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Hybrid Traction Battery not recharging

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by RAG, May 13, 2023.

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  1. RAG

    RAG New Member

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    I have a 2008 Prius with 194,145 miles on it. I purchased it one year ago, May 2022 with 168,600 miles, one owner. I received from owner a 3 ring binder with all regular maintenance and repair receipts. The hybrid battery has never been replaced or reconditioned.

    I used to get 48 miles to the gallon but that has been reduced to 44 miles per gallon. And with the last fill up the other day, I only got 38 miles to the gallon.

    When I drive the car now the hybrid battery monitor recharges into the green color, however, it quickly diminishes to only a few bars of blue color and some times the bars moves to the lowest purple bars.
    I’ve attached a photo of the regeneration on my last 20 minute drive.
    Does this mean that the hybrid battery is not recharging?
    Do I need replacement or reconditioning?

    Attached Files:
     

    Attached Files:

    #1 RAG, May 13, 2023
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you can try reconditioning, but the problem is that it is expensive, and if it doesn't work, your left with the reconditioner and still have to buy a battery.
    if you want to keep the car, the best bet is a new oem battery from a dealer, or one from project lithium.
     
    #2 bisco, May 13, 2023
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  3. RAG

    RAG New Member

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    Would you say that I am correct that my hybrid battery is not recharging? I wrote that the energy monitor does not stay registered in the green and moves quite suddenly to the lower blue lines. IMG_0278.jpeg

    Also is the photo of the consumption screen an indication that the battery is not regenerating? Should I take the car to Toyota to have them scan for the problem?

    My spouse does repairs and normal maintenance on my car but he is not familiar, nor am I familiar with this situation involving a hybrid battery.
     
    #3 RAG, May 14, 2023
  4. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    The two and a half little cars (50 watthours per car) show that you regenerated 125 Wh in the last 15 minutes.
     
    #4 ChapmanF, May 14, 2023
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    it may be that the battery is working but weak. prior to getting a bad battery trouble light on the dash, some report the wildly swinging gauge from full to empty to full etc. this is an indication that capacity is low, and it charges and discharges quickly due to the low capacity.

    as long as you don't have a trouble light, it is still working within specs, but may be the cause of the low mpg's, or it may be something like a dragging brake.
     
    #5 bisco, May 14, 2023
  6. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    It wouldn't be a terrible idea to check the 12V battery too. A bad 12V can have a surprisingly large affect on MPG.

    (Which isn't to say that you don't also have a weak pack!)
     
    #6 pasadena_commut, May 14, 2023
  7. priusrecon

    priusrecon Member

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    The screen you're showing doesn't tell much other than your mpg history over the last 30 minutes. It's not a great indicator of your traction battery health. Your SOC meter swing is more indicative.
    Mine, when healthy, rarely strays higher than 1 green bar above blue (or 7 bars from bottom to top), or lower than 5 blue bars. It started swinging years back, and I had to replace battery modules to fix it.
    BTW, 45 mpg averaged over 216 miles is actually not a bad average for many people.
    As far as the number of green cars shown, I haven't seen any of those on mine for awhile, forgot they were even there.... yet my ODB scangage always shows my traction battery regen charging amps as being very healthy. Not sure if that's something to worry about, could be just the display function is bad.
    Others with more expertise could probably fill in on that however....
     
    #7 priusrecon, May 14, 2023
    Last edited: May 14, 2023
  8. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Have the spouse cobble together a DIY high voltage 'grid charger' and top balance the HV battery, which is the first step in reconditioning.

    When was the last time someone cleaned up the HV battery fan?
     
    #8 SFO, May 15, 2023
  9. RAG

    RAG New Member

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    Started car last night 8 pm to see monitor which had 4 blue bars. 16 hrs later 3 pm today it did not start. Jump started with 12V battery. Drove for 1/2 hour which took monitor to full green bars but immediately dropped back down to 4 blue bars.

    Did check HV battery fan 6-8 months ago and it was clean.
    Will have spouse do suggestion above. Have to research what it means to:
    “Get a high voltage ‘grid charger’ and top balance the HV battery.”

    Thanks for all comments. My spouse’s hobby and expertise is older MB gas and diesel engines. So not familiar with hybrid system. Not yet, anyway!
     
