Probably one of the biggest headaches that Toyota Prius owners will inevitably face is the time when they have to replace the battery of the hybrid system. Sure, you can just take your car to the dealership, have them sell you a new pack, and do the installation for you. That will set you back thousands of dollars, though.
Just in case you’re in the situation above and looking for a much more affordable way, ChrisFix released a step-by-step process for replacing a failing battery of a Toyota Prius. Or you know, if you don’t have anything better to do this weekend, this is a tedious yet satisfying process to watch.
For the video above, Chris replaced the battery of a third-generation Toyota Prius, which was sold from 2010 to 2015 and way uglier than the sleek, current-generation model. As a replacement, he used an aftermarket battery pack from Electron Automotive, which costs $2,200 and has a higher power and warranty than OEM.
To compare the cost, Chris got a quotation from a Toyota dealer, which estimated $4,600 for the new battery pack and labor for installation. With the aftermarket battery pack and DIY steps, the total savings were estimated to be around $2,000.
This isn’t the first time that Chris replaced a battery on a Prius. He showed a second-generation model of the hybrid Toyota that worked on before without any issues. And yes, he used the same brand of aftermarket battery.
The video above showed the step-by-step process, which started by identifying if your Prius has a battery problem by checking the dashboard for error messages, monitoring fuel economy, and plugging in an OBD-II scanner. He shows how to access the hybrid battery system from the rear of the car and work on the actual battery to replace the cells. The process included safety tips, which are very important since you’ll be working on a set of battery cells.
Again, it was a very tedious process but if you want to save a lot of money (and you’re brave enough to work on it yourself), here’s a great resource.
