Prius Starts Stutters then Stops

Prius Generation 2. -

1) A common problem we see in this model is the throttle body sticking. Leads to poor performance and poor fuel consumption. Freeing up the spring mechanism fixed the problem.

2) Vehicle starts up stutters then stops. The cause could be carbon built up in the exhaust. Blowing the exhaust system out may fix the problem. Another cause could be excess oil in the throttle body. Can be seen if you remove the air filter. Pour some petrol down to dissolve the oil and start the vehicle. This may solve the problem. Oil deposit was caused by excess oil in the engine from overfilling.

All the above problem will affect the battery causing it to fail. Proper servicing from knowledgeable technicians about hybrid vehicles will save money in the long run.

Prius Generation 1 High Voltage Leak and Power Jockey

Error Codes

C2577 - High voltage system insulation failure

C2668 - High voltage system leak

C2577 is an error code related to the battery. This was fixed and cleared.

C2688 is an error code related to the hybrid system. We were unable to clear this as it would involve checking the whole hybrid drive train.

The problem with this vehicle is that no matter how good a battery we put in the vehicle, the turtle will appear and the battery soon drains out.

One final solution is to install the power jockey hoping that it will at least allow the vehicle to operate normally. If this does not work then the leak in the hybrid system must be fixed.

This particular vehicle was reconditioned and repaired 4 times with the whole battery pack changed twice. Never ran for more than 2 days before battery pack collapse. Running with the power jockey engaged over 80 KM, turtle appeared under hard acceleration Triangle error cleared itself near the end of the 80 KM run. Quite likely the problem in the hybrid system still exist and will recur. However the power jockey seem to bring the system back within it's limit of tolerance.
Quite clear that without the power jockey this vehicle is only fit as scrap metal.

Can I Gurantee That The Power Jockey Works?

 I have been asked this question by hybrid vehicle owners wanting to have their batteries reconditioned and having the Power Jockey fitted.

Can I guarantee that it will work?

This is a great question and I think you should look at it both ways.

The Main battery is getting old. It was calculated to last 7 years
That in itself is a feat as the same batteries (NIMH cells ) used
in drills last between 6 months to 1 year if used every day. Obviously it is the
way that the battery is used that gives it the long life span.

With reconditioning we try to extend this "life span" This is done
by bringing the battery to within accepted levels as detected by the
vehicles systems. Though some have gone 3 years after reconditioning
most have failed again within 2 years, Batteries after reconditioning
are still fragile and cannot take on too much stress.

When these batteries are approaching 12 years old reconditioning does not
seem to be enough to keep them within the acceptable limits of the vehicle
operating systems. This is why we developed the Power Jockey as a
battery augmentation system.  So far as we know, from the installations
since the beginning of November, there have been no failures in the 20
installations and counting. Results are encouraging. In fact they are beyond
my expectations.

We have not stopped there. By January we will introduce the Power Saddle
(now under test) which fits on the power Jockey and really puts a "tiger in
  the tank" These two developments stretches the "life span " envelop of
HEV batteries, hopefully (fingers crossed) for the remaining life of the vehicle.

Now, can I guarantee? Well I don't have enough information to guarantee.
It's like having an untested cure for a terminal condition. Without it you
haven't got a vehicle. Do you want to be one of the first to try?

The only guarantee I can give you at this stage is a year warranty on your
battery after you install the Power Jockey.

I have tried the system and It makes the car incredibly powerful. How it can work is still a mystery to me as, if it was that good, why haven't Toyota or others smarter than I, discovered it?  Ehmm - Perhaps they haven't looked here yet!!

The Power Jockey

Development Of The Power Jockey

As the HEV battery ages the weaker cells will fail as soon as they are stress beyond their ability to maintain the discharge current. Battery reconditioning mainly replaces the weakest cells and equalises the capacity of all the cells in the battery pack. The next weakest cell will still collapse as it fails to  maintain the discharge current. We have come to a point where unless we find a way to protect the cells from failure we had to stop HEV battery reconditioning altogether.

We need to find another way to help these weakened cells. The answer seem to be in our stress test where we subject the battery sub pack to 100 amps of load. We discarded cells that cannot maintain 5.6 volts. The idea was to prevent the cells from being discharged below this voltage. The most important feature was that it had to be working whenever the car is in use. This lead us to the two phase boost augmentation system.

