If A Prius Battery Is Knackered Is The Car Worthless!!!

Saab Ed

Just had a look at this ad. It's for a 2000 Toyota Prius and the battery is knackered. Now if the shelf life of these batteries is only about 10 years and the cost of repairing it is punitive , then will this have a huge impact on the resale of hybrids going forward?

If this is the case then who'll want to but a used hybrid when its 7 or 8 years old when its gonna be fit for the bin 2 -3 years later. Opinions please!

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1324151

Mr Benevolent

These cars are point blank sh!te (the MK1 Prius I mean). The newer generations will keep going for years as they never deep discharge.

KamiKazi

Saab Ed wrote: »

then will this have a huge impact on the resale of hybrids going forward?

It'll Also Affect The Car When It Is Reversing.

SV

KamiKazi wrote: »

It'll Also Affect The Car When It Is Reversing.

lmao..posts like this deserve post of the day so much

2 Espressi

The inner workings of the hybrid system are probably beyond most backstreet indies. I reckon the lads in the garage took one looks at that and panicked.
Could you swap the batteries for something newer, or bypass the batteries and run on the motor full time?

Saab Ed

Confab wrote: »

These cars are point blank sh!te (the MK1 Prius I mean). The newer generations will keep going for years as they never deep discharge.

Why , whats the difference? Deep discharge is a new one on me too, do explain!

star.chaser

Who wants to buy a Toyota, battery knackered or not?

jimi_t2

2 Espressi wrote: »

...or bypass the batteries and run on the motor full time?

I can't see why not, although I'm guessing the alternator is rigged to run off the batteries which then run off a dynamo connected to the engine, so the electrics would have to be fully rewired in light of this.

The other thing is, the batteries would almost certainly have to be left in the car so as to maintain proper weight and chassis integrity. The car was designed to be carrying an extra tonne, so if that much weight is removed I very much doubt she'd be road legal or pass any sort of European safety test.

Of course, you could leave the dead batteries in and rewire the engine. Then you're left with a very expensive and underpowered car which is worse for the environment then something comparable in its price range.

jimi_t2

star.chaser wrote: »

Who wants to buy a Toyota, battery knackered or not?

Judging by the Avensis, I'd say most of Ireland.

Bar some problems with their implentation of V-TEC (VTI or something?) in the earlier models, Toyota is a by word for reliability in this country. Japanese marques in general do extremely well over given the value they offer (and also on the second hand market as they're right-hand drive and generally have very very low mileage and are in impeccable condition when imported).

Mr Benevolent

Saab Ed wrote: »

Why , whats the difference? Deep discharge is a new one on me too, do explain!

Deep discharge (also known as depth of discharge)

Chippy01

Tha ad says faulty main battery.
I would take that as to mean the cranking battery for the petrol engine, rather than the hybrid battery power pack.
Perhaps a Prius owner could chime in to clarify this?

EPM

Think Nissan were going to lease the battery packs for the Leaf in Europe. That would be the smart way to buy one, although in the long run it'd probably be cheaper to buy one when it dies.

As an aside - anyone see the price of those? £24k in UK...this hybrid stuff is madness:eek:

EPM

Chippy01 wrote: »

Tha ad says faulty main battery.
I would take that as to mean the cranking battery for the petrol engine, rather than the hybrid battery power pack.
Perhaps a Prius owner could chime in to clarify this?

If it was something like that they'd fix it...

kasper

just get a very long extension lead

EPM

kasper wrote: »

just get a very long extension lead

Maybe some blades underneath and you've got a decent flymo...

mullingar

Here is a link I found, detailing all you need to do to test/recondition the NHW11 Prius:

(Warning, some VERY geeky information)

http://hiwaay.net/~bzwilson/prius/pri_batt.html

jimi_t2

mullingar wrote: »

Here is a link I found, detailing all you need to do to test/recondition the NHW11 Prius:

(Warning, some VERY geeky information)

http://hiwaay.net/~bzwilson/prius/pri_batt.html

Good link, but its a moot point in this country anyway as I doubt any garage would want to take it on and no insurer will handle you if you do the work yourself.

JHMEG

There are a few guys who can recondition hybrid batteries for around £500. Cheaper than a new diesel turbo.

beam99

To replace the battery in this vehicle it could cost over €1,000. the pirus does not have a standard alternator it has 2 motors in the gearbox called MG1 AND MG2. And there is no reverse gear in the gearbox, it uses electric power for reverse. Bottom line it could cost more money that the car is worth to repair it.

SouperComputer

Buy it, fix it. Hold it until next time petrol prices soar. Sell for profit to one of the many panic-stricken lemmings looking for a hybrid when this happens.

Absurdum

SouperComputer wrote: »

Buy it, fix it. Hold it until next time petrol prices soar. Sell for profit to one of the many panic-stricken lemmings looking for a hybrid when this happens.

you forgot to mention "make bystanders puke by sheer ugliness of it"