anl2538

Has anyone experienced changing the CT 200h battery? How long does it last usually?

Trexus

If you're talking about the 12 volt starting battery it should last 3 - 6 years.

If you talking about the big hybrid battery it's supposed to last the life of the vehicle.

DrDDay

The hybrid battery should be able to last to infinity and beyond!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No, seriously though, as long as there isn't any physical damage taken by the battery, you don't put anything over the vent in the back seat or allow the battery to seriously overheat regularly, you shouldn't see any issues. I have seen Lexus hybrids with almost half a million miles on them and don't seem to be any less efficient than they were brand new.

mjeds

my wife has a 2007 Camry Hybrid with 90,000 miles, same basic battery and design as the CT, Prius, etc.


when her 80,000 mile battery warranty was nearly up we went and had the dealership test the battery, it is still charging @ 97%, so I'd say it will last a long time.


my mother-in-law has a 2002 Prius with over 200,000 miles. and it's battery is still charging @ 95%..

NudleBoy

Theres an article that you might be able to Google but this owner talks about his 05 Prius with 530,000 miles on it and the only thing that went was the fan/board for the hybrid battery because dog hair got stuck and sucked up into the vents. The battery itself was still in working order. Someone eventually hit his car and they wrote it off. Now his "newer" 09 Prius has 190,000 miles and has yet to touch anything.

I'm fairly certain the technology in hybrids are so well thought up and engineered with Lexus/Toyota that they'll outlast the engine/transmission of the vehicle.

Tom59

NYC taxi cabs use them for 400k plus..........but miles and time are two different animals. I asked the Lexus dealer how many batteries they have replaced the answer - "0".
I had my Tundra worked on asked the Toyota dealer they said one....accident.

Raidin

I've heard that the batteries Toyota is using don't go bad based on use, but time. The only time I've heard of hybrid batteries in Toyotas being replaced is when they are 10-12 years old, and only occasionally.

Some more up to date research may reveal something else, but I imagine not.

Jezo

3 - 6 years?

Oy.

My car is going to be 5 years old next year. What's this battery about and how do I know if I need to replace it? Is this more akin to a regular car's battery over the battery packs on a hybrid?

If so I will just change it out myself, but how do I know if I am in danger of going out there one morning this winter and the car not starting?

mjeds

I don't understand how people can buy and own a vehicle and not understand the basic principle of how it works.

Yes you have a normal car battery to start the gas motor and yes it wil exhibit the same behavior as a normal car and just die and not start when its life is up. Everything on the car is electronic and it needs that 12volt battery to operate the computers and fuel pump.

Have the battery tested and see if it is still good if not replace it, it's called basic maintenance.

Raidin

When people say 12-volt battery, they are talking about the battery normally found in your engine bay. In the CT, it's underneath the rear seat next to the hybrid battery I believe.

Trexus

O'Reilly Auto parts sells the 12 volt battery. The battery is in the rear towards the rear passenger tire. I haven't changed my battery yet.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...y+-+automotive

Jezo

My "Oy" was not about the concept of changing a battery, that part is normal for a car, it was the 3 year lifespan on it, which seems very short.

So it's in the rear seat? Is it possible for me to do the job myself or do I need special tools? I have changed the batteries in cars many times before but never had to remove a seat to do so.

mjeds

4 years is about average for am OEM battery, and fwiw (touching wood as I say this). My wife's 2007 Camry hybrid is still on the OEM 12 volt starter battery with 90,000 miles. So 9 years (bought in October 2006) and it's still strong.

FLYCT

The 12 volt battery does not turn over the motor to start it. The High Voltage traction battery powers the Motor Generator 1 (MG1) to turn over the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE).

The 12 volt battery is only used to provide power to accessories, relays and solenoids etc

Saying that, if the 12 volt battery goes bad or dies the car will not start because it provides voltage to relays needed to engage when you hit the Start Button.

I had a Prius that I left parked at an airport for 2 months and when I returned it would not start. The car was totally dead. No lights, no horn no nothing. The 12 volt battery was drained. I had to jump start it via providing jumper cables to the little red connector in the fuse box under the hood. After leaving jumper cables connected about 10 minutes the car started fine.

Another time my grandson left the dome light on (CT200h) and the following morning the 12 volt battery was depleted enough that the car would not start. I actually had Lexus tow it to their dealership to find out the dome light on drained the 12v battery. So while the 12v battery does not actually start the ICE it is absolutely needed to start the car.

ANOTHER POINT OF INTEREST; I just traded in our 2012 CT200h with 24,000 miles on it last month on a RX450h. We never had any issues starting it. When the dealer went to certify it as a CPO the 12 volt battery failed load test so they replaced it before putting it on their lot.

Jezo

Sounds like I might as well change it next year.

Is there a guide on how to access it so I can do it myself?