Prius battery replacement experience

I was close, but no cigar. After checking, it is the option one above "Alert Preferences" which is just "Preferences". The first two preferences are:

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Hopes that helps (this time).

 

Thanks for sharing your story. I had to replace my hybrid battery in my 2007 last year. After researching and talking to several people I decided to buy a new Toyota battery. It did help that I got a great deal on it from a local Toyota dealer. I ended up installing it myself which was not my first choice but the dealer could not get it done as quickly as I wanted because I was about to go out of town.

The Dorman and other remanufactured batteries seem to have a lot more problems than the Toyota one. So even spending a little more on the factory battery saves headaches and money later if the other battery has to be replaced under warranty.

Glenn

 

New battery modules are really only available to Toyota so even if Dorman did a good job rebuilding them it's hard to see what specs they use versus the companies that Toyota subcontracts to. I'm not surprised to find out the aftermarket ones may not be worth the savings in the end.

 

Just a "heads up" here. Even with a conventional gasoline car, if a mechanic makes a mistake and stuffs something up, and you continue to drive without any heed for how it is performing, or any warnings or anomalies displayed on the dash, then you could still end up needing a tow.

 

I also replaced a traction battery with a Dorman in April 2016. This battery failed May 2017. I'm in L.A. area inland so heat could be an issue. In the process of replacing under warranty from Dorman.

It was no trouble getting a replacement authorized from Dorman, phone call and reported codes; they gave me auth. number to give to retailer.

I went with Dorman for the warranty and that it could be sourced from NAPA relatively easily if it failed; which it has. FYI Rockauto sells a battery $400 cheaper (same warranty) and they have a warehouse in San Bernadino if you are in the area. Did not know about this warehouse location when I originally replaced.

I believe Toyota now offers replacement batteries without some components that need to be transferred from original. Had this been an option this is how I would have gone as I believe they are new cells. However I think they only have warranty if replaced at a dealer.

Still have a little under 2 years left on Dorman warranty, hopefully will not need it again. Or I will get pretty good at replacing. Plan on getting the Prolong charger towards end of warranty no matter what.

Also the original battery failed around 110k, car is not garage kept and I think the heat contributed to its short life. Car has been in Texas and California its whole life.

 

I bought a new battery from Toyota. I believe if installed at a dealer it has a three year warranty, otherwise a one year warranty. I went for the factory replacement because I have a lot more faith in it lasting longer then a rebuilt one. The Dorman has a great warranty but many people have to replace them frequently and I didn't want to do that.

I think that the hybrid batteries life is determined by multiple factors. Time, mileage, and heat are the main ones but they also seem to like to be driven frequently instead of sitting unused a lot. Low miles does not mean it will last longer from what I read.

Glenn

 

I purchased my 2008 Prius 2nd Gen "Tspirit" (UK) used, back in 2013 - with approximately 55,000 miles on the clock. In the first 5 years, it had done approximately 11,000 miles a year average.

Fast forward to the present; after 4 years of remarkably trouble free ownership/ motoring, the Prius now has 95,800 miles on the clock and HV battery performance is as good as it was when I first bought the vehicle.

I'm hoping the HV power pack will last to at least between 150,000 and 180,000 miles; I use this vehicle for commuting in London all year round, and of course for domestic use when I'm not working.

It does the same 36 mile round trip every Monday to Friday, except for 2 weeks at Xmas and in August each year.

Apart from the occasional blistering London heat wave (last year it hit 35c or whereabouts if I recall) which barely lasts a week or two, the vehicle operates in a largely temperate climate zone, where Artic and Nevada desert temperature extremes are very rare or nonexistent. I consciously use my A/C to channel chilled air towards the HV battery on such hell fire days.

Incidentally, this is the first time ever, that I'm taking a vehicle through the 100,000 mile barrier without fear.

The Gen 2 is built like a Dreadnought Battleship (whatever that actually is...), and long may she sail...!!!

I do believe this will prolong the life of most Prii's HV traction batteries in the UK.

Extreme heat does indeed, usually seem to play a major role in Prii HV battery failure.


iPhone ?