Everything points to the fact that this can't work because we are just using the petrol engine for the augmentation system and it must surely be more inefficient! However we proceeded to prototype development and trials on a hunch that contary to percieve logic it may work.

The Power Jockey

It is called the Power Jockey because, like a 50kg jockey controlling a 1000kg animal, The Power Jockey only output a mere 1000 watts ( for the prototype) but controls a motor that operates at 33,000 watts.

The system is comprised of two operating phases.

The first is the base voltage support phase. For the prototype this function was performed by a 12 volt 1000 watts inverter outputting 230 volts AC. This phase ensures that the minimum voltage output by the system is 230 volts. At this minimum voltage each sub pack is arrested from dropping below a predefined voltage ( 6 volts in the case of the prototype ) thereby preventing excessive discharge and sub pack failure.

The second is the voltage boost phase. For the prototype this function was taken up by the rectifier and the capacitor which rectified and boost the current to 350 volts DC. Power output between 230 volts and 350 volts “rides” in support of the voltage of the hybrid battery pack. This feature delivers slightly more power to the electric drive. The overall result being to keep the ICE comfortably within it's efficient operating range hence more power and fuel economy.

A distinguishing feature of this invention is that it derives it's power from the vehicle's own (12 volt) charging system. This enable the system to operate independent of any support batteries, as the 12 volt charging system is always on hand whenever the vehicle is operating, The Power Jockey is always “available and working”.

Benefits of the Power Jockey

1. Overall increase in power to the vehicle as a more efficient electric drive also contributes towards a more powerful ICE motor as both are now working within it's best effective range.
2. More power leads to better fuel economy. The vehicle engages the silent drive more often. The ICE does not have to labour in the low REV range where it is inefficient. Acceleration is smooth and quick.
3. Protects the battery sub packs from failure by preventing the battery pack voltage from falling below the critical threshold where the sud packs will be damaged under load.
4. Allows a weak or even damaged battery pack to work with the vehicle as the parallel voltage tricks the car computer into accepting that the overall battery pack voltage is normal. Holding up the base operating voltage prevents the ICE from disengaging itself from the drive train.
5. Using power from the vehicle's own charging system, ensures that the Power Jockey is working all the time.
6. Simplicity of the design and quality component used in it's manufacture ensures that the Power Jockey is robust and reliable.
7. The unit is small and compact and is easily mounted in the boot of the vehicle occupying very little space.
8. As the unit only needs to be connected to the battery and the vehicle's charging system installation is a simple matter and can be accomplished by the vehicle's owner although it is recommended this job is done by a professional. Even if installed by a professional it's simplicity means low cost of installation.
9. Cost of the Power Jockey is low. It is less than a fraction of the cost of a new battery pack replacement and even less than the cost of reconditioning the battery. Vehicle owners can even choose to just replace damage cells in their battery pack which is cheaper than a full battery reconditioning service.
10. If installed in a new vehicle or with a new battery pack it will extend the life of the battery as the battery pack will have a shallower depth of charge and discharge.
11. It is conceivable that with the Power Jockey installed the battery pack could last the life of the vehicle purely because the owner can never accidentally or intentionally stress the battery beyond the point where sub pack damage occurs.
12. Expensive parts such as air flow meters and plugs on coils that have to be changed even with little deterioration in efficiency because loss of power in the ICE quickly leads to battery pack failure as more load is placed on the electric motor. With the Power Jockey installed these expensive parts can be used longer leading to less maintenance cost.
13. People purchase a hybrid because they save on fuel and as a result it is good for the environment. Their only concern is the cost of battery pack replacement and the reliability of an older battery. With the Power Jockey installed we are confident that this fear can be completely ameliorated.
14. Once confidence in the reliability of the hybrid vehicle is established these vehicles will have good resale value and many more people will choose to change over to hybrid and electric vehicles which will mean huge savings to the economy and benefits to our environment.
15. The inverter also allows the vehicle to be used as a generator, when 230 volt AC is required in off grid locations or in the instance of a blackout. When used as a generator the ICE will turn itself on and off automatically.

When is a Hybrid Battery Considered Fully Reconditioned

When is a Hybrid HEV Battery considered fully reconditioned? 
Rationally speaking if we can install a HEV battery in a Prius and "Triangle of Death" code icon is cleared, we will conclude we have a good working battery. The car computer monitors the HEV battery and if any cells are within the limit of tolerance the "Triangle of Death" error will be triggered.

