My gen 2 2005 Prius with 165K miles is discharging down to 1 bar after driving 45 miles on the freeway between 65-71 mph. It will struggle going up the inclines , but never charge the battery back up past 1 bar until I exit the freeway. Is this normal for a rebuilt battery? I tried 2 different battery packs and have the same documented results. This is normal driving to and from work. The car works fine when I get to the hills of Ramona and does not struggle at all( and that is a major elevation change)? The battery is close to fully charged after I get off the freeway and drive 2 miles to home. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated at this point. I do have a warranty with the battery but I am at a loss as the same events are happening with 2 different battery packs. Just frustrated? Thank you in advance
Whether it is normal for second-hand (aka reconditioned/rebuilt/remanufactured) batteries from the outfit from you purchased, it is hard to say, but it definitely not normal behavior for a battery is good working order. A good battery should operate in and around the 5-7 range, but this could vary if there is a steep climb or steep decent, for example. The more stories we see here of these re-whatever batteries, it is very hard to support the notion of going with a re-whatever.
This is normal for a dying battery. This is why I never recommend a refurb unless you like fixing the same thing over and over. Believe it or not, some people don't seem to mind.
Yea... Paying $200-$300 for diagnostic and module replacement a couple-few time over several years is much more affordable for most people's budgets than throwing down $2K all at one on new. Especially when it comes to Gen2 Prius owners who are obnoxiously frugal... I should, I am one.
It's hard to say... If you don't have any warning lights, I'd say it's a combination of driving conditions and your packs needing reconditioning as per info here: FAQ
