HV battery Dead on 2006 Prius HELP!

Good luck Sheri. +1 on Jeff's advice.

 

Sheri, go ahead and replace that battery with one from a salvage yard. Look on Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market for one at a yard near you. The hardest part about replacing it is removing the trim without breaking it. The dismantling guide is about the best description of removal, albeit there is no need to remove the back seat bottom. Try to find an independent Toyota mechanic to do the job for you. I quote $160 to do it around here if someone brings me a battery -- but I keep the core.

http://www.eaa-phev.org/images/d/df/Priusdisman.pdf

 

Sheri, did you manage to charge the battery full? All grn. bars? H

 

I'd drive it to whoever will do a swap

 

Hi Sherri. As long as the car is drivable then it shouldn't hurt anything (other than the battery itself) to drive it somewhere to get it fixed. Just try to plan a route that is not over any mountains or very large hills and perhaps try to arrange it so the drive will be during quiet traffic times.

Try to drive it easy and in ways that reduce it's need to heavily use the traction battery. Use the following tips to achieve this:

1. Pre-warm the car in "P" for at least 80 seconds (or until the ICE cuts out) before you drive.

2. Avoid large hills if possible, and try to get a "run up" at them when you can't avoid them. (Don't use cruise control).

3. Try to drive at a steady speed. Not too fast and don't try for rapid acceleration or deceleration.

 

Hi Sherri. I did a search and it explains how to in the thread called - Is Something Wrong With My Traction Battery? Posted Dec. 9 2009. Here is how it is explained in that post. Warm up the engine first. Press the brake pedal firmly and floor the gas. Don't be afraid to floor it as the ECU will actually take care of the ICE and will regulate the torque in order to produce the desired charging current. Hold it in that state until you reach full SOC. I believe all grn. bars. It will take 2 to 3 min for this process. Good luck, Hal

 

Yes these type of problems can be frustrating. It does sound like you have a dead cell. Have you checked with Re-involt .com? They repair packs. One member purchased a re-built from re-involt and had his Toyota dealer install it.I believe it set him back $2000 in all. You could try and purchase one from a wreck as well. Hard to find as they are watched for! H

 

Worst thing you could have done Sherri. Trying to force charge a dieing battery to full SOC will inevitably result in much of that energy ending up as just internal heat, not what you want to do to an already ailing pack.

What you want to do is exactly the opposite, drive it in such a way so as to minimize the current (both in and out) of the battery. The tips I gave in the previous post were designed to do exactly this.

 

uart on occasion some have lucked out and in fact the force charge actually balanced the pack! Some folks with HCH2 are doing this and having some success. H

 

Sherri,
I live in the Ft Worth area as well and I do not know of anyone specifically to send you to but, you might give a few of the Independent shops a call and just ask if they have any experience with the Prius Traction battery. It may just be a matter of them having mechanics trained for the work but not having the customers because everyone goes to the dealership. You never know you might just be the catalyst to start a relationship between the local shop and Re-involt. Give these guys a try it might be worth the call:

In Grapevine: About Us | Import Car Center | Import Auto Repair Grapevine TX | Serving Dallas Fort Worth
In Ft Worth(downtown): untitled

Re-Involt has this on their site:
We are in the process of training installers all across the US and Canada to handle the diagnostics and installation of your hybrid vehicle's battery pack. Call us if you need an installer in an area not listed on our site.
919-774-3332 Monday-Friday, 7am-5pm EST.

 

I just found this one...
HYBRID SPECIALISTS INC.
4916 OLD BENBROOK RD
Fort Worth, TX 76116
(817) 738-0045

 

There is a place NEAR Fort Worth that works on hybrids. TLS Automotive (Toyota Lexus Scion) has a father and son Toyota Trained (including the Prius) staff. Its truly the father and son who run the shop and work on the cars. Great being able to talk directly too them. They've done minor stuff on my car (water pump replacement, serpentine belt and trans fluid). but it's been fast and economical. Give them a call and tell them Darren Byrd sent you!

Lexus, Toyota, Scion Auto Repair Euless, Arlington, Colleyville, Grapevine, Southlake

 

I'm telling you Sherri, replace the one bad cell and save yourself some big $$$$$$$. It can't hurt to try. Your total investment will be about $40 (and time). And...... who knows, it may last a long time. Then you'll be saying "Thank you usnavystgc, thank you" lol .