sheiksoft

Hello,

In December 2015, I bought a used 2011 Lexus CT200h car which I was happily driving till when I got the "Check Hybrid System" message before a month. It all happened when I left the car for 10 days, the 12v battery died completely where a technician jump-started the car from the rear area (later I found out that we can do it from the front panel). I changed 12v battery to a new one. I took it to the Lexus dealer, they checked with Toyota Techstream system and found the error code as P0A7F – Hybrid Battery Pack Deterioration. They simply advised me to change the entire hybrid battery.

The car is now in running condition. When I remove the Auxiliary battery (-ve) and put it back, the error code goes off. It will return back after a couple of days. I took it to many Lexus repair workshops, none knows about the Hybrid battery system. The local Lexus Dealer sold only 2011 CT200h and they stopped selling it later on. I feel I am the only one having this car in the whole city. I dont know where to go from here.

Please provide any helpful suggestions. Thanks in Advance.

lexusrus

Is this CT still under Lexus warranty ?

If not, then I would just take it to a large volume Toyota dealer. Our CT shares HD same hybrid system as the Toyota Pruis.

sheiksoft

Thanks for your response. The car is not under warranty as the Lexus dealer will provide only 4 years warranty period. I enquired with them about the Hybrid battery warranty as it should be 8 years but they repeatedly mentioned that my car is out of warranty so cannot change the Hybrid System for free.

Yes. As you said Prius battery fits our CT. Unfortunately Toyota introduced Prius for the first time in Saudi Arabia this year, so its not possible to ask about it with any dealer here as they have no idea about the Hybrid System.

Clutchless

You should contact Lexus at corporate headquarters. They warranty the vehicle, not the dealer. Also read the warranty documents with the car, they should provide Lexus contact information. The hybrid system is under the 8 year warranty, however, it appears no one in your country knows how to diagnose, let alone repair these vehicles. And yes it is the same as a Prius, so a Toyota dealer would usually have more experience. You may need to go to another country for service!

lexusrus

What a bummer !!! 😠😠😠

Here in the USA, ESPECIALLY ON THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, the hybrid batteries are under Lexus factory warranty for ten years (other states are only like 8 years)!!!

I wonder if it's just the connection terminals of the hybrid battery had some corrosion that simply needed some cleaning?

sheiksoft

Thanks. I contacted direct Lexus EMEA via toll-free and got the same answer. The vehicle should be under 4 years warranty to replace the Hybrid system otherwise I have to pay around $6000. As you said I can try with UAE Lexus where they still sell 2017 CT's, they might have some more information or Hybrid conditioners at-least.

Finally, I printed out Dismantling Manual for CT200h and will show some video tuts to my local mechanic here. I will first test which module has gone bad and try to order from eBay.
Please give your expert opinion about buying the hybrid battery modules from the below sellers. btw, These will fit my 2011 ct200h, right.?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/262761115242
http://www.ebay.com/itm/222325436397

sheiksoft

Thanks for your suggestion. May your words come true. With the help of my car mechanic, I am going to dismantle the hybrid battery and check which ones are gone bad among the 28 modules. So i will first check for the connection terminals corrosion. Thanks again.

Clutchless

There are many Youtube videos showing how to replace that one bad battery cell in a Prius, which must be more common than we know.

sheiksoft

Thanks for the link. Yes, I watched around tons of Prius Battery removal videos. Is there any video for dismantling a CT200h hybrid battery.? I can't find any year model of CT unfortunately. But, it should be easy for the mechanic.

nacke

Have you checked module voltages with Techstream software? It won't give you much more time, if you replace few cells and most of the pack is worn out (you have hot climate there).

sheiksoft

Thanks for your suggestion. I ordered mini vci cable in the mean time and have the techstream software downloaded. I will have it checked soon. I am afraid of how many cells worn out so far. I will update the result soon as I finish checking with multi-meter.

sheiksoft

Yesterday I managed to get the Hybrid Battery tested out with the help of my excellent mechanic. Soon after 30 minutes I parked the car we managed to reach the battery modules. Some weird things noticed which I like to share. The Hybrid Battery Part number and the structure is different to what the manual says about 2011 CT200h. The HV Battery Part number is G9280-76010. I found online that its a Gen III Prius HV Battery for 2011 and above models. So I checked all the 28 modules individually and the voltage list is given in the image attached with this thread..

The readings are checked after car was parked for around 4 hours. Initial readings were around 8.13v, after an hour it was 8.09v and it dropped to 8.06v.
The connection terminals were little bit rusted with blue copper particles which were cleaned using P320 Sand Paper. Also we cleaned Hybrid Battery Cooling Fan. Please check the images.
This is the exact battery I am having in my car: These are my queries:
1. Are the battery modules good.? Module 12 & 15 is low, so are they bad.? I thought the modules carry 7.2v to 7.8v as per car manuals and eBay battery module sellers but my findings are high.
2. This problem occurred may be due to the corrosion in the connection terminals.?
3. Anything I need to do further to derive a result?

I am going to take my CT a little long drive to see "Check Hybrid System" message re-occurs or not. Please review the images attached with this thread and provide any suggestions you have. I thank you for taking time to review my case and I appreciate your suggestions. I dont have anyone around to guide me except ClubLexus Forum'ers and yeah the Big G.

Hybrid Battery Module Readings


2011 CT200h Hybrid Battery Pack
Hybrid Battery Cooling Fan before cleaning Debris / Dust
Hybrid Battery Cooling Fan after cleaning Debris / Dust

Copper Connectors rusted or corroded
Copper Connectors rusted or corroded

Copper Connectors rusted or corroded

KKM

All the voltage readings appear to be fairly consistent and the differences are minimal. My bet is that the corrosion might be the cause. Thoroughly clean all the connections and let us know the outcome.

chuckNX

I would think the Hybrid system is part of the overall drivetrain warranty. But the specific Hybrid warranty should cover this issue if I read the warranty info correctly. If you are not in the U.S., have you read what your warranty is for your specific country?

I would contact Lexus are ask your dealer for the number of the Lexus area rep. They might do some type of goodwill repair if truly out of warranty. I have friends with CT and Prius with original batteries lasting over 200k miles.

U.S. Hybrid System Warranty

This warranty covers repairs needed to correct defects in materials or workmanship of the components listed here and supplied by Lexus, subject to the exceptions indicated under “What Is Not Covered” on pages 19–20:

• Batterycontrolmodule (battery voltage sensor)
• Hybridbattery
• Hybridcontrolmodule(power
  
  management control module)
• Inverterwithconverter
  
  Coverage is for 96 months or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first.

sheiksoft

So far so Good. After cleaning the copper connectors corrosion, no DTC messages popped up. I drove yesterday and today for around 100+ kms and got the car back to normal, I guess. Thanks a lot for your timely help and suggestions. You guys are Great.

I do have a concern here. I noticed the dashboard battery symbol spikes full sometimes and it stays like that and drops down a bit. Is that normal.? Why I am asking this because, usually in the past "Check Hybrid System" error comes after I see the battery full symbol. I have attached the image below.
btw the car shows 16 kms / Litre Mileage.
The Battery icon showing full charge.