Despite being told by experts here and there (Hybridfest) that the traction battery lasts for the life of the car, at almost 80K miles it does appear the battery is NOT going to make it. I am considering if the battery could get closer to the end of the life of the car (200K) with the Prolong system. I am just disappointed in the documentation of how to install the wiring harness...static pictures rather than a video. Even the beach tent I purchased had a Youtube video for how to put up/down since there was a specific way to do it without breaking it. Am I overlooking a Youtube video that shows how to install the harness step-by-step? If you have installed the harness based on the meager pictures, how hard did it really turn out to be?
Conflicted statements: The “experts” and hybridfest’s claim car lifetime at almost 80K. Your is 200K.
"Life of the car" is different for everyone. For the manufacturer, it's when the warranty expires, usually EPA. Which is normally 50,000 miles. It's different in some states. I take it you have a 2012 Prius? 11,400 - 10,000 miles a year is not a lot, anymore. Depending on your driving, maybe you are not "using" the battery as much so maybe it's "weak". The prolong battery set up will probably help bring it back to life. I remember watch a video of someone installing the harness. I believe it was from the prolong page, but it was about a year ago and I do not remember. Maybe a more intense search on youtube will bring it up?
I installed the harness on our 2010 with @jeff652 in under 2 hours. But most of that time was talking about other things . Static pictures get the job done and are helpful. Good luck with your install .
You must be young. Most trusted official documentation I am aware of is text with static pictures thjat require skill in reading. Most videos I see on how to do things are some amateur's "best guess" and a chance of fame.
Yes... If you have no warning lights and car has no other issues than the battery pack seeming to be dying, the only problem you have is the need for reconditioning. The rational for Toyota saying that it's good for the life of the car is that they decided to design the car so that even when the battery pack is at 50% capacity, it still functions normally without warning lights. Sad part is that you can get many more years out of a battery pack if you recondition it. Of course Toyota's goal is to make the car last just long enough that you're willing to buy another brand new one sooner than later. To learn more about the basic science of why metal batteries need reconditioning, read more here: BU-807: How to Restore Nickel-based Batteries – Battery University
'the traction battery works for the life of the car' is ambiguous at best. what symptoms make you suspect there is something wrong?
All thumbnails can be clicked on to view high resolution photos. Our photo-text based instructions are modeled after the Honda Factory Service Manuals (Helms Manuals) used by factory trained technicians around the globe.
