Bateries

[acetip]

hi all

am thinking if finances allow i may consider prius/auris hybrid purchase sometime in the future,but have a couple of concerns regarding the Battery.

i have read some place that should your engine stop through elec/mech reasons or running out of fuel, and you carry on driving on the electric motor only then you can damage the Battery and invalidate the warranty.

also if the car is not used for more than 14 days the engine has to be run for half hour to recharge it.

this is a warranty issue too.

i am worried about the second problem as my car stands for a lot longer than this at times when i a m away from home.

i beleave this problems are reported from the u.s.a maybe only apply to earlier models.

has anyone any comments to make on these reports.

thanks acetip.

[timberwolf]

hi all

am thinking if finances allow i may consider prius/auris hybrid purchase sometime in the future,but have a couple of concerns regarding the battery.

i have read some place that should your engine stop through elec/mech reasons or running out of fuel, and you carry on driving on the electric motor only then you can damage the battery and invalidate the warranty.

This is a quirk in the previous Prius model (Gen 2 years 2004-2009), where the HV (High Voltage) Battery can be drained below its designed State of Charge. Other than running out of petrol, I would find it highly questionable that Toyota would claim that the hybrid warranty has been invalidated due to a mechanical fault - can you provide a web link that supports this? It was fixed on the Prius Gen 3 and I don't anything about an Auris Hybrid.

also if the car is not used for more than 14 days the engine has to be run for half hour to recharge it.

this is a warranty issue too.

i am worried about the second problem as my car stands for a lot longer than this at times when i a m away from home.

i beleave this problems are reported from the u.s.a maybe only apply to earlier models.

has anyone any comments to make on these reports.

thanks acetip.

The 14 days refers to a USA Toyota Technical Service Bulletin that says that the dealerships must run the car to ensure that it goes out to the customer fully charged. The main emphasis of that TSB concerns the maintenance of the small Aux 12v Battery rather than 201v HV Battery.

Curiously, my UK dealer claimed no knowledge what so ever of any TSB maintenance procedures or checks that they were supposed to carry out concerning either the 12v or HV batteries prior to delivery!

A brand new Aux 12v battery should easily last 4 weeks and the 201v HV battery probably somewhere between 3 to 6 months, and think I read somewhere that it may still contain a lethal charge after 12 months.

If you are going to leave the car standing often and do a low annual mileage, you may want to consider researching the various preventative measures for looking after the 12v battery, such as trickle chargers or disconnecting the battery...

[man-bing]

Batteries have a natural discharge rate, but they should still be able to hold the internal charge for many months, before it falls below the minimum power needed to start a car, unless you have something electrical thats taking this away.

It would seem pointless that you have to recharge the car Battery within a period of 2weeks for 30mins.

The power output from the alternator that needs to recharge the Battery would take a few hours, so a 30min recharge would be useless, it would take more power just to star the car up before it recharged it.

Put it another way, when you recharge some batteries at home, why does it take some 9hrs plus to recharge a 1.5V Battery at 240V, but a car battery will hold 50amps and the alternator only pushing out some 20amps.

As you are right in saying, going away for a holiday, you could be away longer than this and in theory your battery would be flat before you got back, sounds very silly to me.

[acetip]

hi all

am thinking if finances allow i may consider prius/auris hybrid purchase sometime in the future,but have a couple of concerns regarding the battery.

i have read some place that should your engine stop through elec/mech reasons or running out of fuel, and you carry on driving on the electric motor only then you can damage the battery and invalidate the warranty.

This is a quirk in the previous Prius model (Gen 2 years 2004-2009), where the HV (High Voltage) Battery can be drained below its designed State of Charge. Other than running out of petrol, I would find it highly questionable that Toyota would claim that the hybrid warranty has been invalidated due to a mechanical fault - can you provide a web link that supports this? It was fixed on the Prius Gen 3 and I don't anything about an Auris Hybrid.

also if the car is not used for more than 14 days the engine has to be run for half hour to recharge it.

this is a warranty issue too.

i am worried about the second problem as my car stands for a lot longer than this at times when i a m away from home.

i beleave this problems are reported from the u.s.a maybe only apply to earlier models.

has anyone any comments to make on these reports.

thanks acetip.

