1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Mix Gen2 and Gen4 HV Battery Cells?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by dongfang, Aug 24, 2023.

  1. dongfang

    dongfang Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 5, 2014
    33
    5
    0
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I have a 2006 Gen2 Prius, with 290K mile on it.

    And it is the 4th time I need replace HV battery cells.

    1.2020-2 replaced 1 cell
    2.2022-9 replaced 1 cell
    3.2023-3 replaced 4 cells (only one is necessary, and 3 for precaution )
    4.NOW 2 cells BAD

    The current problem comes to the 3rd time, that I thought I put four "good" cells into the car, However, I'm wrong, 2 of the "good" 4 cells already failed now. and I need replace them again.

    Now the question are:

    1. Shall I still buy two Gen2 cells? Will I see another bad cells? on the market, these Gen 2 cells are so old, and I have concern now.

    2. If I buy two Gen4 cells, they should be much healthy than my current Gen 2 cells, Will that cause unbalance issue? I'm going to group these two Gen4 cells into one block, so system should know the voltage is higher than other blocks. -- ideally, will the system balance the blocks?

    3. Or I should replace the whole pack?

    Thanks for your comments.
     
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    10,387
    1,796
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    I'm generally the whole pack kind of guy seriously it's just easier to deal with it that way or if you know a rebuilder that has the good equipment and is really qualified to do this work and knows what they're doing like this guy at the hybrid doctor up in Fairfax Virginia He sells on eBay too so far so good with him I've had some very good luck with his rebuilt built whatever batteries He seems to do a very good job He seems to be in it to win it in the EV electric pack game He goes to all the shows and all the classes and whatever the heck so far so good.
     
  3. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2012
    7,855
    3,968
    0
    Location:
    Wellington, New Zealand
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Your original modules (not cells) are getting older. They are more likely to fail sooner if you add newer and new modules.

    Your best option is to try and find a reasonably new Gen 4 (NiMH) battery pack from a wreck, swap all 28 modules and be done with it.
     
  4. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    10,387
    1,796
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    About 4 years ago I bought a 2010 Prius solar roof JBL car from the time I bought it from the place drove it home woke up and drove it the next day lights were on all kinds of funny business was going on I looked at the hybrid battery in the trunk it was all frosted nuts and dark bus bars and the whole nine. I went to a friend of mine's place called Wagner's Auto salvage in Durham by the 2015 battery from another Prius that was still in the car on the lot at the junkyard not in water car still sealed up and closed I installed that battery in my 2010 solar roof car I got it for $400 with exchange of my old one I left out of there with it put it in the 2010 with the solar roof it ran great with no lights but it still had a PO a880 code I think the one that's bad battery It's not had the light on but it's been stored in the memory the whole time I've had this battery it will not clear it will not put the light on looking in TIS or Dr Prius nothing looks really wrong car still runs great though and I'm not going to change it until something fails goes wrong or maybe lights the light and becomes a hard code I guess so. It must be a soft code?..
     
  5. dongfang

    dongfang Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 5, 2014
    33
    5
    0
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    II
    You can clear the fault code by OBD tools like "Torque" App, and see whether it comes again after a while. if true, then you still have some problem to fix.
     
  6. kdy

    kdy New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2024
    1
    0
    0
    Location:
    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    My serious question would be are you refurbishing ,ie, charging/ discharging all the 28 cells to.proper specs and then finalizing by balancing all the cells in the pack together? This would be after you replaced bad cells first with good cells irregardless what generation cells your using and or mixing together. Sounds like your just replacing bad cells sticking in good cells without properly recharging the entire pack together which then need to be balanced all together. If this is the case you will continue to have problems. When doing a hybrid battery rebuild attempting to correct a P0A80 / red triangle code to make the hybrid battery last there needs to be a proper charging/discharging of all the cells which requires the use of specific equipment and then balancing the entire pack before reinstallation of the hybrid battery.