Can the triangle error be triggered after reconditioning.
Unfortunately the answer is yes. The battery is like a light bulb. If there is a short in the wiring the next light bulb you replace will also blow. Anything wrong with the Prius mechanical and electrical system will affect the battery.
When we first started reconditioning the HEV battery we took the position that our job ended when we had a working battery. However we offered a 1 year warranty to support our service. This open us to the problem of the battery failing within the warranty period.

What problems did we encounter with the HEV battery failing during warranty?
In most cases the repair is successful and we do not hear back from the customers. However in a few cases we get the same customers back again repeatedly. Because of this we decided to look at other problems with the vehicles concerned.
To our horror many of these vehicles have never been regularly maintained. Ironically because these vehicles are so mechanically reliable their owners neglect the maintenance and still the vehicles keeps running until the HEV battery fails. The biggest discovery was that the air flow meter deterioration was the greatest contributor to the HEV battery failure. A malfunctioning MAF sensor leads to poor performance in the ICE power train putting greater demands on the HEV battery hastening it's demise. We now insist that the MAF sensor be replaced for our 1 year warranty to be valid.
Our problems did not end here. Recently we were able to purchase an S2000 scanner from Japan. We found that some error codes in the hybrid system if not cleared will bring up the turtle. With the scanner we are now able to hone in on all problems with the vehicle. We can truly guarantee that we will be able to give all our customers a fully functioning vehicle after HEV battery reconditioning, To date there has not been a vehicle we were unable to "fix".

What if we cannot get access to the vehicle?
This is a problem. We encourage our customers to bring in their cars for a service. We stand by our 1 year warranty even though failure of the battery may not be our fault. We take this stand because we believe that these vehicles despite their age are very good vehicles and our service preserves their value.

The future of the Prius Generation 1
Most people think that the use by date for this model is passed. We beg to differ. This vehicle have an electric motor as well as an internal combustion engine. It has limited EV operating mode. If we can extend this EV mode we will have an operational Electric Vehicle at a very low price without the problem of range limitation. We are looking into this and the trick is to do this safely and economically.

Prius 1 - Malfunction in LInear Solenoid

Fault codes as follows 
Engine - none

hybrid ECU -
2678 : battery system failure
2679: HV battery failure
2681: ILK disconnection 2 (interlock actuated)
2762:

battery -
2544: general battery fault

ABS -
0278: open circuit in ABS solenoid relay circuit
1216:  high positive voltage of linear solenoid
1241: low or abnormally high battery positive voltage in IG1 circuit

Possible Solenoid failure - High voltage triggered the Triangle error.
No faulty cells found.
All fault codes cleared. Car running as normal.

Repair and Reconditioning The Prius Series 1 Battery

First Signs of Trouble

If you own or just purchased a Prius Generation 1 ( 1997 - 2000 ) chances are that the HEV battery is at the end of it's service life. The first indication will be the appearance of the turtle every time you want more power. It will flash on and off after the battery gets charged up.

The turtle is not always a sign of HEV Battery Problems

Appearance of the turtle means not enough power for your intended driving condition ie going uphill or accelerating. This could either be from the ICE ( Internal Combustion Engine) or the EV ( Electric Drive or the HEV Battery ).
To eliminate the ICE
1) Check the spark plugs - there should not be any carbon around the points
2) Make sure the coils are working - faulty coil will show up in the spark plugs
3) Make sure the air flow meter is in good condition if in doubt, replace . (this is most important).
4) Check that the 12 volt battery is working correctly. It needs to be able to hold a good charge.

The HEV Battery Will Need To Be Recondition

Any weakness in the ICE will soon manifest itself in the HEV battery. Continued call for more power from the battery will reach a point where the input and output power is more than the battery can handle. At this point the CPU puts up the triangle ( C2579 ) to protect the battery. In this mode the input and output voltage is clamped.
Note : The triangle can also be put up for other reasons. If it is not the battery the triangle can be cleared by resetting the computer. ( Remove the negative terminal from the 12 volt battery wait 10 seconds then reconnect. Turn the ignition on and if the triangle is gone it is not the HEV battery. However if the problem still exist the triangle will reappear. If it is the battery the triangle will not clear. Trouble code C2579 can only be removed with the S2000 scanner.

