hybrid battery cell rotation

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by nancytheprius, Oct 11, 2021.

  1. nancytheprius

    nancytheprius Active Member

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    I have an idea and please let me know if it’s a waste of time/efforts. My hybrid battery is still original and my 06 prius has 83k miles. it still gets great mpg and holds a charge as expected. I am thinking to swap the cells to put the middles on the outside and the outside cells on the inside. Would that extend the life a bit or just be a waste? I could also check for corrosion and clean that up at the same time if so. Any input is appreciated

    Thanks
     
    #1 nancytheprius, Oct 11, 2021
  2. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Personally, I think that won't really accomplish too much. You'd be better off leaving the battery undisturbed and expend your energy just doing some grid charging. But given your battery is now 15 years old, you probably should have started that 2-3 years ago. That would have given a better cost/benefit ratio between buying the equipment and extending the battery life.

    Are you experiencing any hybrid battery problems at the moment?
     
    #2 dolj, Oct 12, 2021
  3. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    No, not worth the trouble.
    A cleaning and inspection can be done MUCH easier.
    But that probably isn't necessary either.
     
    #3 sam spade 2, Oct 12, 2021
  4. nancytheprius

    nancytheprius Active Member

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    Sounds good and no i’m not experiencing any troubles. Just have no idea how long it will still last
     
    #4 nancytheprius, Oct 12, 2021
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    sounds like the old, 'rotate your tires or not?' debate. on the face of it, it would seem to make sense, heat wise. but idk the details.
    have you reviewed the module voltages on dr. prius?
     
    #5 bisco, Oct 12, 2021
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2021
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk MMX GEN III

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    I'm with @bisco, especially if you've got it out anyways, cleaning the connections. Number them FIRST.
     
    #6 Mendel Leisk, Oct 12, 2021
  7. nancytheprius

    nancytheprius Active Member

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    My obd2 scanner isn’t compatible with dr prius but i still monitor the voltages with a different app. When driving steady the max difference between highest and lowest is 0.2 or 0.3 V but when i floor it or demand a lot more power it’ll go up to 0.4 and i’ve even seen a 0.5 V difference
     
    #7 nancytheprius, Oct 12, 2021
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  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i would be more concerned with resting voltages after the car sits a few days
     
    #8 bisco, Oct 12, 2021
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  9. nancytheprius

    nancytheprius Active Member

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    Okay, I drive just about every single day and put between 200-300 miles a week, but I think this week i’ll have two days in a row of no driving. I assume once i park the last time before the two days off note all the voltages, and then right when i get back in after the two day gap look again to compare the differences? Is that what you would do? appreciate your help
     
    #9 nancytheprius, Oct 12, 2021
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    from what i've read, old cells deplete after sitting. if they sit too long, the computer can throw a code because they go out of balance.
    what you want is the low cell readings after sitting. that will tell you if the weak cells (if any) are in the middle (hot) or random.
    i'm no expert, just a thought.
     
    #10 bisco, Oct 12, 2021
  11. nancytheprius

    nancytheprius Active Member

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    i like the thought. i’ll update later if i find anything out
     
    #11 nancytheprius, Oct 12, 2021
  12. nancytheprius

    nancytheprius Active Member

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    here’s the results after sitting for 3 days straight. i plugged in my obd 2 sensor right before powering off the car to get the first voltages and then plugged in right when powering on three days later (without pressing on brake) to get the second set. IMG_2805.jpg
     
    #12 nancytheprius, Oct 20, 2021
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