Lexus Gs450H Hybrid(Traction) Battery

[doro708]

Hi all,

I have started this topic trying to help anyone who has a problem with the hybrid Battery on a lexus gs450h . About a month ago i was stuck in traffic and the check hybrid system came up on but the car was still drivable and only a bit more lazy on acceleration . After i arrived at home i plugged the scanner and it came with the error code P0A7F - Hybrid Battery Pack Deterioration and check VSC message. I have cleared the code and looked at the Battery modules voltage but they were all looking fine so i assumed it was just a one off. The car was fine but after one week same thing happened again and meanwhile the car was feeling a bit different anyway, the only difference this time it was the error code P0A80 - Replace Hybrid Battery Pack. Unfortunately my car has done 124k miles and also the last service was done with an independent specialist so i had no warranty. I kept researched on-line and i found someone in Northampton that recondition and repair hybrid batteries for Honda & Toyota. Meanwhile i have also discussed with someone from London and he said he will fix my car in 4 hours but he never done one before. I decided to use the guy in Northampton who's name is Richard, a very nice guy and helpful. He said he will need the car between 5 and 7 days and will give 10k miles warranty or one year , whatever comes first . Dropped the car on on Tuesday because it was still drivable just without abs, vsc and cruise control and picked it up this Wednesday . The car feels great now and also the fuels consumption is with a few mpg's better. The guy also has a website but i am not sure if i am allowed to post it here so i will leave his phone number is someone is interested.

Richard Hybrid Battery solutions - 01604404644 .

[ColinBarber]

No problem with posting the website. Do you know what work was done - replaced a cell, a recalibration or a dismantle and clean of all the connectors?

[doro708]

The website is the same like his company name, just type in on google hybrid Battery solution UK. As far as I know he definitely replaced a cell and reconditioned all the modules plus the 12v Battery. I suppose he also cleaned the connectors but I am not sure.

[Hayne]

This is a great post Adrian and will hopefully be useful to us all when the time eventually comes.

Hoe did you check the Battery module voltages? Was this with diagnostic tool or just with a volt meter?

Also, were there any symptoms before failure?

And, how much did the guy charge you to repair it?

Thanks.

Giles.

[doro708]

I have checked the voltage with the diagnostic tool and the lowest one was 16.61V and highest 16.76V. To check the module with a multimeter you have to take the whole Battery pack out and open it.

About the symptoms, no it wasn't anything before, only after the first error code the car was not holding the charge as much as before and i could not feel the power as i used to know it.

I have paid £800 for the repair and it took 1 week to be done.

[cruisermark]

is this your car?

[doro708]

Yes, that is my car.

[Hayne]

Thanks or the info, but could you tell me which diagnostic tool you bought to be able to read the individual Battery voltages?

I bought a Tachyon tool which is supposed to read the Battery voltages, but it doesn't seem to on my car.

Thanks.

[hybridbatterysolutions]

Hi there,

The Diagnostic tool I use is Toyota Techstream chaps - its definitely the best & allows me to capture live data including cell unit voltages & internal resistances.

You need a laptop that is running the Windows XP 32 bit O/S then if you look on eBay you need to buy the mini VCI & software - if you are PC Savvy you wont have any problems getting it all to work,

Yes I replaced a cell module & rebalanced & reconditioned the entire pack together with my special system i designed & built myself.

I am happy to help

Richard

[ColinBarber]

Toyota Techstream is really the only thing that can be used. Toyota don't release their proprietary diagnostics information so any other tool has just used a reverse engineering method to try and work correctly.

The downside is having to pay a four figure sum to legally obtain the right to use Techstream. Our forum T&Cs don't allow the discussion of obtaining software illegally.

[hybridbatterysolutions]

Hi Colin

My apologies - I quite understand.

Richard

[Mouser]

I know it's a different car, but I've seen a very similar example with a prius. The terminals and bus bars develop a small amount of corrosion over time, which can easily be cleaned off once disassembled, in the same way that you can clean corrosion off a normal 12V Battery. Because there are a lot of contact points and a lot of current, the voltage drop (and power dissipated) can be enough to cause fault codes with what appears to be very little visually. With the corrosion removed, the example I saw was back to full health, but in the case of a faulty cell it would also be possilbe to replace that (rather than the whole assembly).

