Need some advice on '06 Prius with possible bad traction battery

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by BSAKat, Apr 2, 2019.

  1. BSAKat

    BSAKat Junior Member

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    Hey there,
    I'm new here but not new to Prius ownership. My wife has an '06 Prius that was given to her by her mother (the original owner) in 2015. Just yesterday (04/01/19) the big triangle/exclamation point warning light on her dash came on along with the car/exclamation point warning in the multi-function display. Not long after, the traction battery fan kicked on (and stays on as long as the car is powered up).

    I did some cursory online research into this, and on the surface my research suggested that the traction battery is bad and needs replaced. First thing I did was put the car in diagnostic mode to check the codes, but .I read (here, in fact) that the codes are often not relevant to what's going on with the car. I checked the 12v battery with a voltmeter (12.3 volts after sitting all night and about five minutes of idling/moving) but haven't done anything else. I know that the Prius can be finicky about a low or dying 12v battery, that's why I checked there. My questions are:
    1. Is 12.3v good for that battery in the Prius? I have no idea how old it is, but 12.3v seems pretty strong to me.
    2. Does anyone have a non-dealer Prius recommendation in the Detroit metro area? I absolutely do not trust the dealers around here.
    3. I'm gonna have to replace that traction battery, aren't I?
     
    #1 BSAKat, Apr 2, 2019
  2. landspeed

    landspeed Active Member

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    1. Others have more experience here, but 12.3 should be good enough that it doesn't cause the problems you are having
    3. Possibly. The fact that the traction battery fan comes on, and stays on, shows that the battery control unit is 'unhappy' with the battery for some reason - it would be good to read the error codes. If you have the time, the best way is to get a decent WiFi (iOS) or Wifi or Bluetooth (Android) OBD-2 dongle, and use that to read the codes, as you can also get a lot of useful information about the state of the battery and exactly what is causing the problem. It could, for example, be that the battery is overheating due to the fan being blocked, which happens a lot.

    Is it possible to 'not use' the car for a while? Often, problems like this are amplified by using the car while the problem is still there (causing further imbalance in the battery, maybe localised overheating, and so on). Of note, depending on what the fault actually is, it is quite possible the car could become 'stranded' at any time (e.g. if it is a ground leak).

    One question - the battery meter on the dash - what is that doing? If it shows a fairly good charge, but then, at the time then battery fan comes on, the charge starts dropping very quickly (e.g. a bar every few seconds until it is at 1-2 bars), or suddenly recharges more than one bar at a time, that suggests there is a problem with a weak module in the battery (the battery computer 'guesses' the actual charge, and 'catches up' when it guesses wrong, or when one module suddenly drops majorly).
     
    #2 landspeed, Apr 3, 2019
  3. BSAKat

    BSAKat Junior Member

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    The battery meter is all over the place. Empty or one bar when you start the car, then it jumps up to 3/4 charge, then it fluctuates wildly while driving. There's also a marked reduction in performance—sluggish acceleration, chugging/hesitation, etc.

    I have an OBDII dongle and the Torque app, I'll pull the codes that way and see what it tells me.

    Thanks.
     
    #3 BSAKat, Apr 3, 2019
  4. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Yup, sooner or later, just a matter of time on an 06. Your 12v is average health. You can disconnect it for a few minutes to clear the codes and drive it again (for a short bit) and see if the codes/lights come back. Odds are they will.

    See the link in signature to see what I did on my 06 when this happened.
     
    #4 fotomoto, Apr 3, 2019
  5. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Poke it with a fork, the HV battery is done.

    In order of cheapest to most expensive:
    Repair your pack, buy rebuilt (used) pack, buy ALL new aftermarket modules to replace ALL yours, or new Toyota pack.

    GOOD LUCK!
     
    #5 fotomoto, Apr 3, 2019
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  6. Usle

    Usle Active Member

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    You read the 12v after the car had been running five minutes?

    Try again before starting the car.

    An 06 is going to need a new traction battery, 1600$, the 12v may also need replacing, 2,500-3,000$ will make for a very nice prius for years, assuming the brakes are in good shape.

    A refurbished traction battery is only an expensive bandaid.
     
    #6 Usle, Apr 3, 2019
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  7. BSAKat

    BSAKat Junior Member

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    Lawl, yep. This battery is toast. Here are the current codes according to Torque
    CURRENT
    • P1116 Powertrain
    • P1121 Powertrain
    • P1123 Powertrain
    PENDING
    • P0505 Powertrain
    • P0A80 Powertrain
    • P3011 Powertrain
    Sigh... So, Usle. Tell me about these $1,600.00 new traction batteries. The cheapest things I've seen so far are the $1500.00 refurbed batteries Green Bean uses.
     
    #7 BSAKat, Apr 3, 2019
  8. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    #8 fotomoto, Apr 4, 2019
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  9. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    Don’t go refurbished. Get factory new or 2k1toaster battery.
     
    #9 Skibob, Apr 4, 2019
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  10. BSAKat

    BSAKat Junior Member

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    I've been reading about 2k1's batteries on and off all day, and I'll probably go that route. I'm gonna take it to get it mechanically inspected first, though.
     
    #10 BSAKat, Apr 4, 2019
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  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    how many miles on her?
     
    #11 bisco, Apr 4, 2019
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