Your HEV Battery is like your tyres, they wear down, and sooner or later have to be retreaded or replaced. Since replacing is no longer available, reconditioning is the only option.

How Long Can A Recondition HEV Battery Last ?

The reality is that without a good HEV battery your hybrid car is scrap metal ! We charge NZ$1500 to recondition the HEV battery. We provide 1 year return to base warranty. For the warranty to apply you must also replace your air flow meter which we can supply for NZ$300.
We started reconditioning the HEV battery since 2007. The first one done 3 years ago is still working in the same car. To date we have reconditioned more than 150 HEV batteries.
Over this period we have learned much and improved our techniques on reconditioning the HEV battery. Our process was finally perfected when we managed to obtain an S2000 scanner from Japan. This enable us to quantify the state of our reconditioned battery from the Delta and State of Charge readings. We can also clear all fault codes and perform cell equalisation.
We test drive the reconditioned battery in a similar vehicle. VB cell voltages must be equalised. No turtles should appear after a 10 KM test drive. It is rested for 2 days and then rechecked for self discharge. Only after passing these exhaustive test will we consider this battery reconditioned.

A couple of know issues will still affect the battery. One is fault codes resident in the car computer. These are in the Hybrid and ECU section of the vehicle system. If not cleared with the S2000 some hurtling may result. Another problem is a high voltage leak. This will appear as a fault code with the triangle displayed initially but will normally clear itself out after one or two days. Without access to the vehicle we depend on the owner to get these problems fixed if they are present.

How To Get Your Battery To The Battery Clinic In Auckalnd

If you are in Australia you can either get someone to remove the battery or remove it yourself with these instructions. You will need to send the whole pack to us with the battery computer intact as we have to calibrate the computer to the battery pack with the S2000.
We have an arrangement with Jet Worldwide to transport the battery between Australia and Auckland. This is their contact.
Our contact in Auckland is Duane or Lisette they will handle all the custom declarations and documentation. The process is easy with them. If not the shipment could be held up for various reasons at either end.
When you are ready to have your battery collected, email us ( thebatteryclinic@xtra.co.nz ) your address for collection and we will forward the same message to Duane at Jet Worldwide. They will make the arrangement to collect from your address. They will also return the battery to your address when it is completed. We will include their freight cost in our invoice
The cost of shipment from Australia to Auckland and back is approximately NZ$850. ( Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane ) Charges may change and would be more expensive from other states. You could ask for a quote. We do not add any margin to freight charges.

How Long Does It Takes

Organising the shipment over often takes some time and may encounter some delays as the airline may offload the battery until they have space as they may consider the battery hazardous goods. We will complete the job within a week.
To save time we could arrange invoicing and payment early so that it could be sent to you as soon as it is ready.

What If The Battery Fail Under Warranty

Our warranty is solid, and we will repair free of charge under warranty no questions asked, but getting the battery to us is at your cost. Until we are able to arrange representation in Australia this is the best we can do.

Longevity Of The Prius Generation 1

It is true that these tubes are no longer available from Panasonic. At the Battery Clinic we break up the tubes and re weld good cells to make a new tube. After capacity rebuilding and cell equalisation these rebuilt tubes should last many years.
Worst case scenario these tubes are available new from China. They are slightly smaller and fairly pricey but can be adapted for use. We have this option should the situation arise.
As for the vehicle itself, if you have been fortunate enough to drive a Gen 1 car in good working order, you will know how powerful and smooth it is for a 1500 cc vehicle. See this blog on how good this vehicle is.
Not much goes wrong mechanically with this car. We recently reconditioned the battery of one that had done more than 250,000 Kms. It was still running smoothly and silently. We will be able to keep the battery going for as long as this vehicle can get a warrant of fitness.
Also in the pipeline are a DC to DC converter solution to increase it''s EV range and possibly to also make it a full EV vehicle. A full EV has limited range. This one has the best of both world if we can successfully make the conversion. You could say that this vehicle is future proof against obsolescence.
We hope that this assurance will help the Generation 1 Prius keep it's value.

Prius Hybrid Servicing And Maintenance

A few myths to dispel about servicing your hybrid vehicle.

1) Toyota service centres knows best.

This would be the perception. Who would know if Toyota don't especially if they don't? The fact is that hybrid vehicles still only form a small part of our vehicle fleet. As such service centres only have very limited experience in dealing with Hybrid vehicles. On top of this when it comes to the Hybrid battery very little is known and most service centres ignore this area completely.

