A Closer Look At How A Hybrid Battery Is Rebuilt
Toyota Prius Complete Hybrid Battery
After removing the interior surrounding the battery on a Toyota Hybrid, sits a bolted down, High Voltage Battery carrying 201.6 volts of Direct Current. Toyota Hybrids are in my opinion, the best dependable hybrid on the market.
Disassembly of the Prius HV Battery
The Toyota Prius Hybrid Battery pack of the second generation consists of 28 Panasonic Prismatic nickel metal hydride modules, each containing six 1.2 volt cells connected in series. This picture shows how the modules are connected and how corroded the connections can get causing low voltage leading to battery failure / dead cells.
Refurbish Charging and Testing Phase
Each module is tested and refurbish charged to desulfate the internal plates to bring back life to the battery. Some modules are not able to revive and are discarded.
Discarded Toyota Hybrid Battery Modules
Here is a perfect example of what can happen if a cell fails inside a module. This one has actually burnt through and melted the plastic case that holds the module together. When your battery fails in your hybrid, please do not drive it for weeks to see how long it will take before it does not drive anymore. This can happen inside your battery pack and cause more damage.
Assembly of Refurbished Toyota Prius HV Battery
Battery components are Tested, Refurbish Charged, cleaned, matched up to balance and great care is taken to make sure all wires are connected to their proper terminal.
Installing The Hybrid Battery
After installing the Hybrid Battery, the Hybrid systems are checked thoroughly to ensure that the battery will charge properly and perform with outstanding gas mileage.