 

What do you mean by it hasn't been driven enough for a 11 year old car such that you had the hunch the battery will he due to be replaced?

Wondering for my knowledge since I'm in a Similiar boat with an 06 I baught at 80k miles.

 

I probably wouldn't worry so much. Where was / is the vehicle's regular climate zone of operations? If it's been toasting in the bare sizzling rays of Sun, in Nevada desert conditions every day of its life, then there's a chance of premature failure.

On the other hand, if it's been regularly garaged / parked in a covered garage / car park in the same toasty conditions above, but though driven sparingly, got enough of a drive to keep the NiMH battery healthy, it could still last a very low long time indeed. There are still 1st generation Prii out there plodding along on their original batteries too.....and their mileages might also be barely over 100,000 miles.

Don't worry too much about it - take heart in the fact that, unless you've had the greatest misfortune to have been saddled with a "lemon" (t'was a lemon straight from the factory....as in!)....the Prius Gen II was doubtlessly over engineered - and most owners know this to be true.

Just sit back and enjoy the vehicle

* p.s. I call mine "The Spaceship". Ergo, I find it extremely difficult to use the word "car" when describing the Prius. Hence my repeated use of the word "vehicle"......(as in Orbital Vehicle)....




iPhone ?

 

Thought I would throw in a used battery question. Has anyone ever bought a low mileage used battery that may have been in the salvage yard for many months or a year? Is their a concern that the hv battery may have discharged low enough that the car won’t start?

 

Something new here. Does this mean, any failure in the Prius mechanical system, would herald the HV battery draining?

 

Yeah, probably may not start the car. I'm currently working on a Camry hybrid battery, that has being parked for years or stayed for long, that was imported from the USA.

I think what really matters in so e cases is that you got to just should I say, do some work, cleaning the bus bars, and charging the pack up to standard voltage.

Don't get me wrong. Some batteries from such salvage yards, fire up, immediately when installed without even charging then up.

 

Hi guys I’m new to Prius chat here.Im looking at a 08 T-Spirit with 60.000 miles for £5500 very clean with a full main dealer history as recently as 58.000 miles.Just wanted to know how long I can expect the hv battery to last?Also does anybody know of any specialist out there in the uk.

 

Welcome to PC, and congratulations on the new ride.

Obviously, I don't know anything about specialists in your area. As for the battery, there's no way to really know for sure. But, in some states over here, the battery warranty is 10 years or 150,000 miles. For the rest of the country it's 8 years or 100,000 miles. Probably similar on your side of the pond. So Toyota builds them to last at least that long. Not all make it, of course, but the vast majority do. In fact, I think most go way over that. Either way, replacing the battery isn't as big of a deal as some folks fear.

 

Thanks Jerrymildred for the reply you guys have got a very good warranty period in the states,I’m not sure if you can have an extended warranty plan setup or not sure if my Gen 2 is too old?
I’ve also seen that you can replace modules but not sure how economical this is.

 

In the UK, you can have a "Hybrid Health Check" (HHC) performed either complimentary as part of a service (by a Toyota Service Centre/Dealer) or as a separate paid for service for around £35-£40. However this can only be done while the car is under 10 years old (from first in service date). If you get this done just before the 10th anniversary it lasts till the end of the 10th year. So, you may just be in or out with a '08. What an HHC does is extends the warranty on the HV battery by a year each time it is done. Other than that it is as JerryMildred says.

As far as independent hybrid specialist goes, I think they are few and far between in the UK. Most try and find a good honest dealer and use them. With the fixed price servicing, it is not too bad.

 

What is a Prolong charger setup?

 

It's a grid charger for maintaining Prius and other hybrid traction batteries.
Prolong Battery Systems. Extending the life of your hybrid. — Hybrid Automotive
Just do a search on PriusChat for "Prolong" and you can read thousands of pages.

 

Can I use a 40Ah lithium iron phosphate battery to trickle charge it or does this setup have to be hooked to shore power. I tend to be on the road a lot & I tend to camp so I like to use ready mode for the AC at night. How much do these tend to cost after installation (and is it something I can install easily myself?)