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Still getting P0A80, removed pack, and saw corrosion I had never noticed....

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by bbellgrl, Oct 16, 2024.

  1. bbellgrl

    bbellgrl Junior Member

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    I just pulled my pack for the fourth time, as I'm determined to figure out what's going on before dropping at least $1k on another pack. This time, I noticed corrosion on many of the connections. I assume the corrosion has been there all along, and maybe I just had not noticed it (my eyes aren't great). So now I'm wondering if this corrosion is causing my problems....

    Should I:
    1) clean it all up and reuse the harnesses or replace the harnesses? I could by them from eBay or try OEM...
    3) keep or replace the copper bus bars that I have already cleaned with vinegar and baking soda?

    On the heavier main supply wire, I'm concerned that the corrosion has gotten underneath the insulation. I see no corrosion on the other ends of these wires in the harness plugs/receptacles.

    Thanks.

    IMG_3612 copy.jpg IMG_3614 copy.jpg IMG_3613 copy.jpg IMG_3615 copy.jpg
     
    #1 bbellgrl, Oct 16, 2024
  2. ttou68

    ttou68 Active Member

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    Have you checked voltage difference of each battery pack?
    Check control module for corrosion..

    Use a voltage meter to check continuity when tracing each wire, and I have had success cleaning busbars , and also purchased replacement busbars as well.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #2 ttou68, Oct 16, 2024
  3. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    If you don't have the charging and discharging capability to revitalize the individual modules or however you do it then you're missing a vital step I've seen several of my battery packs run fine even with some of the copper wiring that had been heat cycle several times and was now more of a black color the ohms per foot or whatever ratings that generally apply to wire and all seem to be within reason and I have hundreds of these other wires just laying here from packs that I've disassembled in various states of age and disrepair there's a couple of wires that seem to get black these are orange that seem to turn black from the copper color they were but still work fine some even have green corrosion on the end where the angled fitting is to bolt up to the module Just light cleaning and whatnot seem to work fine it's your bus bars nuts those are critical areas they need to be clean tumbled washed reused I use an anti-corrosion spray front and back and after I torque the nuts etc every few months or at least once a year I lift the hood on the side of the battery and looking there with a flashlight and see my anti-corrosion stuff is still there things are looking good on the MFD and the energy mode and we just drive the heck out of the car Don't leave them sitting make sure somebody's going somewhere almost everyday and pretty much no problems I do not have hobby chargers in the setup to reflash or revitalize modules either My battery guy usually hands me a rack of whatever it is 28 modules squeezed up for about 400 bucks ready to go so far it's been a very reasonable deal He's a good guy and does good work.
     
    #3 Tombukt2, Oct 16, 2024
  4. bbellgrl

    bbellgrl Junior Member

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    I forgot to mention that I have been through months of reconditioning my modules using an R/C charger (I made a few posts about that process). I'm still having some voltage loss in a few blocks. Removed the pack again yesterday and noticed the corrosion. Now I'm going to test voltage in each module and try to rebalance and see where that takes me. I'm also going to test the continuity of the wires to see if the corrosion has affected anything (thanks @ttou68 ). I posted the pics to see if anyone thought the corrosion might be bad enough to have to replace the wires, or if it could be causing my voltage loss under load.
     
    #4 bbellgrl, Oct 16, 2024
  5. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    I would use a capable scantool to see if there was any freezeframe data for the P0A80 - that would likely show you what block the ecu didn't like.

    Otherwise, I would use Dr Prius to monitor block voltages while driving the car. If a block is "unusually" high or low compared to the rest, then you should see that as well. Then you know where to focus.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #5 mr_guy_mann, Oct 16, 2024
  6. bbellgrl

    bbellgrl Junior Member

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    Monitoring with Hybrid Assistant, I saw a problem with a sudden voltage drop in block 2, so I replaced both modules there. After the replacement, Hybrid Assistant showed the same kind of sudden voltage drop in block 1. And my most recent scan with Techstream shows the voltage in blocks 1, 4, and 8 to be out of spec. (you can see the higher voltage in the newly replaced block 2 - maybe it's too high compared to the others?)

    I rebalanced after the block 2 replacement but looking at these varied voltage numbers, maybe i didn't do it for long enough?

    IMG_3455 copy.jpg
     
    #6 bbellgrl, Oct 16, 2024
  7. Tynyyn

    Tynyyn Member

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    I just installed 28 modules into my Prius today. Once I pulled the black covers off the wire attachment points I was very disappointed at how much green/blue crud was on the copper plates. Yours looks positively golden compared to what mine was. I took all the nuts off and the copper plates out of the orange holders and used a wire wheel on a grinder to brush the copper plates and nuts to like new condition. I feel this is necessary to get the best contact between all necessary electrical components. It took a few HOURS to get all the nuts and plates wire wheeled, so if you go in that direction be forewarned.
     
    #7 Tynyyn, Oct 16, 2024
  8. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    You have a failed cell in block 8. The other two blocks may have problems also, but fix the obvious first. And that is Block 8.
     
    #8 TMR-JWAP, Oct 16, 2024
    Brian1954 likes this.
  9. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    It takes 10 seconds to dip them in muriatic acid. It's available at any home store like lowes or home depot or hardware stores. It's also used to etch concrete prior to painting or coating. Does not affect copper, but eats everything on it.
     
    #9 TMR-JWAP, Oct 16, 2024
  10. bbellgrl

    bbellgrl Junior Member

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    Thank you. I am fine buying a few more refurbished cells to replace both in block 8. But as someone in one of my previous threads mentioned, it's likely I'll have to keep playing "whack-a-mole" with this, as once block 8 is fixed, another block will then be the lowest voltage block and I'll have to keep going till I end up replacing all the blocks. At ~$35 per module, it's not terrible to buy some more, but if I end up not fixing this thing with replacement modules, I feel like I'lll have to end up buying a completely new pack anyway for ~$950. So maybe i should just cut my losses...
     
    #10 bbellgrl, Oct 17, 2024
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2024
  11. bbellgrl

    bbellgrl Junior Member

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    Since the pack is out of the car, I was going to rebalance it, but before doing so, I just checked voltages to see if they align with what TechStream was showing in the image I posted previously. Block 8 doesn't look terrible here, but I guess when it's under load installed in the car it's not performing well.

    Could the higher voltage of the new modules in block 2 be causing a voltage differential problem?

    Screenshot 2024-10-17 at 12.35.51 AM.png
     
    #11 bbellgrl, Oct 17, 2024
  12. bbellgrl

    bbellgrl Junior Member

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    Here's another look at my cells and their current voltage as they sit out of the car (note that i balanced for 48 hours previously before reinstalling the pack and finding a red triangle). I think it's time to buy a few more refurb modules. Not sure how many to buy though. Thinking I will replace modules 6, 7, and 21. And while I'm at it, why not also replace 1, 14, and 28? Worth it?


    Screenshot 2024-10-21 at 3.15.46 PM.png
     
    #12 bbellgrl, Oct 21, 2024
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