The 14 days refers to a USA Toyota Technical Service Bulletin that says that the dealerships must run the car to ensure that it goes out to the customer fully charged. The main emphasis of that TSB concerns the maintenance of the small Aux 12v Battery rather than 201v HV Battery.

Curiously, my UK dealer claimed no knowledge what so ever of any TSB maintenance procedures or checks that they were supposed to carry out concerning either the 12v or HV batteries prior to delivery!

A brand new Aux 12v battery should easily last 4 weeks and the 201v HV battery probably somewhere between 3 to 6 months, and think I read somewhere that it may still contain a lethal charge after 12 months.

If you are going to leave the car standing often and do a low annual mileage, you may want to consider researching the various preventative measures for looking after the 12v battery, such as trickle chargers or disconnecting the battery...

[acetip]

hi all

am thinking if finances allow i may consider prius/auris hybrid purchase sometime in the future,but have a couple of concerns regarding the battery.

i have read some place that should your engine stop through elec/mech reasons or running out of fuel, and you carry on driving on the electric motor only then you can damage the battery and invalidate the warranty.

This is a quirk in the previous Prius model (Gen 2 years 2004-2009), where the HV (High Voltage) Battery can be drained below its designed State of Charge. Other than running out of petrol, I would find it highly questionable that Toyota would claim that the hybrid warranty has been invalidated due to a mechanical fault - can you provide a web link that supports this? It was fixed on the Prius Gen 3 and I don't anything about an Auris Hybrid.

also if the car is not used for more than 14 days the engine has to be run for half hour to recharge it.

this is a warranty issue too.

i am worried about the second problem as my car stands for a lot longer than this at times when i a m away from home.

i beleave this problems are reported from the u.s.a maybe only apply to earlier models.

has anyone any comments to make on these reports.

thanks acetip.

The 14 days refers to a USA Toyota Technical Service Bulletin that says that the dealerships must run the car to ensure that it goes out to the customer fully charged. The main emphasis of that TSB concerns the maintenance of the small Aux 12v Battery rather than 201v HV Battery.

Curiously, my UK dealer claimed no knowledge what so ever of any TSB maintenance procedures or checks that they were supposed to carry out concerning either the 12v or HV batteries prior to delivery!

A brand new Aux 12v battery should easily last 4 weeks and the 201v HV battery probably somewhere between 3 to 6 months, and think I read somewhere that it may still contain a lethal charge after 12 months.

If you are going to leave the car standing often and do a low annual mileage, you may want to consider researching the various preventative measures for looking after the 12v battery, such as trickle chargers or disconnecting the battery...

i cant find where i read these problems in the usa but it was the main battry in question.

running the car on battery only cooked the battery by draining it to low.

the dealer explained handbook warned of this.

trhe charging every two weeks running applied again to main battery not 12 volt one.

again in hand book.

[johalareewi]

The power output from the alternator that needs to recharge the battery would take a few hours, so a 30min recharge would be useless, it would take more power just to star the car up before it recharged it.

But the Prius doesn't have an alternator and the 12V Battery does not start the engine.

There are posts on Prius Chat where the gen3 12V Battery has discharged over a period of 2 or 3 weeks AND there are posts where it hasn't.

Will let you know in a few weeks if mine was OK after 2 weeks :)

Pretty sure it will be unless I leave the light on!

[Trafficman]

The power output from the alternator that needs to recharge the battery would take a few hours, so a 30min recharge would be useless, it would take more power just to star the car up before it recharged it.

But the Prius doesn't have an alternator and the 12V Battery does not start the engine.

