Yaris Traction Battery

[BHS]

Recently acquired a MK 3 Yaris Hybrid 4k miles from  a Toyota main dealer  (most impressed with the build quality)

I'm getting to grips with the various complexities, but have noticed that the traction Battery is showing just two green bars

Should I be concerned ?. The car is only used for around town driving 

[Cyker]

The car deals with it tbh; If the Battery is low it'll run the engine more to charge it up. Just let it do its thing and it'll be fine.

I will say you won't get great mpgs if the journeys are all short (In terms of time, not distance) tho' as it doesn't give the engine time to warm up.

[flash22]

Drive it, it hasn't been far in the last 2-2.5 years it will need a tank of fuel run through it and a long run to get it all nice and warm

[Derek.w]

Dont forget to use B mode when going down hill it help boost traction Battery.

You can also charge the 12 volt Battery with a appropriate Battery or solar charger.

If 12 volt battery charged its less work for DCtoDC charger to do and its power is from the main battery to charge the 12 volt battery.

[Cyker]

B-mode actually charges the Battery less! It sends most of the energy to spinning the engine to bleed off energy, in case you're going down a long steep hill or something.

You get a lot more energy recovery in D-mode and gentle to moderate braking.

I find braking earlier and more often suits the hybrid car, although the stronger default regen in the Mk4 means often you don't even need to brake and can coast up to (And often through!) traffic lights as they change with minimal braking!

[BHS]

1 hour ago, Cyker said:

B-mode actually charges the battery less! It sends most of the energy to spinning the engine to bleed off energy, in case you're going down a long steep hill or something.

You get a lot more energy recovery in D-mode and gentle to moderate braking.

I find braking earlier and more often suits the hybrid car, although the stronger default regen in the Mk4 means often you don't even need to brake and can coast up to (And often through!) traffic lights as they change with minimal braking!

 

[BHS]

1 hour ago, Cyker said:

B-mode actually charges the battery less! It sends most of the energy to spinning the engine to bleed off energy, in case you're going down a long steep hill or something.

You get a lot more energy recovery in D-mode and gentle to moderate braking.

I find braking earlier and more often suits the hybrid car, although the stronger default regen in the Mk4 means often you don't even need to brake and can coast up to (And often through!) traffic lights as they change with minimal braking!

Thank you all.

I took the Yaris out for a longer run today, and the Battery is showing between 2 and 3 green bars - it appears to oscillate between 2 and 3 bars. As the Yaris had only done 3900 miles (and it's two years old) when I bought it last month maybe it has been standing idle or seldom used. As I am using the car almost daily, but on short local runs, the traction Battery should adjust to a more fuller charge ? The short comings of the MK3 model appears to have been addressed by the introduction of the enhanced MK 4 model 

 

[Cyker]

Amusingly the Mk4's Battery is about half the capacity of the one in the Mk3!

I can't remember how it is in the Mk3, but the Mk4 tries (sometimes too hard!) to stay at about 50% charge (4 blocks out of 8 on the meter).

I think the earlier ones were a bit less obsessed with that so you'd see bigger variations. A motorway run would deffo bring the % up tho'!

[Roy124]

If the Battery never goes above 3 it might be worth getting the Battery checked in case any cells have failed through low usage. 

It's a new car and will be under warranty. 

[flash22]

If it's approved used it should have had its hybrid health check, you can check that online via MY T

[BHS]

Thanks

 

Can you advise as to how to access this on-line MY T ?

[flash22]

Top right (person icon) of the Toyota website - set up an account (click on My account and a window will pop up - click I don't have an account) and add your car

 

 

[Derek.w]

Strange I was told by the AA to use B mode for the perpose of recharging the hybrid traction Battery, 

Then again I live on top of a hill so maybe that was taken into account but then again the Battery charge for hybrid Battery was not a problem.

A discharged 12 volt battery was my problem and my battery charger at that time was not compatible with my battery type.

[Cyker]

I think that might have been true on the earlier hybrids, as it would max out the regen on some of them, but for sure on the new ones B-mode should only be used when you're trying not to overheat the brakes as it only regens at the same level as if you lift off the accelerator, much less than if you're pushing the brake pedal!

(Like if I brake the CHG band will go up to 3 blocks, but using B-mode it never goes above 1 block of CHG)