"it's the tranny. $4,800 bucks".

How much did you pay for the good battery? Obviously, on the bad one, $150 is about the floor price level, since, from what I have heard, $150 is about the max that a yard can expect to get if they work with a dealer to get it recycled. The average repair shop wouldn't want it, since the battery string would need to be removed and installed into a different enclosure.

Having dealt with a lot of technical issues on the Prius and Insight, I see a growing need for hybrid automotive specialization, like repair shops such as Luscious, Art's, Taylor, etc, and dismantlers that at least mention a hybrid focus: AutoBeYours, Adopt A Part, and XVipers. One thing that sticks out with hybrids, many people buy them because they put tons of mileage on cars. This market segment is more reluctant to run to their dealer and pay through the nose for new parts. There is value in being able to call someone who deals specifically in hybrid parts and get the top grade part you need. While I do hope that the average salvage yard gets more familiar with hybrid-specific issues, I think that the guys already out there are well-positioned to fulfill demand that will only increase with time.

Shipping costs for a single battery aren't too bad, about $125 to send an empty crate and have it returned.

 

We were heading out for a weekend trip to Natural Bridge State Part on Friday when I turned on the Prius and the engine sounded like a jet engine and vibrating badly. I revved it up and seemed to have power. I did notice that the graphic on the dash was not showing the engine running and the main batteries were very low and not showing being charged. Not sure if that happens in park or not, but seems like it should show the engine running and the batteries being charged if necessary. Anyway we moved the bikes over to the Infiniti and went on our trip. It is Sunday at the Lodge and I'm looking for some answers on here. I will talk with Toyota service tomorrow morning and see how to proceed. I don't understand how it can be the transaxle if the car is in park. I did check the engine oil since it seemed to be engine noise and vibration. It seems a little high on the dipstick. We had the oil changed a few weeks ago at the Acura dealer where we bought it. Maybe they didn't know what they were doing and overfilled it. We will see and I will post back here with results. Hopefully Toyota or Acura will be paying for this repair. I have an '08 Prius with 61K. We bought it back in Jan 2012.

Thanks in advance for any input or suggestions,
Dave

 

I can't see any real reason that you would assume that it's the transmission at this stage Dave. You should definitely check your 12V battery and set the oil level right as the first steps. (Exactly how far over full is it).​

 

No triangle warning? It could be a mechanical failure inside the transaxle. The first thing to do is pull the drain plug on the transaxle and see if there are large chunks of metal. If it is the transaxle, then replace it with a salvage one, it will be a couple thousand $$$ cheaper.

See

Transaxle Failure: no ICE, no codes, no go. | PriusChat

and

Luscious Garage | Blog | Gen 2 Prius (2004-2009) Transmission Failure, P0AA6, P0A92, P0A7A

 

I was reading this thread and the symptoms seems similar to the ones I am having with my '08. I will talk with the dealer tomorrow and check back in here with recommendations, etc. I sure hope it is something cheap and simple.

 

​

It is my understanding that because the engine is always connected to a portion of the drivetrain, in order for the vehicle to remain stationary with the engine running, MG1 has to be turning. Hence the transaxle would always be involved if either the car or just the engine is moving.​