Needing a new HYBRID battery, best option?

newpriusbattery hands down, no question. Stay away from the other two.

Another option is an OEM new installed by your independent mechanic if you can get one at the $1688 price that some online Toyota dealers are doing.

 

Many mechanics will ignorantly label a perfectly good older hybrid battery as "dying." The real question is do you have proof of a failed cell? Any warning lights?

The main symptom of a so-called "dying" battery that hasn't thrown any error codes is simply that it only has 50% of it's original capacity due to poorly conducting crystallization inside the cells. This is normal in metal based batteries and you can restore your pack to 96% capacity by discharging and recharging to deeper and deeper levels, which breaks up all that crystallization. hybridautomotive.com sells the equipment you need to do this...

Symptoms of a still healthy hybrid battery pack that needs reconditioning are a sudden drop from all green bars down to two purple bars, as well as a rapid charge back up to green bars again.

Additionally, there's other issues with corrosion in: battery cooling fan circuit, bus bars and voltage sensors that are easily fix for a much lower price than replacing the whole pack... It's a total racket the way perfectly good older battery packs are being wastefully scrapped, simply because of the ignorance of the mechanics who are always learning more about how to fix engines but don't want anything to do with learning how to fix battery packs.

 

so far, nothing but good reports. all the best!

 

Anybody have any experience with the Maxx Volts grid charger currently on eBay - non-programmable for $300 or programmable for $400? Looks like he has done a lot of business on Honda Hybrids but does have some sales on Prius - am looking at the one for the Gen 2- my battery, at 220K miles is showing signs of quick discharge/recharge- it is colder and the battery has dipped to the purple but then goes back to the blue mid point in a mile or so. If I have a good downhill segment in my drive it goes all the way to green. I haven't had any red triangles yet though. This sounds like Prius Camper's mentioned symptoms. I am wondering if I should just focus on spending the $1600 and replacing the battery with a new set of cells from newpriusbatteries instead of trying a grid charger.

 

Does the newpriusbatteries company have stock now? That looked like a concern to me...

 

I've studied the specs of the Maxx Volts charger... if I remember correctly the main difference between that and a Prolong system is that it only supplies a constant 1/4 amp charge, whereas the Prolong system's charge rapidly fluctuates between .999 amps and .001amps as based on NiMH algorithm and sensor reading from the battery pack itself. I do like the wifi features for most expensive Maxx Volts systems, which would save a lot of time when it comes to checking in on the car regarding how things are going, but at that price point you'd be paying the same as Prolong, but without the more advance charging method.

I had the same symptoms in my car as you have in yours a year ago. But after reconditioning and eliminating corrosion it's been a year since those symptoms were a problem. I have way more power up hills and I never drop lower than 3 bars and that's only on the highest mountain pass on I-5 in southern Oregon.

And because you live in Everett and I'm in Olympia, maybe I can help you out? I only charge friends and PriusChat folks $40 an hour. I'd be happy to help you install a Prolong harness, loan a Prolong charger, or alternatively put a loaner pack in your car and do a full servicing and reconditioning of your existing pack... Send me a private message if you want more details.

 

@2k1Toaster can answer that definitively since it is his company.

I know when he first started it was so popular he kept running out of stock even when he increased his orders from China.
I have heard nothing but good things about this product, including from some f the Hybrid experts here.

 

Makes sense. Less packs, plus new, less to worry about. I may go that route if I have to replace the battery in the future. I don't want to deal with these heavy batteries much.

Last time I checked the website said expected 1/20. I noticed now it's moved up to 1/14....

moto g(7) power ?

 

The only real challenge is warranty / repair issues if you sell the car... A Toyota dealer is in every major city, newpriusbatteries is not... And Stealerships get really awful towards customers if the vehicle isn't 100% OEM.

 

I wonder, can newpriusbatteries pack in double the amount of cells and give us a double capacity battery option???

 

@2k1Toaster could answer that.

 

The cylindrical 'slice' already is the equivalent to 2 OEM 'blades', is why you get half as many.

I am a satisfied customer of 2K1Toaster.

 

I understand, but if he could stagger them (like how they package bottled water together) to pack more in, he could possibly give us double capacity, (same voltage, just put every pair in parallel, so 28 of his cylindrical units).

moto g(7) power ?

 

should just focus on spending the $1600 and replacing the battery with a new set of cells from newpriusbatteries instead of trying a grid charger.
YES

 

And what would limit the current to not overload the inverter??

 

V=IR, or rearranged I = V/R. The current is limited by the voltage and the resistance of the circuit. If a pair is is connected in parallel, the voltage is the same as running one. Resistance does not change as that is the circuit of the car. You haven't changed that either. It's like getting a larger 12 V car battery. If you can fit it it just has more capacity. It doesn't harm except it weighs more and is larger.

moto g(7) power ?