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A warning light pops up on your dash. The car feels weak. Your first thought is probably the hybrid battery.
That is a fair guess, but it is not always right. The hybrid battery has a close partner called the inverter. When either one has a problem, the warning lights and the loss of power can look almost the same.
This guide explains what each part does, the signs that point to one or the other, and how to find out for sure before you replace anything.
The hybrid battery is the large high-voltage pack that stores energy for the electric motor. It helps the gas engine when you pull away, climb a hill, or pass another car.
It charges itself as you drive. The engine tops it up, and so do the brakes. When you slow down, the electric motor works like a generator and sends energy back into the pack. This is called regenerative braking.
The pack is made of many small modules joined together. As the years go by, some modules get weaker than others. When the gap between strong and weak modules gets too big, the car’s computer notices and turns on a warning.
You can browse hybrid battery replacements by make and model to see what fits your vehicle.
The hybrid battery stores direct current, or DC power. The electric motor runs on alternating current, or AC power. The inverter sits between the two and changes one into the other.
It also works in reverse. When you brake, the inverter helps send power from the motor back to the hybrid battery.
Think of the hybrid battery as a water tank and the inverter as the pump and valves. The tank can be full, but if the pump stops, nothing flows.
The inverter handles a lot of power, so it gets hot. On many Toyota and Lexus hybrids it has its own coolant loop with a small electric pump. If that pump stops, the inverter can overheat and the car will cut power to protect it.
Greentec Auto Canada carries hybrid inverters for Toyota, Honda, and Lexus models.
Both problems can cause:
The car’s computer protects the whole high-voltage system. When it sees trouble in any part of it, it reacts the same way: it warns you and cuts power. That is why the dash alone cannot tell you which part has failed.
A hybrid battery tends to fade slowly. Watch for these signs over weeks or months:
If this sounds like your car, these guides go deeper:
Inverter trouble often shows up with less warning. Look for:
Symptoms give you clues. Trouble codes give you answers. A scan tool reads the codes stored in the car’s computer.
Codes that point to the hybrid battery
Codes that point to the inverter
One code rarely tells the whole story. Codes often show up in groups, and a good technician reads them together with live data from the car. If a control unit is the fault, not the pack or the inverter, Greentec also stocks ECU modules for Toyota and Honda hybrids.
Some inverter faults are covered by the carmaker. Toyota has issued safety recalls on certain Prius and Prius v models because parts inside the inverter could be damaged under high load. In those cases, Toyota dealers update the hybrid system software and replace inverters that failed from the defect.
Before you pay for any inverter work, check your VIN with Toyota Canada or in Transport Canada’s recall database.
Greentec Auto Canada is based in Coquitlam and serves drivers across British Columbia. We supply remanufactured and new hybrid batteries for models like the Toyota Prius and Toyota Camry, along with inverters and ECU modules.
With mobile installation, a technician can install your hybrid battery at your home or workplace anywhere in BC. Every hybrid battery is backed by our warranty. Want to know how our packs are built? Read why remanufactured hybrid batteries are a smart choice for Canadian drivers.
Greentec Auto started in the United States in 2012, when three brothers rebuilt their sister’s hybrid battery at their father’s repair shop in Sacramento, California. You can read that story at greentecauto.com. Today the same company serves Canada from BC.
Not in Canada? Drivers in the United States can visit greentecauto.com, and drivers in the United Kingdom can visit greentecauto.co.uk.
Not sure which part is failing? Contact our team or call (604) 247-4091 and tell us your codes and symptoms.
A failing hybrid battery usually shows slow changes: lower fuel economy, an engine that runs more often, and a charge gauge that swings quickly. A failing inverter often causes sudden power loss, several warning lights at once, or a hybrid system that shuts off. A trouble code scan is the only way to confirm which part is at fault.
The inverter changes the DC power stored in the hybrid battery into AC power for the electric motor. It also sends power back to the hybrid battery when you brake. Without a working inverter, the hybrid battery cannot power the motor, even if the hybrid battery itself is healthy.
It is not a good idea. When the hybrid system finds a fault, it often limits power so the car can only be driven a short distance. In some cases the hybrid system can shut down while you are driving. If a hybrid warning appears, drive gently to a safe place and have the codes read soon.
No. The hybrid battery and the inverter are separate parts with separate jobs. If the inverter or its cooling pump has failed, a new hybrid battery will not clear the fault. Always have the trouble codes read and the system tested before replacing either part.
P0A80 (Replace Hybrid Battery Pack) and P0A7F (Hybrid Battery Pack Deterioration) point to the hybrid battery. P0A78 (Drive Motor “A” Inverter Performance) and P0A93 (Inverter “A” Cooling System Performance) point to the inverter or its cooling system. Codes often appear in groups, so a trained technician should read them together.
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