Hybrid Battery Module Fault is Pending. Wait Till Current?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Omar Haddad, Aug 9, 2025 at 2:05 PM.

  1. Omar Haddad

    Omar Haddad Junior Member

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    Hi everyone,

    I have been getting different error codes for different modules in the hybrid battery, some of which I knew were okay, so I replaced all the connectors. Now I am getting a pending fault on a couple of blocks (5 and 9). I tightened the connector nuts but not too much. The faults are not current but pending. Is it worthwhile to wait to see if the faults disappear on their own? On one of the modules of block 5 it was difficult to put the nut in. It was tight as soon as I would screw it in, so I know I will replace that module with a new one. But I've done this at least 6 times for the past month, and I've been getting erros on different modules seemingly at random. Is there something obvious that I might be missing?

    Thank you.

    UPDATE: It seems that the pending fault was because the nuts were not tight enough. In an effort to avoid overtorquing the nuts after replacing the bus bar connectors, I left them minimally tight, but I would guess the vibration of the car would loosen them, causing spikes in voltages in specific blocks. That would explain why the errors would happen at random and on modules that I knew were okay. It would also explain why on the highway the errors would be more likely: the vibration is greater at higher speeds. I only tightened up the nuts on all four modules in blocks 5 and 9, and I haven't got an error so far. If I get another error, I'll simply tighten the nuts on the modules that trigger the error. I won't be replacing modules. I hope this helps somebody.

    Thank you.
     
    #1 Omar Haddad, Aug 9, 2025 at 2:05 PM
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2025 at 7:58 PM
  2. Omar Haddad

    Omar Haddad Junior Member

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    Here are some photos
     

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  3. Brian1954

    Brian1954 Senior Member

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    The nuts on the bus bars should be tightened to 48 INCH pounds. Buy yourself a small 1/4" torque wrench and use it to tighten the nuts.
     
  4. Hayslayer

    Hayslayer Member

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    Because poor electrical connections never start fires, right?

    Many homes burn to the ground every year because of poor electrical connections. Why would you purposely make 56 poor connections in a high voltage, high current battery? You are practically begging to break down on the side of the road.
    As mentioned, tighten them to 48 INCH pounds. Go to Harbor Freight and buy a $15 1/4" drive torque wrench and an 8mm socket. Do it once and be done with it, before you damage the terminals on the modules from arcing and heat generation..
     
    Brian1954 likes this.
  5. T1 Terry

    T1 Terry Active Member

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    Clean up the busbars to get a clean mating surface because they will now be arc pitted .... and voltage sensing wire tabs as well, give them all a coating with Alminox or the equivalent dielectric grease on both sides of the voltage sensing wire tab and the busbar, then tension the nuts correctly ..... that hard to turn the nut on the thread is because the terminal has arced through the nut because the busbar connection to the terminal boss was probably already arced and pitted resulting in a poor contact

    T1 Terry