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Help With HV Traction Battery - Voltage(s)

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by chris14020, Mar 21, 2018.

  1. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Since you're already getting codes that indicate low voltage in the battery and what happened to the car is likely to have drained the battery, the last thing you want to do is drain it more.

    See what you get with Techstream. I suspect it will also show low voltages. In that case, you need some help from someone with experience charging lithium batteries. There is not yet a turnkey setup for doing that, but I remember @jeff652 saying he was pondering it.

    As previously mentioned, you'd need to be extremely careful about heat and current, plus getting them all charged evenly. The Prolong charger only pumps out a third of an amp for the NiMH batteries, to give a rough idea of what's involved.

    If that's actually what it needs.
     
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  2. Dxta

    Dxta Senior Member

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    Yeah, I know its different. The pictures above are for illustrative purposes. But I bet you, the technology is still same. Difference might be the lithium ion pack.
     
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  3. 4est

    4est Active Member

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  4. Yea Right

    Yea Right Active Member

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  5. 4est

    4est Active Member

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    No
    It's a offline copy of the toyota paid service documentation
     
  6. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Sometimes I can't help myself. ;) :LOL:

    Screen Shot 2018-03-24 at 8.04.12 AM.png
    LMGTFY
     
  7. chris14020

    chris14020 Junior Member

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    Jerry, that's not a PDF, it is rather an ISO containing a series of directories that constitute a ripped version of the online Toyota website -- consisting of html files.

    YeaRight, I appreciate you digging that out, but another kind member had privately messaged me that when I first ended up here. :) It has been helpful so far, but I think I will have to wait for my Techstream to make any real headway. It should be here today or tomorrow.
    I may have purchased an 'alternatively sourced' MVCI connector and obtained some software in the same manner.

    As for the batteries, I have been charging them outside in the below-freezing weather (I live near Buffalo, so it's rarely above 32 degrees here this time of year) and using a 2 amp max 'smart' trickle charger. It takes them from what they were at to 3.62v in about 30-45 minutes it would seem.

    I did use an ELM327-based reader and wiped the codes. For a brief moment, before going back to the 'aw sh-t it's broken' state, I got a display. I also got a few new codes, or at least new to me. Concerning codes, but still more than I had.

    At this point, I'd like to review anything I'm not 100 percent sure of, just to see if I can't find a stupid mistake I might have made. Pardon any stupid questions from here out.

    I have a few pictures to play with, just to give you an idea of what I've got so far. Here are some images (also hosted at imgur)


    Description:
    1.) The battery before I went to charge it. I did disconnect all cables to avoid potential for damaging electronics (seemed smart at the time, hope I put 'em all back right)
    2.) This connector is in the engine bay, near the rear of the engine bay/firewall, lower in the bay than higher. Does this look familiar to anyone? It is connected to nothing, and I cannot seem to find a place for it. It wouldn't be the first time I've seen unused connectors, but I want to be sure.
    3.) This is what appears to me as a ground for the fuse block here. I almost wonder if I don't have ground issues, so can anyone verify where exactly this is supposed to attach originally?
    4.) This shows where it is currently attached, it seems to be attached to the lower portion of the inverter. I don't know that it's not supposed to be attached elsewhere, I could not find anywhere on where exactly it goes so I just placed it where it 'seemed to go' based on bends and where it'd fit.
    5/6.)This is one of the connectors on the inverter. It goes to the location marked in 6, at least on mine. Can anyone confirm that the middle connector is supposed to go to the transmission near where the engine and transmission meet? It should be another thing you'd just have to follow the wire for.
    7/8.) This is the vehicle when normally trying to start, versus the vehicle momentarily when clearing the codes. I snapped this before it threw the warning check hybrid system thing back up.
    9-13.) These are codes obtained after erasing the codes at different times, the android screenshots are via Torque and the ELM327 adapter, the last one is done with a Snap-On Modis in Global OBDII mode.

    I appreciate you guys helping me out here, I only have 'til Friday to try and reach some resolution so I'm really burning my mind here trying. After that, she's apparently just going to take it to Toyota to sort out. Not the end of the world, but I'd prefer to get it running for her than not. Thank you!
     

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  8. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    I was sure my tease was in response to a question asking "What is a PDF." :whistle::)

    Mine is the same.

    Yes, my center cable goes to the transaxle just below what looks like a radiator hose.

    Not sure about the others as I have to get back to work. ;)
     
  9. chris14020

    chris14020 Junior Member

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    No problem, I appreciate all the help you've provided already -- just knowing that the grounding and inverter connections are right is very appreciated. And sorry re: the pdf thing, I suppose I missed the joke. I do that sometimes.
     
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  10. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    That's cool. My sarcasm often gets me in trouble. Especially with my wife. :ROFLMAO:

    I know what it's like when you've got something "new-to-you" that's not right, but you don't have something normal available to compare to.
     
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  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i should have been the one asking what a pdf is.:oops:
     
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  12. fatfash

    fatfash Junior Member

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    having the same issue with mine, car runs and drive before handed over to the body shop only to be told that it won't start. The codes I got with launch tool is similar.
     
  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome!
    check the 12v health.
     
  14. fatfash

    fatfash Junior Member

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    I already replaced it with optima battery but still the same. I have couple of low cells when diagnosed but still can't believe the cells should be replaced just like that as suggested by some post I have read
     
  15. 4est

    4est Active Member

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    Measure the cells voltage under some lead
     
  16. fatfash

    fatfash Junior Member

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    Do you mean with multimeter? and does it require me to access the HV batteries
     
  17. 4est

    4est Active Member

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    Yes and yes.
     
  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    tell us about your accident, and the history of the car, how many miles?
     
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  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    with tech stream, you could drive the car to put a load on the battery and get a printout.
     
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  20. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

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    Won't the lead short out the terminals? :eek: ;)