2) The Hybrid car is very complicated and difficult to service.

This is the paradox. Even though the hybrid combines 2 propulsion system, servicing is actually much easier. The only maintenance for the  ICE (internal combustion engine) are the spark plugs, the oil change, oil filter, air filter and coolants for the ICE and the inverters. Most people can do this themselves except for the oil change. On the plus side the oil change can be done at longer intervals as the ICE is not used as much or as hard and often the oil remains a golden colour without carbonisation for months.
There is nothing to service or maintain on the EV ( electric vehicle ) side as nothing is accessible to the owner for maintenance. However once a year it is recommended that the vehicle be sent in for a HEV battery equalisation. This procedure balances all the cells in the battery pack and recalibrates the battery computer for charging and discharging parameters of the battery pack. This procedure can only be done with a technician familiar with the use of a S2000 scanner. Only this scanner can do the job and The Battery Clinic is equipped and has the technical expertise to do this.
One more thing to take care of is to check on the 12 volt battery. This battery powers the computer system. It needs to have a good capacity. The CCA ( cold cranking amps ) is not important but it needs to have a good charge holding capacity.  If you see that the dash is a little dim when you turn on the ignition it is probably time to change the battery. As Ah is more important than CCA it is probably better to use an AGM battery.

3) I can't do it myself.

Yes you can. Reiterating the above again you can perform what you are capable of and manage what you can't.
a) Change engine oil and oil filter - Let your mechanic do this. You will only be charged for the oild change and nothing else. Possibly when you renew your warrant of fitness.
b) Spark Plugs - These cost about $6 each at the auto shop and you can change them yourself for a total of $24. You can of course change them when you do the oil change.
c) Air filter possibly at WOF time again. This may cost $60 and you may not need to change if they are not clogged. The mechanic may just do a blow out.
d) Coolants you could top up yourself. Just remember that there are 2 cooling system and both reserviour levels have to be checked.

The point of this all is that other than the above there is nothing else for you to do. Don't be fooled by $600 - $1000 bills for service. They are not justified as there is nothing to do other than the above. The brake pads don't wear out as most of the time EV braking takes place to recover the energy to charge the batteries. Brake pads last for as long as 10 years or more, Tyres would possibly be changed more often mainly because people run Hybrid vehicles more ( distance ) as they are cheaper to run.

I have personally reconditioned the HEV battery and serviced the ICE in a 1998 hybrid vehicle that has done more than 250,000 Kilo meters and believe me the vehicle still runs silent and smooth with good power and acceleration.

It is always a wonder to me how these cars keep going after so much abuse and lack of maintenance. Most fail because the HEV battery gives up. However if you look after the vehicle and let a capable technician check on the HEV battery annually at least, this car will be working for you for a long long time. The battery clinic can look after your HEV battery. We charge $300 for our equalisation service which you should do possibly once a year. You do the rest.

A Very Good Car

I remember many years ago while stopping at traffic lights I often wondered to myself how good it would be if the engine can turn itself off. I personally know of people who actually turn their engine off to save fuel! This is false economy as it takes more fuel than you would save when starting the vehicle again.

Well today the hybrid vehicle does it as a matter of course and not only that - it saves energy from braking to release when required and turns the engine off when cruising as well.

Just how good is the Hybrid car when compared to a standard vehicle?

1) Fuel Economy
A well maintained Generation one Prius ( 1997 - 2000 ) still return 20 - 22 Kms to the litre (4.5L/100Kms) This is after clocking up more than 200,000 Kms on the odometer! A standard vehicle would have loss so much compression that it's fuel economy would have deteriorated at least 25% from new.

You can still purchase a good used Generation one Prius for $6000.  If you are currently spending $100 on fuel a week, you could save $2500 a year. This means recouping the cost of your purchase within 3 years at the most. This savings alone should sway thinking people towards purchasing a used hybrid, especially if you have to drive good distances going to and from work.

Generation two Prius (NHW11)  are even more economical and Generation three (NHW20) even better still.

2) Internal Combustion Engine

This engine shuts off when not required. This means that the odometer reading does not represent the actual wear and tear as an engine in a conventional car. My guess is that if we half the odometer reading it would represent the actual wear and tear when compared to a conventional car.