Here's the album of the work, showing step by step what can go on inside the Battery, how to test cells and how to fix corrosion induced problems:

http://imgur.com/gallery/j8Bcp/

[hybridbatterysolutions]

It's rare in my experience that corrosion actually causes major problems although of course it can happen' toyota/lexus placed absorbent material under terminals in an effort to absorb leaking electrolyte which is a powerful hydroxide which in turn causes corrosion as its nasty stuff.

Although corrosion can be a contributor it is much more common to see failed cell modules.

The Lexus Hybrids draw a fair bit more power from the Battery packs than Toyota's do which accounts for the shorter warranty period.

It is rather strange that warranties in both cases seem to run out more or less exactly at the time most packs are likely to start failing?

[ColinBarber]

The power/warranty statements aren't entirely true. Some of the Lexus models draw more power, although the Toyota badged variants of the same vehicle in other countries draw the same, but the CT for example is just an Auris/Prius in terms of hybrid drivetrain.

The warranty period has nothing to do with power draw, it is just a marketing thing. Toyota can get away with just providing a lower warranty on Lexus vehicles in the UK compared to Toyota vehicles. In the US the Lexus hybrid system carries an 8 year warranty, the same system that is on the UK vehicles, and the same as Toyota.

[hybridbatterysolutions]

My information was that the Battery output voltage on the GS was boosted up to around 6KV before reaching the MG is that not the case?

[ColinBarber]

No that isn't correct. I believe the Battery pack on the GS is 288 volts. The inverter boosts that to around 650 volts DC and the converter creates a 3 phase AC voltage which supplies the motor.

There are two other DC-DC converters, one 288v to 12v for normal car electric functions and recharging the aux Battery, and the other 288v to 46v for the power steering.

[hybridbatterysolutions]

Ah right, I must have mis-read the figure somewhere, I knew it was boosted up.

Anyway thanks for the confirmation.

[hybridbatterysolutions]

It is actually 650ish Volts independently tested, the 6KV I read was a typo, although if effective insulation could be developed KVs actually makes quite a bit of sense with the appropriate safeguards of course

[Green GS450H]

I have just had my GS450H Battery refurbished by Richard. The 145 mile drive home from Northampton was a real pleasure and the cost (including 290 miles of fuel and a return train ticket was still less than half the cost of a replacement by Lexus. Richard is a very pleasant bloke as well.

Highly recommended.

[rupfrost]

Hi I've just used Richard and recommend him highly;  in my case there wasn't a problem with the hybrid Battery but he was incredibly helpful and I'll be sure to use him if / when my GS450H Battery does need to be refurbished.

[Farqui]

18 hours ago, rupfrost said:

Hi I've just used Richard and recommend him highly;  in my case there wasn't a problem with the hybrid battery but he was incredibly helpful and I'll be sure to use him if / when my GS450H battery does need to be refurbished.

 

G'faw, you just 'used' Richard...for what?!

[royoftherovers]

1 hour ago, Farqui said:

4 hours ago, rupfrost said:

Hi I've just used Richard and recommend him highly;  in my case there wasn't a problem with the hybrid battery but he was incredibly helpful and I'll be sure to use him if / when my GS450H battery does need to be refurbished.

G'faw, you just 'used' Richard...for what?!

I was just about to ask the same question!

[Farqui]

22 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

I was just about to ask the same question!

Richard PM'd last night and he's okay 

Rupert just went over for a diagnostic.

[Daniel66]

On 4/30/2015 at 10:04 PM, Mouser said:

I know it's a different car, but I've seen a very similar example with a prius. The terminals and bus bars develop a small amount of corrosion over time, which can easily be cleaned off once disassembled, in the same way that you can clean corrosion off a normal 12V battery. Because there are a lot of contact points and a lot of current, the voltage drop (and power dissipated) can be enough to cause fault codes with what appears to be very little visually. With the corrosion removed, the example I saw was back to full health, but in the case of a faulty cell it would also be possilbe to replace that (rather than the whole assembly).

Here's the album of the work, showing step by step what can go on inside the battery, how to test cells and how to fix corrosion induced problems:

http://imgur.com/gallery/j8Bcp/

This is amazing stuff! Thank you so much.