Hi everyone. I have a 2006 Toyota prius with 250,000 miles on it. At 190,000 I had to replace the battery pack with a Dorman reman. Yesterday I get all the same symptoms that its going now to. red triangle light, engine light, cooler fan running in the back, battery bars going down to one then shooting way up and the engine speeding up. Is this common for the remans to go out within 60,000 miles? Luckily its still within two weeks of the 3 year warranty but I have to take it to the garage and get a code read printout for them to honor the warranty. Is there any better battery packs out there without spending 4,000 bucks from Toyota? Also should I sell this car as soon as I get the battery pack fixed. Body wise this car has no rust and I hate to get rid of ot but I am getting tired of dealing with the battery packs. any advice would be appreciated.
Take the free pack for now. There are alternatives to reman packs. Toyota Factory new, or 2k1toaster. Also rebuild yourself. Gen II Prius Individual Battery Module Replacement | PriusChat Toyota Parts Center Online | Genuine Toyota Parts & Accessories Prius Battery Replacement Kit (GenII/GenIII) with NEW custom cells | PriusChat
Te better alternative is the $1600 kit of new cells from @2k1Toaster . Link is in my signature. It basically gives you a new pack after it is installed.
Welcome to PriusChat!! If "better" is the operative word, then the answer might be no. Use the search feature (currently works again), and you will find options for purchasing new OEM batteries for half that price. Then you would self install, just like your Dorman product. If you want a hassle free long lasting battery that should last for 10 yrs (your original pack did) or longer, then a new OEM battery is the way to go. There are quality rebuilders out there, some ship and some don't, and others might physically deliver and install if nearby. Here is a respected retailer in TX that offers both new, and reconditioned batteries with free shipping (both ways) : Pricing | Hometown Hybrids Still unsure if you need a NEW or Reconditioned battery for an aging vehicle that you hate to get rid of? Here is a link : Which battery to pick | Texas Prius Battery Replacement that might help (thanks Matt @Texas Hybrid Batteries )
Here one of our hobbyists evaluated a failed Dorman pack. Excluding 2 bad modules he exercised the pack through 19 conditioning cycles before he was satisfied the module capacity was restored. That is a lot of time to do a good job. https://priuschat.com/threads/dorman-battery-experience.37446/page-15#post-2890533
If/when our 2005 dies, we will replace with genuine Toyota pack. Current MSRP is $1925 and can be found at a some dealers for $1600.
There's a lithium pack? Haven't looked into those at all. Is there a specific link you can refer me to that explains the upgrade?
@jacktheripper has a website with the product for sale at : https://projectlithium.com/ Below are some related threads. Try the 'advanced search' feature, and you can likely find the rest. Rainbow Prius Hybrid Powered by Lithium! | PriusChat Dr. Prius Packs Less Than A Year Away? | PriusChat NexPower NexCell LiFePo Battery Upgrade | PriusChat
So, you want to spend money maybe upwards of $2k instead of driving to the garage and getting a print out to get a free warranty repair and drive another 50k or more miles on it? Seems an obvious choice. Take the freebie and run. Other things will cost you money on the car soon enough, don’t sink thousand into it that you don’t have to.
The three choices for new are OEM, new cylindrical cells and new lithium cells. Price is very close $1600-$1950, on some you can sell the old cells, do less or more work. Insignificant differences. However, the best choice in my personal opinion is the Toyota OEM battery because not only you get a brand new case, proper nut torque settings, busburs, wiring, voltage and temperature sensors but it has been proven with billions of miles and longevity 13-16 years. Let’s talk in 10 years how the aftermarket cells are doing. Note that no one offers a similar to new car 10y/150k miles warranty on replacement new batteries or cells which is unfortunate.
