Bit the bullet - oem hv battery

I wish you would have posted here first. There is an alternative for $1600, and works better than OEM (in my opinion). newpriusbatteries.com

 

I am a supporter of the @2k1Toaster battery. That being said, I'd love to hear some details as to what "testing" you have performed on a new OEM battery pack compared to 2k1's battery pack that supports your opinion.

 

$1,690 is a great deal.
It will involve more work than a drop in replacement. Work slowly and carefully. Be sure to use all the new parts. And transfer over the missing parts from old one to the new one.
Also, please be sure to use an inch-pound torque wrench to properly tighten each of the HV battery connections.

This pack is a great purchase and will last you for the life of the car.

 

congrats! that's a great price. you made the right decision.

are you pickingit up, or are they shipping free?

 

@Toddwilks

All I'm referring to is that I support the battery developed by @2k1Toaster as an option to OEM, not necessarily support it as being better than OEM. I think it's great someone (with the technical know-how) has put forth the effort to give everyone an additional option. It's convenient that Toyota dropped their prices by about $500 not long after his battery came out. I fully agree that this battery does not yet have "big numbers" of years under it's belt compared to OEM.

I also support the fact that the Toyota battery is LONG proven to be a veritable tank, with millions in circulation and chewing through the years with no problem. I was asking George, who opined that 2k1's battery was better than Toyota's, what evidence he has to support that conclusion/opinion. If someone has performed some type of side-by-side testing of both models in brand new condition, I would love to see the results. If someone's comparing a new 2k1 toaster battery to a worn Toyota battery, or vice-versa, then it's not apples to apples. Its like comparing a new set of NGK spark plugs to a set of Denso plugs that have 120k miles on them, and then, based on those results, stating that NGK plugs are much better than Denso..

As for your choice, it makes total sense to me. If I had a choice of 2 batteries that were similar in price, and I want to be able to just get in my car and drive with 100% reliability every day, I would choose the one that had the best history of getting that done. Currently, that battery is the OEM one. A few years from now, the 2k1 battery could easily have proven itself, as I believe it is currently forging ahead in that direction.

 

From the my view as someone who has used both, I saw immediate advantages of 2k1Toaster's product.

1. Half the batteries, makes for easier replacement
2. Better airflow. This is fact, not speculation. 2k1Toaster's batteries respond to temp changes in seconds, where as my OEM ran hotter and required minutes to respond. If I did not use Hybrid Assistant to manually force cooling, they would run hot all the time. With the cylinder batteries, I don't need to run a smart app anymore. The improved airflow keeps them within a few degrees of ambient.
3. Cylinder batteries do not have to be compressed together in the re-assembly, shortening Installation
4. No vent tubing required, because the round batteries have better airflow around them. Again, shortens Installation.
5. 2k1Toaster provides new parts and harness,and a well written manual.

All it took was for me to believe in my DIY capabilities, and I had a new pack installed in a day. My OEM are mine to keep.

 

Don't sweat it.
You did fine buying an OEM battery.
Here's to another decade of Prius operation.

 

George, isn't this a photo of your battery? If so, what are those wires inside the circle?

 

Wiring for temperature sensors?

 

Yes, I'm just waiting for George to acknowledge if that is the case. Need to have a small discussion about heat transfer and fluid flow in regard to this..there's some conceptual error going on..

2. Better airflow. This is fact, not speculation. 2k1Toaster's batteries respond to temp changes in seconds, where as my OEM ran hotter and required minutes to respond. If I did not use Hybrid Assistant to manually force cooling, they would run hot all the time. With the cylinder batteries, I don't need to run a smart app anymore. The improved airflow keeps them within a few degrees of ambient.

I wonder what temperature an engine temp gauge would show if we were to take the coolant temperature sensor out of the coolant and mount it on the front bumper of the car?

Those mounting locations are basically the equivalent of mounting the sensors in the fan outlet duct (inlet duct to the battery).

 

The sensor wires are placed at the ends, and middle of the pack, near the centerline of the cell.. The tips of the sensor wires are held next to the cylinders by circular clips which are part of the kit supplied by 2k1Toaster. The circular clips are not visible from the camera side.

 

Congratulations on your OEM battery! I would do the same next time and my personal opinion is that there is no comparison between an OEM battery with aftermarket cells that consumers build themselves into a battery. The OEM battery has been tested in millions of vehicles for billions of miles and operating environments from 130 degree desert to -30 degrees temperatures.

Then factoring in they sell at the same price? Not a chance for me to try anything else than OEM Toyota. Truth is I have used aftermarket parts (not hybrid battery) in the past but only when price was half or less with similar specs.

 

they don't all sell at the same price, unfortunately

 

How the heck do I get an OEM battery???

 

amazing. things have really changed in the oem battery replacement department