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Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Stomper88, Feb 26, 2014.

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  1. Stomper88

    Stomper88 Member

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    Thats a good idea. I wish I had done that while I had the "new" battery out.
     
    #41 Stomper88, Oct 16, 2014
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    1. The warranty is only as good as the company's willingness/ability to honor it. Suppose the company disappears next year - at that point the warranty will be worthless.
    2. Please don't confuse the warranty offering, which is basically a marketing ploy, with the actual expected life of the battery. The Toyota traction battery warranty is for one year, but it is likely that a new traction battery should last as long as the original battery lasted.
     
    #42 Patrick Wong, Oct 16, 2014
  3. Stomper88

    Stomper88 Member

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    I got my new battery installed yesterday, only 24 hours after the trouble code popped up. The install was very fast (~60 minutes) and the new battery is behaving even better than the last one after initial install. I tried it on some long hills and it seems to have a lot more capacity than I've seen in my prius in years.

    When I got my first battery earlier this year, there were no cars at the shop and my battery was all alone with no other batteries in the shop (a bad sign of low business). When I went yesterday, there were 5 or 6 various hybrids sitting outside (presumably in queue for battery swaps) and inside the shop were 20 to 30 batteries in various states on shelves clearly marked (bad, new, etc). I saw stacks of battery cells and some batteries that were partially assembled. I couldnt get too close because they had the area sectioned off for high voltage safety. Some of the stacked cells looked very much like they were brand new (shiny plastic with no dust or marks). I guess the cells could be used and were just cleaned up real well, but why do that when you are just going to stick them into a used battery case where no one will see them?

    So, for now I am stepping back from my initial guess that GTA might be putting used cells in their "new" battery. There isnt any evidence to support the claim yet. They sure look new in the shop and it would make them vulnerable to lawsuits if they are putting used parts in and selling them as new. Why not just claim they tested those batteries to have "like new" capacity? They could still sell them for a similar price because of the warranty. It's possible I just got a bad one or their quality testing wasnt very well done.

    I will post again in a few months (or sooner if something eventful happens).
     
    #43 Stomper88, Oct 19, 2014
  4. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    Stomper88,
    I appreciate you to continue to post your experience. Thank you for letting us know. Especially when you may get light ribbing from some people.

    Too often people have a replacement done and then never report back their ongoing experience. (good or bad.)

    As far as those asking to check on cells. You may not be able to open the pack if they have it closed with security tape. Usually if the tape is broken, then the pack's warranty is voided.

    Even if you could open them up, if the new cells are non-OEM they may not have the same serial number markings on them as OEM cells.
     
    #44 ericbecky, Oct 20, 2014
  5. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Are you aware of the marketplace having non OEM new modules available?
     
    #45 JC91006, Oct 20, 2014
  6. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    I won't directly answer that for now. But if companies are not scavenging modules out of brand new Toyota packs, it would make sense that they may be buying aftermarket new cells. I have been purchasing new, non-OEM hybrid batteries for Hondas from my suppliers for years. They are even better than the OEM batteries. But that is off topic and should be it's own separate thread. I don't want to muddy this thread with that discussion.
     
    #46 ericbecky, Oct 20, 2014
  7. Stomper88

    Stomper88 Member

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    II
    It's been a while since my last post. The replacement battery is working great. I actually had a few 50+ mpg tanks in a row after the install, which I hadnt experienced in many years. It's behaving like I would expect a new battery to behave.

    If I dont post anything to this thread, assume the battery is working great. So, I will only post again if there is a problem.
     
    #47 Stomper88, May 5, 2015
  8. alexanderchristiansen

    alexanderchristiansen New Member

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    Hi Stomper!
    Is your battery still going strong? :)
    Can you maybe provide me with the exact link to the battery you bought of GTA? I am in the same situation!
     
    #48 alexanderchristiansen, Jul 20, 2017
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    too bad stomper didn't get the $500. lithium upgrade. now that would have been... 'interesting'.
     
    #49 bisco, Jul 20, 2017
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