SELL AS-IS OR FIX MY 2013 RAV4 EV? Needs battery

[Siobhan]

Hello I’m new here. I’m sorry if I’m not posting this on the right thread.

I have a 2013 RAV4 EV blizzard pearl (repainted). I have been told by Seattle Toyota and an independent EV mechanic it needs a new battery. The car has been a wonderful daily driver for the last seven years for me. It has 88,000 miles on it. I’ve never had an issue before this. I’ve been told new batteries cost $40,000 and Toyota is no longer supplying them. I am open to all possibilities with this vehicle. The vehicle is clean, always been on the west coast, not driven in harsh weather conditions or off road, no accidents or rust. All highway miles.

Anyone want to give me a reasonable offer for the car as-is(no low ball please)?
Does anyone close to Seattle have the knowledge to be able to repair this vehicle for me?
Does anyone have a battery that I could use to repair my vehicle for a reasonable price?
I have cross posted on other groups. Looking for as many avenues as I can to choose how to move forward.
Thanks for your input.

 

[davewill]

I would talk to Chad at Re/cell (https://recell-ev.com/). He started out on RAV4EV packs and if anyone would know what options there might be, it would be him.

Finding a salvaged pack is certainly possible, but it's going to be 10 years old as well.

 

[hokiematt]

What are the symptoms or fault codes that imply the need for a new battery? Rarely do these Tesla cells fail; the typical failure mode is a bad contactor, and while that repair does require removing the pack for service, it does not require replacement of the battery modules.

 

[Siobhan]

Thank you both for your input. I am following up with reCell
As for the codes, they are as follows. I had my car seen by the Seattle Toyota and another independent EV mechanic in the area.
Toyota:
DI-F037, BMS_F011, BMS_F062, trouble area, includes EV battery, drive motor, contactor, and service plug. Battery has corrosion, but is tight and passes battery test. Removed cover and inspected service plug. It was tight. Voltage drop across contactor was within spec. Moore service alerts appeared in LOF, including BMS_F062,BMS_F071 and DI_w124. None of these alerts matched each other or duplicated. Called TAS and they looked at a case history and said with these codes and stalling conditions the battery was the cause in other cases. Disconnected battery overnight to clear fault and Evie warning illuminated the next day. Performed thermal test and chiller failed to operate correctly. EV battery discontinued.

2nd EV mechanic
Pulled Codes and did the appropriate tests for code 312F and discovered the Propulsion Control Module PEM had failed intermittently. We also found the Battery has resistive cells and will no longer charge. We were recommending the Propulsion module, programming and a new battery. Total cost unknown

 

[alflash]

Dear Sir,
Before such a fatal conclusion was made, were these checks, for example, carried out (to DTC BMS_f062)?

If yes, please show them documented results.

 

[Siobhan]

Thanks a lot! I will look into this this weekend.

 

[hokiematt]

When you try to start the car, do you hear the 'clunk-clunk' of the contactors as they close? Does the instrument cluster show 'READY' as continuously on, flashing, or not at all? Were there any symptoms/problems the last time the vehicle was driven?

How old is your 12V battery? Many issues with these vehicles have been caused by a low 12V supply. If your contactors aren't closing, the DC-DC converter won't run, and your 12V battery will be discharged any time the car is on. I would suggest disconnecting the 12V battery (to reset the Tesla systems), put a charger on the battery overnight, then reconnect/try restarting the vehicle. Alternatively you could take the 12V battery to a local auto parts store and ask them to perform a free battery check; if the battery is low, they should charge it overnight before testing it.

 

[davewill]

I'd also suggest that while the car is sitting, you put a battery tender on it. Small 1-2amp ones are pretty cheap. In some situations, low 12v battery voltages can actually do damage to electronics. It is also not good for the lead-acid battery itself to sit at low levels of charge.

 

[birdshack]

Hi,
I live in Seattle and have a 2012 rav4ev with 98k on it... I've been considering selling it to get an EV with greater range. My battery is fine probably 85% of original capacity, regularly charges over 115.
Let me know if you're interested
[email protected]

 

[JDP]

Thanks a lot! I will look into this this weekend.

What happened?

 

[jfletter]

Hello I’m new here. I’m sorry if I’m not posting this on the right thread.

I have a 2013 RAV4 EV blizzard pearl (repainted). I have been told by Seattle Toyota and an independent EV mechanic it needs a new battery. The car has been a wonderful daily driver for the last seven years for me. It has 88,000 miles on it. I’ve never had an issue before this. I’ve been told new batteries cost $40,000 and Toyota is no longer supplying them. I am open to all possibilities with this vehicle. The vehicle is clean, always been on the west coast, not driven in harsh weather conditions or off road, no accidents or rust. All highway miles.

Anyone want to give me a reasonable offer for the car as-is(no low ball please)?
Does anyone close to Seattle have the knowledge to be able to repair this vehicle for me?
Does anyone have a battery that I could use to repair my vehicle for a reasonable price?
I have cross posted on other groups. Looking for as many avenues as I can to choose how to move forward.
Thanks for your input.

Siobhan:

I would not take the dealerships word about the battery problem or you independent EV mechanic unless you really know and trust him. As people mentioned already, there can be several thing causing the error not directly related to the battery. Alflash may be able help you out if you have the means to let him remote into your car and run some tests.

 

[Trantot]

Siobhan:

I would not take the dealerships word about the battery problem or you independent EV mechanic unless you really know and trust him. As people mentioned already, there can be several thing causing the error not directly related to the battery. Alflash may be able help you out if you have the means to let him remote into your car and run some tests.

hi sorry to hear that your rav4 battery is not working. I am in the same boat here in Seattle. I am looking for a non working battery for parts to swap parts as an experiment to see if it work. Love to buy your non working battery if you want to sell it. [email protected]

 

[jimbo69ny]

It’s almost always the contactors that went bad. You can replace them but it takes some work. You have to drop the battery pack and open it. It’s been done many times though. Many diy people have done it.
Replacing Toyota Rav4 EV Contactors PLUS UPDATE on Rav4 issues https://youtu.be/CXCN2a0QA5g

 

[Davidew98]

I would test the resistance on your safety fuse under the seat. it might be blown. if not, like Jim said, it's probably your contactors.

 

[califteacher]

Thank you everyone for your contributions to this thread, as any of us could be in the same situation at any time. I'm taking notes.