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Need to replace battery pack but unable to find Lithium

1072 Views 14 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  gregphoutz, 
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170,000 miles, just replaced the engine, and I get the "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM ". Took to dealership and they don't have the battery pack, and if they could locate one, I don't want to pay that much.

After watching YouTube, I would like to go the Lithium route, but all I see is SOLD OUT.

Any ideas?
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The system is designed to use a specific type of battery.
You probably can NOT put in a different type without causing more problems that it solves.

My personal opinion is: You already have made a bad decision putting that much money into a car that old.....with that many miles. I would not consider throwing any more money at it.

But if you insist, search the net for hybrid battery rebuilders.
You might be able to find one with all new cells for about half what Toyota charges.

"Reconditioned" batteries where only the "bad" cells have been changed are NOT a good investment.
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If I get a regular hybrid battery, I would be getting a whole replacement pack. But should I keep the whole unit the cells come in and have all the cells replaced. Or buy the whole enchilada and replace the whole thing?
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WinLange said:
If I get a regular hybrid battery, I would be getting a whole replacement pack. But should I keep the whole unit the cells come in and have all the cells replaced. Or buy the whole enchilada and replace the whole thing?
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I'm not sure I understand the question.

The price of a completely rebuilt battery usually is for an entire assembly.
There are some things that you keep from the old pack but you don't have to dis-assemble the actual cell pack.
Then you send them back your old pack for re-use and recycling.

Normally you could buy new individual cells and rebuild the whole thing yourself.........but that is not recommended for most owners. And I don't think you end up saving THAT much by doing it yourself.
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Here is another question. The guy at the dealership says I can still drive the car as is, just using it like any non-hybrid car. So how hiw long can I drive it that way? The car was designed as a hybrid so treating it with just the engine,,,,?
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WinLange said:
Here is another question. The guy at the dealership says I can still drive the car as is, just using it like any non-hybrid car. So how hiw long can I drive it that way? The car was designed as a hybrid so treating it with just the engine,,,,?
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When you get right down to it, the battery itself doesn't really contribute THAT much to propelling the car down the road overall.
It DOES do some other critical functions though......like the air conditioning and STARTING THE ENGINE.
If it gets bad enough, you are screwed.
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Went to Greenbean and $1,983.05 with life time warranty went on my credit card and I'm up and running. Had to have a Smog Check, which it passed, but the printout said Hybrid battery needed replacing. So have to contact Greenbean about that.
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Easy Rider said:
It DOES do some other critical functions though......like the air conditioning and STARTING THE ENGINE.
If it gets bad enough, you are screwed.
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I thought that the 12V battery started the engine.
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Easy Rider said:
My personal opinion is: You already have made a bad decision putting that much money into a car that old.....with that many miles. I would not consider throwing any more money at it.
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As long as the cost of repairs is less than a car payment, I keep the car. I drive a 20 year old car with 170k on the clock. Insurance is virtually nothing. I had to replace the exhaust two years ago, $300. I rebuilt the entire brake system two years ago, which was less than $1k. $1300 over two years is $55 a month.

My father was your classic American owner. He'd get rid of cars at 50k because he was terrified of paying for "expensive" repairs like a water pump. So for my entire life, he had a car payment and would be fretting about "trade in value."
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Yaworski said:
I thought that the 12V battery started the engine.
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Not with a hybrid it does NOT.
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Yaworski said:
$1300 over two years is $55 a month.
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But in the end, you still have a 20 year old car with a LOT of miles.
It's kind of like Russian roulette which part will fail next.
And the odds get worse as time goes along.

But it that is what makes you happy......good for you.
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My current car is 21 years old with 178,000 miles on it. I wouldn't hesitate to drive across the continent with it. The only car that I didn't keep to 200,000 miles was my Ford wagon which died a fiery death. Three BMWs, Camry, Accord, Prelude, Roadmaster wagon, V70, and now an S60. Silly to pay for a new car every few years, it's like renting a house.

And, it doesn't make me happy any more than getting my shoes resoled makes me happy.
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Yaworski said:
And, it doesn't make me happy any more than getting my shoes resoled makes me happy.
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Don't underestimate the value of good shoes.
(y)
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gregphoutz
WinLange said:
170,000 miles, just replaced the engine, and I get the "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM ". Took to dealership and they don't have the battery pack, and if they could locate one, I don't want to pay that much.

After watching YouTube, I would like to go the Lithium route, but all I see is SOLD OUT.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Google Dr. Prius. They sell full new battery packs for the Prius that are a definite upgrade from the Factory batteries. If you just replaced the engine you might want to consider this. No one is going to sell you a cheap battery pack that is any good. Also, the Prius has other expensive systems. The inverter isn't cheap to replace, nor is the CVT, nor is the computer brain. If all this stuff was replaced with the engine, then they car is worth a new battery pack. If not, you could be looking at several more incidents of 1- 2K repairs over the next 50k miles. Another alternative is to just go to the junkyards. Priuses get wrecked just like any other car, and there is a good chance you can get a whole battery pack intact with plenty of life left in it, last I checked prices were in the $400 - %600 range. It's better if you can check the pack on your own.
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gregphoutz
gregphoutz said:
Google Dr. Prius. They sell full new battery packs for the Prius that are a definite upgrade from the Factory batteries. If you just replaced the engine you might want to consider this. No one is going to sell you a cheap battery pack that is any good. Also, the Prius has other expensive systems. The inverter isn't cheap to replace, nor is the CVT, nor is the computer brain. If all this stuff was replaced with the engine, then they car is worth a new battery pack. If not, you could be looking at several more incidents of 1- 2K repairs over the next 50k miles. Another alternative is to just go to the junkyards. Priuses get wrecked just like any other car, and there is a good chance you can get a whole battery pack intact with plenty of life left in it, last I checked prices were in the $400 - %600 range. It's better if you can check the pack on your own.
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Correction. No one is going to sell you a cheap NEW battery pack that is any good.
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