P3024 6 months after NewPriusBatteries.com Battery

You see that red color on block 14 internal resistance? Not to mention the large variations of 26 to 33. That's ridiculous. They should be within one number of each other. Perhaps the problem is merely high resistance connections during assembly?
Did you use a torque wrench for all the fasteners or "feels right"?

 

is everything torqued properly?

 

i suspect new nuts and proper torquing will eliminate the need to ever open it again

 

Not a lot of people keep a 1/4" drive inch pound torque wrench in the toolbox. Most have to go purchase one once they start messing with HV batteries. Remember, that's 48 inch pounds (only 4 foot-pounds). If you used it, I'm pretty confident you'd remember.

 

yeah, that doesn't look good. did you soak them in vinegar?

 

The nuts are a common M5, normal thread pitch, 0.8mm if I remember correctly. Should be available in stainless steel at any hardware store or MSC (very inexpensive at MSC). I usually keep a few hundred in the garage.

I guess MSC doesn't stock the SS ones now, but here's the part number for zinc coated steel. 100 pack for less than 10 bucks.

70926258

 

The most important thing to remember is 48 INCH pounds. If the TW you're using has a 3/8" drive, it is NOT inch pounds. I know I'm repeating myself, but I've seen too many batteries destroyed by guys going ape on that poor little stud trying to twist it to 48 ft-lb by accident. They typically shear off around 8-9 ft-lb when no busbar is connected. Not sure at what point they break when linked, but they do...

 

Ugh, sorry you’re having to deal with the extra stress. It part of why I finally decided going w an OEM unit. (Not being judgmental, just relating to having to make that decision)

I am definitely not regretting my choice to spend $99 more to buy the OEM battery (after never getting a response back from the guys you bought yours from) that I installed this weekend…other than the fact Tustin Toyota didn’t know how to reimburse the $1,300 core charge when I tried to return it 24 hours after picking up the OEM replacement*. “The internet refund guy is off until Tuesday, but you can leave the core here if you want…” Sure, Jan.

So I’ve been driving around with the huge box in the back all weekend hoping I get my core charge back, so you’re ahead of the game regarding this stressy situation! Good luck, hope it’s something simple to get yours into action.

*I can confirm, for anybody reading this who’s trying to decide which to get, that it is 100% possible to pick up the new OEM battery/swap out parts/install new one into car and return core within 24 hours, even if you’ve never done it before. It does take mechanical aptitude, of course, especially since THERE ARE NO INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED.

 

Great effort, sir.

The instructions are in the repair manual and other background and training info can be found with a short duration TIS subscription.

 

I’d second that.

 

oem is great if you can pick one up sub 2k. newpriusbatteries at $1,600. is a good deal, and not as fussy as some make it out to be.
both require care and diligence

 

Just to keep it apples to apples for price comparison, whatever you paid for the pack you had to pay taxes also, so I seriously doubt it was only $99 more for OEM since NPB is tax inclusive. Also, when you return the core CA does not return the taxes you had to pay on the core charge. Crazy... but that's California for you. When CA first passed that law, which I wasn't aware of, I was shocked the core taxes did not get returned to me when I returned some replacement hubs. Total money grab by the state.

So if you paid $99 more for OEM over NPB that means you paid $1699 for the pack and paid 131.67 in tax (Irvine is 7.75% tax rate) and you pay $100.75 for the core tax. So an additional $232.42 in taxes. So with the $1699 and 232.42 that's $1931.42 total for the pack.

Still a very good deal for an OEM pack and the reliability should be great, but just adding the numbers up for clarity.

 

I had the luxury of time pondering the options because my car worked fine other than in mountains (where I will be driving a lot very soon. I considered everything I saw for months while watching the price of the OEM fluctuated between $1699-$3200. It has been stable at $1699 for a while now here at Tustin Toyota. Could change tomorrow.

I really liked the NPB units @$1600. If they’d been in stock at any point when I checked, I very well might have bought one! I have good thought about them. Also I’m glad I made the choice I did. It went smoothly.

 

I received the entire $1350 core charge back, don’t remember any tax charged. Probably because I bought it on the internet. For real…there was a comment about ‘internet tax free sale’ on the invoice. I didn’t think about it, other than what a strange phrase it was and a fleeting thought they forgot to charge me any tax at all. lol. I think. Ugh.

How does NPB get around charging sales tax in CA?

 

I would imagine the same way the your dealer did and paid the tax. At least in CA someone's gonna pay the tax and the state is happy with whoever pays it. There are quite a few business that have "No sales tax" sales, which is really a 7.75% discount in your case. Even NPB has to pay the tax to CA for internet sales, CA is pretty strict about all internet sales.

Yeah NPB can be hard to get and the communication isn't always the best. But a new pack makes a big difference in the way the car drives, at least it did with mine. I didn't realize how tired my old pack was getting until I put in the new one. Really worth it.

 

If you measured it, I wonder
What did your Dr Prius data look like before you swapped the battery? What was IR and cell voltages? Also did mpg change?
My 2007 original battery is still working fine at nearly 200k but I don’t do mountain driving. I curious what your stats were before and after.