The engine oil in a vehicle that has done 150,000 kms, is still golden a month after an oil change. This means that the piston rings are still intact.

3) Starts every time

One thing I noticed was that the hybrid car will start every time as long as the HEV battery and 12 volt battery are in good working order.
In 12 year old conventional vehicles starting is always questionable as it depends on the state of the 12 volt battery, the starter motor, the alternator, the idling, the timing chain and the distributor. Most of these components are not used in the hybrid car - Less parts to go wrong therefore starts every time.

4) Smooth Quiet and vibration free ride

Although it can best be described as medium saloon, It drives like a large saloon. The combination of the electric engine and the petrol engine contributes to this smooth ride. Being quiet and vibration free adds to the comfort of driving a hybrid.

5) Brakes pads

Regenerative braking recovers the energy from braking which are then stored in the batteries for reuse. This means that the brake pads are not used in normal braking. Most hybrids even at 150,000 Kms still have their original set of brake pads.

6) Spark Plugs

I have personally taken a set of spark plugs out of a car that has done 150,000 Kms. The gap was so large that it stopped firing in one cylinder.

All this goes to show that cost of mechanical maintenance is much lower than a conventional vehicle.

Mass Air Flow meter - Critical equipment in older hybrid vehicles

The ideal fuel mixture entering the combustion chamber is controlled by the onboard computer (ECU).  Depending on the power requirement, the amount of fuel injected is regulated taking into consideration

The number of air molecules entering the chamber ( Its Mass)
The temperature
The Presssure
The Burn ( Oxygen molecules left in the exhaust)

The mass air flow meter provides information on the first 3 items to the ECU.

The Prius uses the hot wire design type air flow meter to determine the air mass flow.  This equipment senses the amount of air flow by measuring the amount of current needed to maintain a constant temperature through very thin platinum wires. 

When air flows pass the wires the wire cools decreasing it's resistance and allows more current to flow through the wires. As more current flow through the wires the wire heats up increasing its resistance which in turn reduces the amount of current flowing through the wires. By measuring the current, the amount of air flowing through the engine is determined.

The  two  platinum wire sensors are set in parallel in the Mass air flow meter. This is important to measure laminar or streamline layered air flows.  If these wires are no longer parallel the laminar flow is disrupted which leads to inaccurate measurements, incorrect fuel mixture, poor engine performance.

 

Notice in this picture that the bottom wire is bent towards the right side. Air flow is no longer laminar, This MAF should be replaced.

 The paradox is that this MAF still works. It may have poor performance in accleration but is not noticeable in street driving. Fuel consumption is still good because working in conunction with the oxygen sensor the fuel mixture is regulated. 

In a normal petrol vehicle one could drive the car happily, putting up with the drop in performance. However in a hybrid vehicle any drop in performance in the ICE is compensated for in the Electric engine. This added demand and completely warp charging regime to the HEV battery quickly cause the battery to fail. 

 

In a hybrid vehicle, especially one where the HEV battery ia already 10 years old, it is imperative that you keep the air flow meter in perfect condition. It is a lot cheaper than reconditioning or replacing the battery.

 It is part of our warranty conditions that you replace the air flow meter after battery reconditioning or the one year warranty will not apply.

Another problem is that dirt and oil can contaminate the hot wires deteriorating it's accuracy. As part of normal service the air flow meter should be cleaned with a commercial Mass Air Flow Meter cleaner product, and the air filter changed.

Essential Maintenance For Prius Hybrid

It is horrifying to think that very few people know how to maintain their hybrid vehicle. Even more alarming to realise that their local mechanic don't know much either.

The hybrid vehicle is very unlike the standard gasoline or diesel vehicle. It does not have the usual components in a standard vehicle that often breaks down such as starter motors, alternators, distributors, cam belts.

Hybrid vehicle owners including owners of the Series 1 Prius now 12 years old will testify to the fact that they don't spend much money in repairs to the vehicle except for the HEV battery. The truth is that a little maintenance would have prevented most breakdowns including the HEV battery.

Essential Maintenance

1) There are 2 coolant tanks. One for the ICE motor which most owners know about and the other is for the electric drive which is less known and I have personally seen it go dry. When this happens the transmission systems runs hot and the engine clunks when it heats up. This will lead to gear box failure and a very expensive repair.

