Remanufactured battery options for Gen 1 Prius

The only reason I keep the Envoy is for pulling my enclosed trailer of toys. The truck is now parked in the garage and will be used if 4x4 is needed (or the trips to Menards). Getting very spoiled with high mpg and not sure what to do if this car craps out. It is my beater work car and excellent shape! No rust even on an 2001. Never had this old of a vehicle in such great shape.

 

Me either, I checked my oil the other day (2000 miles since last change) and I was once again amazed by the car. 2000 miles on the oil, 120,000 miles on the car and the oil was still full (all the way to where I filled it, not one drop less), and it was still light brown in color. I've never had a car with over 100,000 miles that didn't burn or leak oil or at least discolor the oil.

My Envoy sat so long (b4 I got rid of it) that the 2 yr old battery died. I never drove it. I loved the comfort but hated the mpg's. It was nice for family trips though.

If your car craps out, fix it and keep driving it. That's my plan.

 

Be sure to use Battery Tenders if a vehicle is to sit for some time. I have seven tenders in use right now. Once a month I fire up all gas machines just to circulate the fuel. Never had issues with fuel issues in carbs this way.

 

I'd like some advice. I've been very happy with my '03 Classic with 157K miles but I've started to worry. Will I get some warning or will the traction battery suddenly go out leaving me stranded? I'm having some probs using this forum. If there is a getting started help page I don't see it. Starting a new thread did not seem possible unless you already knew people in the forum which I don't. Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

The failure symptoms tend to be progressive over time but getting a Prius-aware OBD scanner can provide facts and data needed to know what is going on. The failure scenario:

1. One of the 38 modules will develop a weak cell, there are six, 1.2 V, cells in each module.
2. The initial error codes are 'ground leak' and/or '0.3V difference' however these are 'soft' errors.
3. The current concentrates in a small area that heats enough to melt a hole in the plastic separator.
4. Once shorted, the cell becomes a resistor, robbing both charging and discharging energy and increasing the temperature of the module.
5. The higher temperature leads to the battery fan coming on more frequently.
6. The hot module weakens the adjacent modules and they fail too. This failure is the usual, last straw.

The traction battery failure is progressive and can take weeks, months, or depending upon conditions, much faster.

Bob Wilson

 

My game has been to get as many mpg's as possible without getting run over so I constantly monitor my mileage. I'm guessing I would see a sudden drop off in mileage but could drive it to a nearby garage without becoming stranded on the road. I don't plan on using my commuter vehicle for long trips but right now doesn't seem like a good time to trade in. I'd love to wait a while and buy a Plug-in. Does this seem reasonable. Thanks for your input.

 

That absolutely sounds reasonable kgray1.