There are posts on Prius Chat where the gen3 12V Battery has discharged over a period of 2 or 3 weeks AND there are posts where it hasn't.

Will let you know in a few weeks if mine was OK after 2 weeks :)

Pretty sure it will be unless I leave the light on!

[Trafficman]

I have frequently left my Mkii for over two weeks and twice for my Mkiii with no problems. Only issue I every had was when I left my headlights on!

[dawesy]

the 12v Battery is not like a normal Battery, it is more like a leisure Battery used in caravanning/camping.

it is designed to provide low amps current over long periods. it is charged from the inverter when in ready mode.

the HV battery should hold its charge for long periods (at least 2-3months) if it is being stored for longer then it is advisable to remove the main HV circuit breaker located by the rhs of the battery (rubber gloves advised)

[Grumpy Cabbie]

But doesn't the keyless locking system draw current from the 12v Battery when stood? If you're going to leave the car for a while and/or you don't use it often, then I'd probably recommend turning the keyless locking system off.

You're probably going to ask how - I don't know, but I think it is in the owners book.

[acetip]

hi all

am thinking if finances allow i may consider prius/auris hybrid purchase sometime in the future,but have a couple of concerns regarding the battery.

i have read some place that should your engine stop through elec/mech reasons or running out of fuel, and you carry on driving on the electric motor only then you can damage the battery and invalidate the warranty.

also if the car is not used for more than 14 days the engine has to be run for half hour to recharge it.

this is a warranty issue too.

i am worried about the second problem as my car stands for a lot longer than this at times when i a m away from home.

i beleave this problems are reported from the u.s.a maybe only apply to earlier models.

has anyone any comments to make on these reports.

thanks acetip.

i think this is the sites i found about the hv Battery =

priuschat.com and www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/toyota/prius/

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I would recommend being a member of Priuschat.com - it is a mine of information, but it is an American site and has an American slant. There are a few minor differences between the UK, European and USA Prius models and you should also bear this in mind.

Regarding running out of fuel and damaging the HV Battery, I believe this was an issue on the first generation models (the funny looking saloon) but should have been corrected on later models. Also, the fuel gauge on the Prius is exceptionally conservative in its readings as you will see from some posts on this forum. Some members have run their cars for 50+ miles after the gauge has displayed 0 miles range. I personally would try ensure you never run out of fuel to avoid any possible problems. I would also offer that advice if you owned a modern common rail diesel, let alone a hybrid.

Not heard about not using a Prius for more than 14 days would invalidate your warranty. I am not an expert of car warranties, but would be exceedingly surprised if that was the case. I doubt such a rediculous requirement would apply in other areas of the world either.

One thing I would say is that if you suffer a flat 12v Battery on a Prius, you have got to be extra careful about jump starting it. Get it wrong and you could fry the computer(s) - an expensive problem! Again, this would apply to most, if not all modern cars, but the Prius does have more than its fair share of computers.

I wouldn't worry too much about the batteries going flat on the Prius. Other members have pointed out that the HV Battery will hold a significant charge for a long (months) period of time. The 12v will also hold a charge for a good period, but beware of the keyless entry system running it down. Switch it off if you're going to leave the car unattended for long periods.

[acetip]

I would recommend being a member of Priuschat.com - it is a mine of information, but it is an American site and has an American slant. There are a few minor differences between the UK, European and USA Prius models and you should also bear this in mind.

Regarding running out of fuel and damaging the HV battery, I believe this was an issue on the first generation models (the funny looking saloon) but should have been corrected on later models. Also, the fuel gauge on the Prius is exceptionally conservative in its readings as you will see from some posts on this forum. Some members have run their cars for 50+ miles after the gauge has displayed 0 miles range. I personally would try ensure you never run out of fuel to avoid any possible problems. I would also offer that advice if you owned a modern common rail diesel, let alone a hybrid.

