so leave a hybrid unattended for 4 months and face potentially disastrous consequences..i wonder if they included that in owners manual. You can seldom win in this world..

 

Yes, for older ones. In the majority of cases for hybrids with < 10 years and < 100K miles that are driven regularly, it's not an issue.

They mention it in the Prius owners manual, but it's vague on exact length of time.

Healthy batteries lose charge very slowly. With age and use, they start to discharge more rapidly. As they age, mileage and deterioration advance, many packs are no more than a few days away from failing if left sitting. The daily driving helps keep the weak cells propped up and working... Failure is coming soon due to the cell being cycled outside its intended range, but they can go like this for months without failure.

Used hybrids are rarely sound purchases. I am frequently asked by friends and family for help buying a used Prius. I ask them, "are you okay with spending $2,000 dollars the day after you buy it to fix a major breakdown?" If the answer is "no", they don't really want a Prius. The Prius is an incredibly reliable car and has an excellent reliability rating, but the fact remains that hybrids are dual propulsion system vehicles. Not only do they have all the potential for failures as regular cars, but they also have the potential for failures from the hybrid components - few of which are cheap. Furthermore, hybrids have a "6th tire" (HV battery) that will eventually wear out due to it having a finite life just like tires.

The above philosophy extends to all hybrids. Camrys/Altimas are even harder on their batteries than most Prius.

I know none of this helps you, and I'm sorry you're in this situation. I just tend to blabber.

 

no I appreciate your insights into "hybrids" in general..If we flipped the scenario for a minute and this happened to a Prius, how long do you think you can drive on the 12V battery with a partial failure of battery pack? Just curious to know if outcome various from brand or model...

 

The smaller ICE of the Prius makes it much more dependent on the traction motor. It's really nothing you can predict, but when the Prius cuts off the pack due to it sensing a major issue, it it dangerously low on power and goes into "limp" mode where the car will barely go over 30 mph.

The Altima is a Camry for all intents and purposes. They are essentially identical in every way. The larger ICE tends to make the power loss from the disabling of the traction motor much less offensive.

Again, it's nothing one can predict. The likely outcome is for the car to eventually disable start at some point.

 

lets hope it don't get to that point, I will update once I make it out to Orielly's to get their diagnostic test - fingers crossed.


Much obliged for everyone's input.

 

Hi guys I hope your still with me on this.. I got the Oreilly's scan today and these are the codes it found: P3013, P0A80, P0AC4. Yes I did try clearing the codes earlier this week and ofcourse they all came back. My overriding concern besides the obvious is do I have to go to my Nissan dealership (stealership-in my case, in past experience), I had a major confrontation at my local Nissan outlet, they lied to me on a job and charged me more after they verbally promised what the initial cost would be to fix my car (yes after they scanned and checked it), mistakes happen I know but it was there attitude in the end that snowballed into a verbal spat in the end. At any rate will these codes force me to a dealership ? I think they must all eat testosterone burgers for lunch because they all looked like they were ex-bouncers dressed in suits- they have this intimidating vibe about them from the get-go.


Anyway, your advice as ever, is cheerfully accepted.


1on1

 

P3013 - Block 3 becomes weak.
P0A80 - Replace hybrid battery.

Not familiar with P0AC4, but google fu says "generic" fault code for the HV ECU, i.e., if there's a problem in the hybrid system, this code says "there's a problem in the hybrid system" and other codes tell you what's up.

Will they force you to a dealership? It depends on if you find someone willing to replace your battery. I'm not a fan, but Greentec Auto offers batteries for your car. Depending on your location, they may be able to install it for you.

 

thanks for the speedy reply, ok so when you (or rather the code reader) says " replace battery" do you suspect replacing a single defective module or is it more likely replacing the whole battery ? I will look into Greeentec right away..

 

I don't remember the details, but CA warranty is 10 years, 150K miles. If you're over either slightly, it's worth pursuing a goodwill warranty.

Concerning module replacement, consider this scenario:

You drive an 18 wheeler with 10 year old tires on it, and they're bald, but they're working. One blows, and you replace it with a USED tire. What do you expect is going to happen next? One of the other 17 is going to blow. Maybe the same one.

Module replacement is typically a game of whack-a-mole; not always, but usually - that gets repeated every few months. For the end-user that doesn't want to tackle it themselves, the best value option is a quality reconditioned battery with a warranty; however, that is a short term solution as well. One should not expect more than 3-4 years of "typical" driving.

You're also looking at about 6 hours of labor to remove, disassemble, replace, reassemble and reinstall, more time if you clean all the bus bars (you should). You're talking $400-500 in reasonably price labor alone. As an end user, you expect a warranty for that kind of money, but you don't deserve one. You're asking for a guarantee on the 17 bald tires - not reasonable.

 

ok sticking with your scenario of "bald tires" if lets assume two are bad, do you care to take a wild guess as to how much to replace these modules( lets assume two for now) ..ive had nothing but problems with this car, i no longer want to keep it for 3-4 years but get rid of it within the next 6 months which is when the registration will be up for renewal.