2) The Air Flow Meter. This is a very important piece of equipment to maintain in a hybrid vehicle. As the vehicle runs very lean slight degradation in performance will affect the power output of the internal combustion engine, which in turn affects the charging and the HEV battery, shortening the life of the HEV battery. This is a major cause of HEV battery failure.
The air flow meter can be cleaned with a mass air flow meter cleaner which comes in a spray can and it is recommended that this be done every 10,000 km.
The ICE motor determines the power at the higher end. If you feel a loss in power on acceleration or a dip in smoothness in the acceleration then it may be time to change the air flow meter.

3) The 12 volt battery. If this battery fails or does not hold a charge get it changed. A low capacity battery will affect the functioning of the on board computer and you will get strange errors. Eg power steering when the power steering is perfectly OK.

4} Spark Plugs ; Change the spark plugs! Many of the Series 1 Prius have done 150,00 Kms and are still on their original sets of spark plugs. This affects the combustion and power from the ICE.

Taking care of these items will go a long way towards getting trouble free motoring with your hybrid vehicle.

Buying a Prius - FAQ

I am thinking of buying a Toyota Prius but I have been told that the batteries don't last forever and cost about $10,000 to replace.

Quoted prices for battery replacements :
Series 1 Prius (1997 - 2000 ) $12000
Series 2 Prius (2000 - 2003 ) $5000
Series 3 Prius ( 2003 - 2007 )  $ 3500

The Battery Clinic offer a recondition option for $1500. This comes with a 12 months warranty and continuing after warranty support of $500 to repair. This will ensure that we keep these vehicles running for as long as the it can pass a WOF.

How long do the batteries last?
The main HEV battery are like tyres and brake pads. They are consumables and wear out over time.
I have heard of taxis (Series 1) that have done over 500,000 Km on the same engine and battery.

If proper maintenance was carried out the battery will last much longer. Problem is that most garages and even Toyota dealers do not know how to maintain these vehicles correctly. Proper maintenance should include cleaning the air flow meter, the spark plug coils, spark plugs, coolants, 12 volt battery and HEV battery cell equalisation. It is important to realise that if the ICE engine is not performing at peak it will affect the battery and therefore electric engine.

The Toyota showroom in the town where I live is offering a new Prius at a reduced price does it mean that this model has been superceded by one with more advanced technology?

Manufacturers of vehicles always update their models. The real question here is if the older model last as long as standard vehicles given that their HEV battery pack has an expected life of 8 - 10 years. The short answer is that hybrid vehicles will outlast standard vehicles especially now when the battery clinic can recondition the battery pack and support it well into the future.

This vehicle has very low maintenance which means less parts that can fail. In addition depreciating parts such as brake pads, spark plugs and the internal combustion engine will last many times more than their counterparts in a standard vehicles.

We just removed the spark plugs from a vehicle that has done 170,000 kms. It is still on it's original set of spark plugs !! The gap has increased to about 3 times it's original but there is very little soot and oil deposited on the plugs.

Many of the problems seen with these vehicles are the result of poor maintenance mostly because it runs so well even without the maintenance and the standard garages including Toyota do not know what to do to maintain these vehicles properly.

At a guess with proper maintenance the expected life of the battery can be extended by as much as 5 years before it need reconditioning. Most of the damage done to the battery is a result of lost in power in the ICE from poor maintenance.

The engine has a 1500cc rating. Is this suitable for long distance travel?

 There are 2 engines in this vehicle. It is equivalent to a 2500CC standard vehicle but cost less than half to run. Long distance travel is actually very comfortable because the vehicle is so quiet and vibration free.

Make sure you give the Prius a good long test drive before you make your final decision. If in doubt bring it to an expert such as people at the battery clinic for their opinion. They will often give it for free

How Good Is The Prius Series 1

Many Prius Series 1 owners have given up on their vehicle after bad experiences with their car HEV battery. This is not surprising as there has been very little help or information available to them to allay their fears and frustrations.

They are told that it costs $12,000 for a replacement battery by none other than Toyota themselves! This is as good as saying "Your car is scrap metal" It may be that this model was never meant for the international market and only exported out of Japan as used vehicles. However it does not help the image of hybrid cars to early adopters of this technology.

The Prius Series 1 Hybrid is A VERY GOOD CAR. This is our unreserved opinion after reconditioning the Series 1 battery pack since 2007. Our breakthrough came when we were able to clear the fault code in the battery computer. This made it possible to correctly diagnose the real problem with the vehicle which contributed to the HEV battery failure in the first place. What we have discovered is that any inefficiency in the internal combustion engine (ICE), affects the HEV battery.