Not heard about not using a Prius for more than 14 days would invalidate your warranty. I am not an expert of car warranties, but would be exceedingly surprised if that was the case. I doubt such a rediculous requirement would apply in other areas of the world either.

One thing I would say is that if you suffer a flat 12v battery on a Prius, you have got to be extra careful about jump starting it. Get it wrong and you could fry the computer(s) - an expensive problem! Again, this would apply to most, if not all modern cars, but the Prius does have more than its fair share of computers.

I wouldn't worry too much about the batteries going flat on the Prius. Other members have pointed out that the HV battery will hold a significant charge for a long (months) period of time. The 12v will also hold a charge for a good period, but beware of the keyless entry system running it down. Switch it off if you're going to leave the car unattended for long periods.

thanks grumpy cabbie,

is there anything in the handbook about the running engine after 14 days as mentioned on one of those sites.

the consumeraffairs site can frighten with problems they had (and are having) even with 2010 models in u.s.a

are they built in the same place as the uk ones?

acetip

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Phew, I've just had a flick through the UK owners manual. There is a page right at the beginning which generally says that "if you park the vehicle for a long time (no specification on what a long time is!) the hybrid Battery will slowly discharge. For this reason, be sure to drive the vehicle at least once every several months for at least 30 minutes or 10 miles. If the hybrid Battery becomes fully discharged and you are unable to jump start the vehicle with the 12v Battery, contact any authorised Toyota dealer..." There is also a warning that if the 12v battery has become fully discharged or been removed that "the gasoline engine may not stop even if the vehicle is running on the hybrid battery. If this continues for a few days, contact any authorised Toyota dealer...."

It appears from the above that it is OK to leave the vehicle for extended periods so long as you observe the above. There is also a page on how to exactly jump start the car, which doesn't appear to out of the ordinary, but does stress not to contact the leads to the wrong terminals. I couldn't see any reference to the 14 day period you refer to and guess it's either a load of twoddle from some anti-Prius type or a misunderstanding or misinterpretation.

If it does concern you I'd recommend you contact your local dealers and see what they say. My dealers have always been friendly and approachable on such matters and if they don't know the answer, they've always checked with headoffice. I certainly wouldn't let it put you off the car and is definitely worth a call to your dealers.

Fire away if you have any other queries. It's a great car, smooth ride and uber economical.

[acetip]

Phew, I've just had a flick through the UK owners manual. There is a page right at the beginning which generally says that "if you park the vehicle for a long time (no specification on what a long time is!) the hybrid battery will slowly discharge. For this reason, be sure to drive the vehicle at least once every several months for at least 30 minutes or 10 miles. If the hybrid battery becomes fully discharged and you are unable to jump start the vehicle with the 12v battery, contact any authorised Toyota dealer..." There is also a warning that if the 12v battery has become fully discharged or been removed that "the gasoline engine may not stop even if the vehicle is running on the hybrid battery. If this continues for a few days, contact any authorised Toyota dealer...."

It appears from the above that it is OK to leave the vehicle for extended periods so long as you observe the above. There is also a page on how to exactly jump start the car, which doesn't appear to out of the ordinary, but does stress not to contact the leads to the wrong terminals. I couldn't see any reference to the 14 day period you refer to and guess it's either a load of twoddle from some anti-Prius type or a misunderstanding or misinterpretation.

If it does concern you I'd recommend you contact your local dealers and see what they say. My dealers have always been friendly and approachable on such matters and if they don't know the answer, they've always checked with headoffice. I certainly wouldn't let it put you off the car and is definitely worth a call to your dealers.

Fire away if you have any other queries. It's a great car, smooth ride and uber economical.

thanks again,

this 14 day advice was in u.s.a handbooks, possibly earlly models

also it seems you dont have to go straight the terminals on the 12v Battery as there is provision in fuse box to

wire up your jump leads,this again was on one of the websites i posted.

is that in our handbook crabbie

cheers acetip.

acetip.