Dealer wants to replace both auxiliary and hybrid batteries

I have 2001 prius with 150k miles on it. There was a period of about fifteen days where it was only driven for two days in the middle of it. At end the is when the hybrid system light came on. We drove it for another fifty miles and the car was driving fine. We took it to a non Toyota dealer mechanic and he said he could not find anything wrong with it. On the way home the car seemed like the power almost turned off and many lights went off in the dashboard and the car did not seem to be driving normal. I pulled over and restarted the car and it ran fine never to happen again.

Looking online, I thought perhaps the auxiliary battery maybe bad and thought it could be cheap fix. I took it to Autozone and they were unfamiliar with the battery type but tested and told me it looked ok but it was only 45% charged. However, they were unsure if this number was accurate.

I took it the dealer and had no other driving issues. They told me I need to replace both the auxiliary and hybrid battery. Cost is $3600. I am looking for an alternative that is cheaper. I found people who can rebuild it for a lot cheaper but I am trying to figure out if both need to be really replaced. I will be picking up my car today from dealer and can ask for the diagnostic code if that helps.

Thanks!

 

The check engine light is on and has been for several months. We had that checked out at that time and apparently it pointed to the evap canister. The codes at that time were p0422, p0440, p0441, p0446, p3191. Though they did not tell me what the last code was for.

The hybrid check and check engine light are always on.

I do not think I can watch the energy display as it is stuck on the warning display with hybrid light in. Can take a picture of it if you like.

I have not noticed the battery go from full to low but it is my wife's car and I am really not sure if that does happen. Is there I can check it now?

I just picked up the car. The diagnostic code they told me they found was p3018. I am not sure if there were other codes because the service guy I was working there was off and all I got was the paper work. It also seems like they incidentally found the auxiliary battery to be low during the "Courtesy Multipoint Inspection."

As far as changing it myself, I think I could do it. I watched some videos and does not seem to be that difficult.

Where can I find an auxiliary battery if that is the low hanging fruit? Dealer quoted price of $430 with half hour of labor which seems high as it took me five minutes to get it in and out.

 

Thanks Patrick. The battery is definitely older than four years. I am not near the car anymore to be able to tell if it is an original. Will give it a switch as it seems reasonably priced.

As for P3018/HV battery issue, is there a problem if I wait on it? Other than performance issue, could I possibly make the situation worse? My commute is only about 3 miles each way.

As far as fixing it, what are my options? I could re-build it or have it rebuilt and that seems to be cheaper. However, from what it seems like the life of these can vary? If were to buy a professionally re-built battery like (dormanhybrid) then they come with a longer warranty and likely have a longer life?

 

Thanks.

Would you happen to know how easy it is to do the rebuilding battery part if I were to do it on my own or hire someone to do it rather buying a "new" battery. Found people willing to do it for under $1000. There are also guides online that you can buy for less than $100 that claim you can do it yourself for $500. Seems sketchy?

 

Alex, any online guides you recommend for fixing it myself?

 

Pretty decent guide for DYI guys. Installing a Prius HV Battery

Anyone know someone who can rebuild a HV battery in the San Francisco area?

 

Took back to dealer to get the hv battery replaced. They want to also replace the cables and said it could damage the new battery if not replaced. Any advice? Is it easy to do on my own as they want 400 to replace three cables

 

They said the cables are corroded. The car is at the dealer. I guess I could get pictures. Is it typical for these cables to corrode and affect the performance of the hybrid system?