I’ve got a 2005 with 250k miles still running the factory battery. It gets 42 mpg on the dash readout and I’ve read on here that it should be bumping 50. My math tells me that the extra 5 mpg won’t be enough to justify the cost. Today I started wondering if the slightly weak hybrid battery is putting more stress on the engine. What all should I consider when deciding to replace it or not?
Really, the only consideration I have is if (when) the battery starts "acting up". Dashboard warning lights, rapid increase & decrease on the battery gauge, big drop in mpg (by 10-15 MPG or more), engine "revving much higher". All of these are common symptoms when the hybrid battery is failing. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
I’ve got none of those symptoms, just the slightly lower fuel economy. Occasionally I’ll have a tank that averages 39 mpg (about every 4th or 5th tank).