    #9 RAG, May 15, 2023
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    hybridautomotive.com prolong grid charger
     
    #10 bisco, May 16, 2023
  11. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    The little cars are worth 50 watthours each. So, 25 Wh to earn half a car.

    The bars on the bar graph are 5 minutes wide. So, you could have been regenerating 24 watthours every five minutes for the last half hour, and there wouldn't be any little cars.

    You generally see them when there's been some unusually strong regeneration within a given five minute period.
     
    #11 ChapmanF, May 16, 2023
  12. pasadena_commut

    pasadena_commut Senior Member

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    Unusual??? I see the little cars all the time. Most of my driving is in a suburban environment, with lots of stops for lights. Rarely more than a minute or two without a stop. The only driving environment for me where the little cars are uncommon is when driving for a long period on a straight flat mostly empty highway using just the cruise control. The most little cars I ever saw was from a long moderately steep sloping descent with cruise control on, immediately following a steep climb. I don't recall how many cars it was, but the bar was at 99 MPG (didn't touch the accelerator or brake once in that period).
     
    #12 pasadena_commut, May 17, 2023
  13. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    This wiki below is a start, but you can also use the advanced search feature.

    DiY Grid Charger | PriusChat
     
    #13 SFO, May 18, 2023
  14. RAG

    RAG New Member

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    I have not had a trouble light for the lithium battery. And I do not have a dragging brake. So over these months the car has been starting and operating.
    However, my car did not start yesterday and the 12V battery was reading low. We have replaced the 12V battery but it still does not start. The instrument panel does not light up and the amber/orange light does not light up on the start button. Any suggestions on how to diagnose this problem?
     
    #14 RAG, Aug 1, 2023
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    Check the voltage at the jump point under the hood.
    That will tell you if the connections are good.
    Maybe a fuse?
     
    #15 bisco, Aug 1, 2023
  16. RAG

    RAG New Member

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    Che led the voltage under hood and it’s good 12.48. Checking fuses now. The only lights that appear on the dash are the open door icon and
    I have checked the voltage and it is good 12.48. The brake lights work, the headlights work including high beam. The key opens and closes the doors.
    The lights on the dash that light up:
    -Door open notification warning
    - the blinking “car and key” icon
    - a light bulb icon
    - high beam icon
    - Plus, there is a “lights on” sound warning
    The power button light DOES NOT go when brake is pressed and when try to start car.
    We are checking fuses. Any other suggestions or which fuses to check?
     
    #16 RAG, Aug 1, 2023
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  17. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Check all of them – remove one, check it, if good reinstate it; if bad replace with same value quality fuse and reinstate it, repeat until all are checked.
     
    #17 dolj, Aug 1, 2023
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  18. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    The AM2 fuse in the underhood fuseblock. Very common for the inverter coolant pump to fail and blow that fuse - which prevents the car from turning on.

    If that fuse is bad, unplug the inverter pump before putting in a new fuse. You can operate the car for a (short) while without the pump. "We" recommend getting a replacement pump from Toyota.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #18 mr_guy_mann, Aug 1, 2023
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  19. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    In case someone needs this for reference :

    [​IMG]
     
    #19 SFO, Aug 3, 2023
  20. RAG

    RAG New Member

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    I completely forgot to write a response to your repair instructions. Thank you for this information back in August 2023.
    We did take out the AM2 fuse then disconnected the inverter water pump, put in a new inverter water pump and then put in a new AM2 fuse. And the car started and ran like a charm, although gas mileage is down to 42mpg.
    Someone in the chat wrote somewhere that the water pump usually needs to be changed at 100,000 miles…it was recommended to the previous owner in June 2021 at 167,000 miles but the previous owner declined.
    So the mileage was almost 200,000 miles when we replaced the inverter water pump. it has been working ever since until a new problem last night.

    Last night I had my car turned off but left the interior overhead lights were on for about 15 minutes plus for some unknown reason I had my foot on the brake the whole time.
    Then the car would not restart. Tow truck tried to jumpstart both front battery and then from the 12 V back battery. The back 12 V battery only registered 12.3. Had to be towed home.

    All of the lights work, headlights, tail lights, signals, key fob locks doors but the dash lights do not come on and the power button does not light up.
    Any suggestions of where to start to look at the problem?
     
    #20 RAG, Dec 19, 2023
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