Prolong Battery Extension Systems have multiple use cases:
- Preventative maintenance for healthy hybrid electric vehicles (HEV’s)
- Reconditioning of weakening or ‘failed’ HEV batteries to restore lost performance and prevent further degradation
- Repair and recovery of “failed” batteries (HEV’s with battery failure DTC codes)
Preventative maintenance for healthy hybrid vehicles
The Prolong ‘Standard’ Battery Charger is designed for cars with healthy hybrid batteries, typically 5-6 years old or less. The Standard Prolong Battery Charger will prevent battery degradation and failure before it happens. If the battery is still very strong and showing no signs of degradation, this is our most cost effective option for HEV battery maintenance.
Reconditioning of weakening HEV batteries to restore performance and prevent further degradation
For customers with HEV batteries that are already degraded and showing signs of decreased performance, we recommend our “Risk Free Reconditioning” service offering.
Symptoms of a weakening hybrid battery include decreased MPGs, sluggish performance/lack of power on acceleration, less EV mode (for equipped vehicles), negative recalibrations, and force charging of the hybrid battery by the vehicle. (View this link for more details on how to know if an HEV battery is degraded and heading toward failure).
Risk Free Reconditioning is a unique service offering that allows Prolong Battery Systems resellers to recondition and restore the customers’ existing battery, saving the customer thousands of dollars while still earning great profit margins for the reseller. Risk Free Reconditioning retails for 25%-35% of the cost of full battery replacement. In the vast majority of cases, Risk Free Reconditioning is successful and the customer saves thousands of dollars while our resellers achieve a healthy 60%-80% profit margin. When customers are properly qualified, Risk Free Reconditioning should be successful approximately 95% of the time.
In the rare cases (<5%) where Risk Free Reconditioning does not work, our resellers still make money. The end customer is also protected, as all or nearly all of the customers reconditioning costs are applied toward a replacement hybrid battery. The customer is happy because our resellers ‘tried everything they could’ to avoid battery replacement, and our resellers are happy because the customer is ‘locked in’ for the HEV battery replacement and will still earn a healthy profit from the HEV battery resale and installation. HEV battery replacement should be expected in approximately 5% of Risk Free Reconditioning instances.
Repair and recovery of “failed” batteries (HEV’s with DTC codes)
In instances where the customers’ battery has already ‘failed’ and is displaying a DTC fault code for hybrid battery failure, Risk Free Reconditioning is often still able to restore the battery and return it to service. Depending on battery condition at time of failure, performing Risk Free Reconditioning treatment on the battery pack will often be enough to recover the battery, eliminate the DTC codes, and return the car to usable service. Understanding how long it has been since the customers’ battery initially displayed the fault code is important to evaluate the likelihood of Risk Free Reconditioning success. The shorter the time period, the greater the likelihood of success.
For Toyota vehicles, in the approx ~50% of cases a pack level Risk Free Reconditioning treatment alone will not be enough. Identifying and replacing one or two failed modules will return the existing pack to usable condition. Once replaced, the battery is still able to be warrantied under the Risk Free Reconditioning program. As usual, ongoing servicing of the battery is key for long term success. (i.e. regular balancing and occasional reconditioning strongly recommended to prevent the DTC code from returning)
For Honda vehicles, in the approx ~10% of cases when a ‘failed’ pack level Risk Free Reconditioning treatment is not enough, full battery replacement is recommended. (We recommend the MaxIMA battery from Bumblebee Batteries.) In our opinion, stick level replacement has been found ineffective and unreliable. As such we do not recommend it.