2008 Prius Traction Battery Replacement (planning ahead just in case)

[S Keith]

Originally Posted by Vman455

Dang, that's too bad--that looked like a good deal otherwise. Are they at least going to be decent and honor their warranty?

No idea. Pack hasn't technically failed, so there's no way they would.

Having built the kit, I can tell you it's not great. The fit isn't good, and it's not particularly secure. Disassembly, shipping, reassembly, etc., are going to stink.

[S Keith]

Originally Posted by broski499

I appreciate the info! How difficult would you say the HA system install is? I'm pretty handy with DIY projects, just haven't attempted anything High Voltage, don't want any shocking results. Yes, I went there.

I just got a OBDII scanner but only have iPhone. I'll do a bit of googling myself but are you aware of any iOS battery health apps?

My trusty UltraGauge is still plugging along. The stand, on the other hand, is a piece of crap.

Easy. You can view the installation instructions on their website. Risk of shock is VERY low unless you are hell bent on doing something deliberately stupid.

OBD Fusion can monitor battery data, but as I understand it, the PIDs have to be setup. I don't know if it is as effective, and I don't think it has a specific test.

Worth borrowing someone's android tablet, old unused phone, etc.?

[redpoint5]

New Android phones can be had for $10. Better used ones can be had for not much more. Worth having as a diagnostic tool. I bought a 7" Android tablet (LG G-pad) with cell radio (Sprint I think) new for $40 with the intention of setting up a dedicated Torque monitor. I use it for that, but I use it for other things more frequently.

My last 3 phones have been iPhone, and they suck. Give me a reason why it doesn't suck, and I'll explain how you're wrong.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

New Android phones can be had for $10. Better used ones can be had for not much more. Worth having as a diagnostic tool. I bought a 7" Android tablet (LG G-pad) with cell radio (Sprint I think) new for $40 with the intention of setting up a dedicated Torque monitor. I use it for that, but I use it for other things more frequently.

My last 3 phones have been iPhone, and they suck. Give me a reason why it doesn't suck, and I'll explain how you're wrong.

I bought a 7" Kindle HD for $30 to use as a diagnostic tool.

I'm on my 2nd iPhone. My employer pays for the phone and the global mobile plan. With my own money I would buy a Pixel but I'm happy to use a free iPhone.

As to Prius batteries I would just buy the OEM replacement battery. However, you are unlikely to need to replace it any time soon with such low mileage. They were 12 and 10 years old when I sold them and still got the same mileage as new. The Ni-MH batteries are rock-solid.

[S Keith]

Originally Posted by JSH

I bought a 7" Kindle HD for $30 to use as a diagnostic tool.

I'm on my 2nd iPhone. My employer pays for the phone and the global mobile plan. With my own money I would buy a Pixel but I'm happy to use a free iPhone.

As to Prius batteries I would just buy the OEM replacement battery. However, you are unlikely to need to replace it any time soon with such low mileage. They were 12 and 10 years old when I sold them and still got the same mileage as new. The Ni-MH batteries are rock-solid.

This statement is optimistic. Two weeks ago, I purchased a 2008 with 55K miles on it with a failed battery. Detailed testing of the modules showed significant deterioration of all 27 other modules.

Yesterday, I replaced the battery of a 2005 with 81K miles on it. I have not tested the pack yet.

Mileage of both vehicles was verified through dealer maintenance records. Both vehicles were in the dealership 2-4 times per year since they were sold. The 08 lived its life in Phoenix and the 05 lived its life in Tucson.

In my experience (about 250 batteries), battery failures are linked more to age than mileage.

[redpoint5]

I've heard Prius batteries are affected by age as much as use.

You think Phoenix is a harsher environment though? Perhaps batteries hold up better in PDX. I'd expect batteries to degrade faster in SoCal and Phoenix than cooler climates.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I've heard Prius batteries are affected by age as much as use.

You think Phoenix is a harsher environment though? Perhaps batteries hold up better in PDX. I'd expect batteries to degrade faster in SoCal and Phoenix than cooler climates.

The research I've done shows Ni-Mh less susceptible to calendar aging than Lead-Acid or Li-Ion.

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc...=rep1&type=pdf


Both of my Prii spent most of their lives in Birmingham, AL

[S Keith]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I've heard Prius batteries are affected by age as much as use.

You think Phoenix is a harsher environment though? Perhaps batteries hold up better in PDX. I'd expect batteries to degrade faster in SoCal and Phoenix than cooler climates.

PHX cuts about 40K off average mileage and 2 years off life. This is based on comparing my data to data produced by others with substantial battery replacement data in cooler regions. My data also includes Phoenix vehicles that spent most of their lives in other climates.

Originally Posted by JSH

The research I've done shows Ni-Mh less susceptible to calendar aging than Lead-Acid or Li-Ion.

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc...=rep1&type=pdf

Both of my Prii spent most of their lives in Birmingham, AL

I'm not presenting information based on research. I'm presenting information based on experience.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by S Keith

PHX cuts about 40K off average mileage and 2 years off life. This is based on comparing my data to data produced by others with substantial battery replacement data in cooler regions. My data also includes Phoenix vehicles that spent most of their lives in other climates.

Sorry, I missed your earlier post.

This is interesting. I wonder if this is heat related (The paper I linked shows high temperature as an issue for Ni-MH).

It also could a "Snow Bird" effect. People that leave their cars for long periods of time at their winter homes and let the battery sit in a discharged rate.

[redpoint5]

I have a 2012 Prius plug-in. Would like to have kept records of battery degradation on my car, but I started 240v charging very early on, and had no way to measure wall draw. Still, I could have captured the onboard charging summary data, or the Torque PID values.