The most important thing to do when owning a hybrid vehicle is to keep the ICE operating at peak efficiency. Ironically because the vehicle seems to runs so well even when the ICE is not 100% - maintenance is neglected.

We have seen vehicles run without coolants ! Spark plugs which are normal standard plugs not changed for 150,000 Kms, Most important the air flow meter is not operating at 100%. It should be cleaned on regular basis and if not performing correctly, it should be replaced.

We would be the only people who will recondition the Prius Series 1 HEV battery for $1500. The battery is not new but even so, if the ICE is operating faultlessly this car will perform as expected. We will be able to keep the HEV battery operating for as long as the car continues to get a warrant.

More on the S2000 from Kevin

For the Generation 1 Prius NHW10 ( 1997 - 2000) the only scanner that works is the Factory issued S2000. Make sure that you get a serviceman with the correct scanner to diagnose your vehicle.

Kevin is the real expert in the area of the Prius Hybrid. In his latest post to the forum replicated here he explains how the battery management systems works.

Hi all on the forum,
It has been called into question "what is the S2000", what necessity is it to us, how can it be useful to us with regards an equalization charge.
The TECNO S2000 hand held scan tool is the Toyota main dealer diagnostic scan tool of Japan, during the 1990's(where and when the NHW10 was released), being different from that of the western world which was a Mastertech main dealer scan tool.

JPG photos of aspects of the S2000 can be seen in the file section under "TecnoS2000" .
When working with a Prius NHW10, the S2000 scan tool required an extra " prius special" S2000 flash card ( photoDSC00404. JPG) to access the Hybrid extra features of this car. Also if you look at the last photo DS00412.JPG in this file you will see the menu page that deals with equalization charging using this scan tool.

In the file section also, under "NHW10 scanner fault codes" you will find the Toyota technicians Hybrid system fault code sheets for this cars hybrid system, including the "code 2579.pdf" file on how to deal with the C2579 (red triangle of death) using the S2000 scan tool with the S2000 Prius flash card fitted.

In short, this was a quick fix solution to the long-term problem of the traction batteries gradual demise. Once there is a difference of over 1 Volt between the battery modules that the battery ECU fails to balance out, then the code C2579 is invoked and a fail-safe program is switched on to protect the battery (you may notice that less turtles appear after this happening) when the triangle comes on. The garage technician would then fit the S2000 scan tool, access the menu ( DS00412.JPG) and carry out an equalization charge. This is a quick boost charge to 100% capacity using the on board ICE and MG2, IRRESPECTIVE of how much heat it generates (see code2579.pdf file instructions) . During which the fail-safe program is also automatically switched back off. After which the technician would then carry out an adjustment to the SOC settings, also see photo DSC00412.JPG) to prevent any more likely hood of any over heating or imbalance until the next time. I suspect that if this "quick fix" did not work then, Yes, the battery would have been removed, and send back to Panasonic for rejuvenation. If you look at the "battery scan.doc" file you can see settings for "off board charging", and equalization of channel 1&2 charging that don't appear on the S2000 scan tool menu's.

So NO, I do not think that doing an S2000 equalization charge is better than a full strip down and rejuvenation, but it is a dam site quicker and safer to the technician. Plus it switches off the fail-safe protection programming that is part and parcel of the red triangle scenario, which may be affecting your economy if its on.
The trouble with doing rejuvenation to a battery pack on its own, is that you are stuck with the set adjusted SOC settings as is already set up in the ECU by the last Japanese technician whom accessed it, also if the Red triangle is still lit, then the protection program is still active. So you will not reap the full benefit of the rejuvenation. This is OK if your SOC setting is set high, but not if it is set at a low %setting.

In short, this is a highly software driven car, and whether you use the S2000 scan tool to do an equalization charge, or if you have the courage to do a full and more dangerous strip down and rejuvenation yourself, then there is still benefits to switching off the red triangle and adjusting the SOC readings if you can access an original S2000 scan tool with flash card, to do this. At the end of the day though, we should all do what ever it is that we can do, to keep these " what I think" are wonderful cars,
Going for as long as we can. By hook or by crook is nessessary, But please be safe.

kevin