're up this way in August, let us Bay Area guys know and if close to a weekend, it could be a meetup.

We always need an excuse to do a meet up.

 

…just about to start another attempt! Very hot here in southern NH, with temps in the mid 80s going into the 90s tomorrow. I've just been doing some errands, and in these sweltering temps, windows closed, cabin temp set to 72 and A/C set to on (note not auto! - I let the car do its own thing, and bear in mind that the TractionBattery is being cooled by air from the cabin, so coolness = goodness! I'll keep you posted as to how this one goes!
PS: Sunshields fore & aft (see Ye Olde Prius Chatte Shoppe) are Good Things in this warm weather!

 

It all hinges on my crosswalk duties. It looks like my corner is no longer going to have a crossing guard at the corner where I've been for the last 8 years. If that decision holds we'll be seeing you.

 

That's why I'm doing it now. By the middle of next week we're supposed to be in the mid-90s, pushing close to100 next weekend.

We run the a/c a lot and we have the front sunshield. How does the back one actually stay in place?

 

So cabin air helps cool the battery? Good to know because life is too short to be uncomfortable. Plus my Uber and Lyft riders like to be comfortable as well.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

This vent next to the back seat is the intake for the battery cooling fan in your 3rd generation. In the 2nd generation it's located near the top of the seat.