2008 Tahoe Hybrid with 152000 miles - very little problems until lately with the stalling and jerking at around 40-45 mph. Dealer installed new ECM, programmed, and cleaned throttle body. Codes=POAC4 and PO61B - dealer says hybrid battery is starting to fail. They test drove it, and the battery voltage at low speeds was unsteady.

Someone in an earlier thread recommended calling around to the local dealerships to get the cheapest price - but I wondered about these hybrid battery reconditioning shops springing up.

I did call one of the local dealerships - they can put in a brand new battery to the tune of $3300 but can't get the part for a week, as it comes from Montana. Update: Just called another local dealer - they want $2700 for the battery and $230 for install.

Any other ideas? I love my Tahoe, and it is in perfect shape interior and dang good exterior.

 

Pull the battery and test it yourself, find the bad cell and replace it. From what I have read its very similar to the Prius battery and if thats the case it is very easy.

 

That's a great price for a new battery.

If you're into self-flagellation, go for the test and replace option.

 

Its not a bad price for the battery but why spend $3300 when you can buy a cell from ebay for under $50 and test and replace it yourself in a weekend?

 

Do you have any evidence that is uses the same modules? There is almost no information out there. Removing a Tahoe battery looks like even more trouble than a Gen1 Prius, which is a SOB.

Individual module replacements on Prius are notoriously short-lived. Doing it once means you'll have to do it again. Either it takes a massive amount of effort to assess an entire pack for a long term solution, or you'll probably replace a module every few months, and the untested garbage on eBay that happens to be > 7.2V is completely uncertain.

So, it's down to 3 options:
1) replace a module every few months.
2) Spend a few hundred $$ on equipment and take the car offline for 1-4 weeks while you refurb the battery. Results will be mixed, but it should last notably longer than single module replacement based on voltage.
3) Get an instant fix that will likely last 7+ years.

Take your pick.

EDIT: I'm speaking from experience. I have 5 hybrids, and a total of 11 hybrid packs. 8 are in the house.

 

If they are charging that little for labor it can't be that hard to pull the battery and the second and third gen prius batteries don't seem to have issues (at least the 2 I've replaced) after only a couple of months. I know of you believe the Internet they say it will only last if you slowly charge and discharge every cell while having north and standing on one foot but I have been driving on a home rebuilt battery in my Prius for a year now with a little over 10 k miles and the friends battery I did is still holding up after 8 months. They may only last 4 years but for the $35 I spent on each cell I think I already have my monies worth.