Hybrid battery 'reconditioning'


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Old 07-16-17, 05:22 PM
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Hybrid battery 'reconditioning'

A local repair shop has a hybrid maintenance package for $1000. It includes battery 'reconditioning'. Anyone know anything (if anyone's here) about this. Is it worth it? Kinda eats up the gas savings during the year.
 
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Old 07-16-17, 07:08 PM
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Without a year, make and model it's pretty hard to offer a comment.
 
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Old 07-16-17, 08:17 PM
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Since the manufacturer has an interest in your operating costs being as low as possible you should really consult them.
 
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Old 07-16-17, 08:41 PM
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Oh I have a comment. It's absolutely worth it...to the shop owner and his boat payment. If it was helpful or beneficial, the manufacturer would want it done at a dealer...for $1500.
 
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Old 07-16-17, 09:36 PM
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battery 'reconditioning'
OH BOY, hadn't had a good laugh today.

Cant wait to pass this along tomorrow!
 
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Old 07-19-17, 05:41 PM
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Now I understand it's legit

Now I understand a little more about it. It sounded like a scamerooni at first. They load test it and replace modules that need it. I'm not sure why they have to take the whole thing out of the car though as this shop does.
Their spiel - "the battery pack is removed from the vehicle and the NiMH (nickel-metal hydride) cores are run through a Power test and an Energy test to determine its overall State-of-Health (SOH). It is then subjected to an exclusive discharge and charge process to increase cell capacity and energy output. Failing components and individual cells can be identified and replaced as needed. Other battery components that support the battery pack system are checked for proper operation. The battery is then placed back into the vehicle, and the customer can look forward to many years of improved performance and efficiency. This service can be repeated as necessary over the life of the car with no adverse effects on the battery pack."
 
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Old 07-19-17, 07:09 PM
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It may not be a scam but it may not be cost worthwhile.

The battery pack is made up of many strings of series cells. Any defective cell in a string can render that string a poor performer.

Usually matched cells are installed originally which means if you have one or several going bad.... others may not be far behind.

You need to weigh the age of the old pack with the cost of a replacement versus attempting to lengthen the life of the old one with "refurbishing".

What kind of a guarantee do they give you on the rebuild ?
You may go a limited amount of time until another rebuild is needed.
 

Last edited by PJmax; 07-20-17 at 07:39 PM. Reason: typo
parikb voted this post useful.
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Old 07-20-17, 02:44 PM
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I'm inclined to agree with Pete.
I'll repeat that the vehicle manufacturer will have some ideas about what battery maintenance is most cost effective.
Keep in mind that other than being green you presumably are driving this type of vehicle for economics and it is possible to go overboard with preventative maintenace.

Also, if you are in tune with the performance of the batteries which you should be you would notice a loss of capacity.
Does the vehicle have an information system that details battery performance ?
 
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Old 07-20-17, 03:31 PM
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i just googled this hybrid battery and came up with a page of company's dotng this in my area. Saw one with 5 year warranty.
 
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Old 07-20-17, 05:07 PM
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Most electric cars have liquid cooled battery packs meaning they don't simply slip in and out of a car like your cordless drill.

I'm going to bet if you attempt to crack open a hybrid battery case that you have voided any and all warranties the manufacture has on that item.
 
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Old 07-24-17, 07:02 AM
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probably specific to certain vehicles that doesn't use standard battery technology in those cases it may actually be cost effective over replacement and if a warranty is offered would certainly consider it as an alternative if you was looking at a battery replacement.
 
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Old 12-01-18, 11:05 PM
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There are a bunch of YouTube tutorials on this;

You can even do it yourself. Guys are selling parts on eBay too/

Toyota, when the Prius first came out, they had a whole battery swap safety kit and they would cordon off a few bays with tape barricades. Not anymore.

Toyota will not service the batteries or repair them, they just sell you a complete battery bank for a small fortune. *comes with guarantee

As a note, many times when your drill battery goes bad, it is usually a single cell that has gone bad from running the battery all the way down to dead. (the old NiCad's) (Lithium is different) the nicads when you run them down dead, sometimes they swap polarity, so one of 14 cells now have reversed polarity. That makes it so it wont charge and we just throw them away.

I learned to open and test individual tool battery cells and when I find one reversed, I shock it back right polarity by zaping it momentarily with a blast from a car battery....learned that on youTube too, google it.
 
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Old 11-10-20, 03:46 PM
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I wouldn't do it unless I was experiencing problems with the battery pack
 
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Old 11-11-20, 05:22 AM
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If you notice the date... this question was asked over three years ago.
 
 

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