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Battery failures

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by KarenBez, Aug 9, 2009.

  1. KarenBez

    KarenBez New Member

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    I have a 2005 Prius with 34,000 miles. A few weeks after the 30,000 maintenance, the small regular car battery failed. Now 2 months later, the large hybrid battery has failed. Coincidence or could there be something wrong causing these failures?

    Thanks
     
    #1 KarenBez, Aug 9, 2009
  2. Ogo

    Ogo Prius Owner since 2008

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    Large hybrid battery failed? You have confirmed this or someone is fooling you around? :eek:

    As for the small 12 Volt battery, the time is now right - being 4 years old, to go bad. There are lots of discussions here on the Prius Chat regarding the latter and how to replace it cheaply and/or efficiently with better designs, like the one from Optima.

    As for the hybrid high voltage battery failure, 30.000 miles is definitely premature. In any case, should be handled inside 8 years of hybrid components warranty.

    Ogo
     
    #2 Ogo, Aug 9, 2009
  3. JimboK

    JimboK One owner, low mileage

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    I agree with Ogo in all regards: the 12V is about due to expire (I'll likely replace mine as a preventive maintenance measure before winter), the hybrid battery is not, and if it has it should be replaced under warranty. And I also wonder what led to your conclusion.
     
    #3 JimboK, Aug 9, 2009
  4. spitinuri

    spitinuri Member

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    This is very unusual. I assume that this is confirmed by a Toyota Certified Mechanic. If true it is a warranty issue and Toyota should replace it for free.
     
    #4 spitinuri, Aug 9, 2009
  5. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Karen, please let us know what diagnostic codes were found by the dealer.
     
    #5 richard schumacher, Aug 9, 2009
  6. KarenBez

    KarenBez New Member

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    The hybrid battery failure was diagnosed by the Toyota dealer repair shop. They have installed a new battery and I will pick it up today. I'll ask about diagnostic codes.

    It is covered by warranty so that's not a problem - it's just odd that both batterys failed in a relatively short time and that the hybrid battery failed at all.
     
    #6 KarenBez, Aug 10, 2009
  7. KarenBez

    KarenBez New Member

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    I spoke to the dealer and they gave the following diagnostic codes that they used:

    P0880
    C1241
    C1242
    P3000

    He also mentioned B2775
     
    #7 KarenBez, Aug 10, 2009
  8. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Hmm, they all indicate battery and voltage related problems. I can only guess at the ultimate cause. You may indeed have had a traction battery failure by sheer coincidence and bad luck, but at least in that case there should be no more trouble.

    Was the car ever in an accident, or driven after running out of gas?

    If there are ever any other problems without obvious causes I would suspect the inverter.
     
    #8 richard schumacher, Aug 12, 2009
  9. KarenBez

    KarenBez New Member

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    No accidents or driving after running out of gas. Thanks for the comments. If I have any other problems, I'll keep you posted.
     
    #9 KarenBez, Aug 12, 2009
  10. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Hi Karen,

    Thanks for providing this info. Can you pls look at your repair invoice and list the part numbers and descriptions of all replaced parts? I am wondering whether the traction battery ECU was replaced...

    Looks like you drive your car ~7K miles per year - do you drive the car daily; or do long periods of time pass when the car is not in use?

    Does your commute require significant elevation changes?

    Do you tend to have many short trips (say 3 miles or less)?
     
    #10 Patrick Wong, Aug 12, 2009
  11. a priori

    a priori Canonus Curiosus

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    Karen,

    Welcome to PriusChat!

    You've provided very valuable (and rare) data, and I appreciate that you've been so helpful in sharing the entire experience (including the diagnostics).

    Just as valuable to our community will be your continued involvement and periodic reporting on your car's performance. For instance, are you able to compare your fuel economy before and after the HV replacement? Can you (will you) notice other changes in performance -- on any measure you choose?
     
    #11 a priori, Aug 12, 2009
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