2013 model, hybrid battery gave out after 165k...

Dealer quoted 7k, and other third parties quoted 3500 shipped for a battery.

I skipped the middle man and ordered direct from china for $2408 shipped. Installation was not bad. Just look up palmetto battery pro's on YouTube if you want a video on how to DIY, not terribly complicated.

Just wanted to share some encouragement to those who are considering the DIY job when the battery goes. You save a ton of money.

 

What did you do with the core? Did you sell/give_away/tuned_it_in_for_recycle?

Salim

 

I am trying to find a buyer. I have found some hybrid battery companies that will buy them.

 

Did you look into LiIon option? There are some for prius and the battery controller needs to be replaced too.

The ones you got look like cylindrical so that should improve air movement. LiIon would reduce the overall weight a whole lot for more efficiency. Maybe that option would be more readily available as time goes bye.

Salim

PS: If you choose to give the cells away, you can post about it in the PayItForward. You can only charge for shipping though.

 

I researched Lithium batteries. They are much more expensive and we have less statistics on their reliability. I have read about Prius owners who got an aftermarket lithium pack only to have it fail after three years, just out of warranty.

also, the car is designed with the weight of the original battery in mind when it comes to weight distribution, I would think.

so basically I opted to stick with “what we know works” except the pack design is of course the more modern cylindrical shape which as you said, offers better airflow. This is good since I live in a very hot climate.

 

Do you have to do any recalibration of the battery or anything? Or it is legitimately just replace and the car is good to go?

 

so, the packs were already charged and balanced from the factory so that’s good. All I did was disconnect the 12v battery, replace the hybrid packs and reconnect the 12v battery.

Initially, it still had the “check hybrid system” or whatever warning in the dash. I used an OBD2 scanner to clear the stored code. After clearing the code it was good to go. It’s been a while and the car is working perfectly.

 

Good job replacing the battery packs, well done!

Can you share the details on how to order these battery packs from China?

 

I ordered from ennocar. You can find other suppliers on alibaba if you want to look into other choices. I am very happy with the product from ennocar.

 

Thank you for showing your diy hybrid battery change. Can you give the comparison of the average mpg before and after battery change? Thank you

 

Sure. We averaged right around 22 mpg, I believe, before the new battery. After the new battery we see somewhere around 28, but up to 30, depending on driving habits.

That being said, the old batteries are still stored in the trunk (haha)... so, around 150 pounds of batteries being hauled around. Once I remove those I am hoping it helps mpg a little.

 

How has the battery been performing?

 

Problem-free! We have had no issues and the car is working great. Good economy, overall. Without actually trying to drive economically we are getting around 26 MPG on average.

 

What were the symptoms? Does the failure of a hybrid battery pack trigger a warning light on the instrument cluster?

My 2012 has no warning lights but the fuel economy numbers do not make bragging headlines, so sometimes I wonder if that's because the hybrid battery pack may be somewhat exhausted, but still works.

When you mentioned that your mileage improved significantly like that, it just makes me wonder if I can also enjoy better fuel economy by replacing the battery pack proactively.

 

Price the option out and most likely you will not pull the trigger. What is your long term MPG and average of the last 3 mpg since last fills?

On a serions note, please have the high voltage battery tested before you even think about replacing it.

Salim