Auris Hybrid Advice Please

[SteveMK3]

Hi,

Prospective new owner here looking to buy an early Auris Hybrid, 2011 or 2012 registration, and looking for some advice please.

I've seen a car for sale with a very low mileage but it turns out the reason for the low miles is that the car has been unused since 2016! It's been stored indoors in a dry environment so the body/interior is fine it's the Hybrid system I'm worried about. Apart from the obvious normal major service/recommissioning that would be needed for any car that's been stood that long does anyone know how this period of none use would affect the Hybrid Battery? Will it have caused irreversible damage/future problems?

Many thanks in advance.

[Saxmaniac]

The 12v Battery will be dead if not recently replaced but the big question mark is on the traction Battery. It won't like sitting for years and even if it manages to work now, it could have it's life expectancy damaged. A new Battery isn't cheap but nor does it write off the car so I suppose it's worth pursuing if you can get the car suitability cheap. There's also other stuff like brakes and maybe corrosion on the engine from sitting, oil seals might suffer so be wary 

[TonyHSD]

Indeed.
 This car should be way cheaper then an average miles for the years, and hybrid Battery health check plus full car condition check at a suitable garage before purchasing the car are two important steps to do 👍 

[AisinW]

Yes, always do rigorous used car checkup for suspension, rust, body paint, interiors, AC, lights, and all functionality of the car. You can buy an obd2 scanner to quick look the hybrid Battery condition with Dr.Prius App. You should have all Battery voltage are within close range and onternal resistance are all similar below 24miliohms. 

You can pay Toyota dealer to do that or Dekra for just used car inspection.

[SteveMK3]

Thanks for everyone's replies but the car has actually sold now so I didn't get a chance to view it. I'm still looking though so hopefully will find something soon.

I'm looking at an early Auris Hybrids (2010-2012) so can I ask what MPG people are getting with models of this age bearing in mind the Hybrid batteries are now over 10 years old? Just worried the advantages of going Hybrid may be diminished do to the Battery being passed it's best or am I worrying about something that isn't an issue?

 

  

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, SteveMK3 said:

Thanks for everyone's replies but the car has actually sold now so I didn't get a chance to view it. I'm still looking though so hopefully will find something soon.

I'm looking at an early Auris Hybrids (2010-2012) so can I ask what MPG people are getting with models of this age bearing in mind the Hybrid batteries are now over 10 years old? Just worried the advantages of going Hybrid may be diminished do to the battery being passed it's best or am I worrying about something that isn't an issue?

 

  

Hi,

the mpg will vary between 50-60mpg depending on where and how you drive the car. Winter will be close to lower number and summer to higher with possible beyond these figures. The age will not necessarily take a tool over performance and efficiency but this also it’s not guaranteed and will depend on car condition, mileage and service history. 
If the car has all service and maintenance procedures done there is no mpg loss in comparison to when the car was new. With Battery ages the car may lose some efficiency due to a Battery chemistry and increased resistance but that will probably be at its very last days before it goes bad and requires replacement. 
Important thing for best hybrid Battery performance and longevity is to keep interior clean and airy. Two major factors that fail batteries are heat and moisture. 
There is a cooling fan grill no filter on these cars and this needs inspection and if it’s dirty means the fan inside the battery needs cleaning. Also when loading the car make sure you never block this grill so battery can get its air flow. Winter use heating and summer air conditioning. Another thing about these cars to check if you buy one is spare tyre well if it’s dry. 
That is pretty much all. A good second hand example should have no problems with its hybrid battery even at that age. 

[Cyker]

If my Mk4 is anything to go by, the capacity of the traction Battery will make very little difference to the mpg (The Mk4 only has a 700Wh, i.e. 0.7 kWh, Battery!), as it just uses it as a temporary energy buffer to capture wasted energy from the ICE, then deploys it later, and continuously cycles between those two states.

If it wasn't for the need to start the engine with it, Toyota could have gotten away with using super capacitors instead, despite their low capacity. Might even work better as they weigh a lot less! I'm kinda surprised they hadn't put in some sort of hybrid Battery that used super capacitors and lithium cells. Maybe the gains didn't outweigh the extra complexity.

[Saxmaniac]

Some cars use super capacitors alongside batteries to take advantage of instant charge and discharge whereas the Battery has a slower charge rate as it's a chemical reaction. Is it Porsche or somebody like that uses this?

[Cyker]

I've always thought that would be a more sensible setup, esp. for performance, as lithium cells hate having lots of current pushed and pulled into/out of them repeatedly and having a super capacitor bank to buffer that would greatly extend their lives, but I must admit I've not heard of a manufacturer using them yet; The only one I recall it even being mentioned with was the Yaris Hybrid R concept car, as that was more of a parallel hybrid and didn't need a traction Battery to start as it was more like other hybrids (Conventional ICE-driven FWD with electric motor assist and 2xMG driving rear left and right wheels)

Even F1 doesn't use them AFAIK, which is baffling - They just hammer the poor Battery pack with high current the whole time, and IIRC they actually have to replace the whole pack after every race, and those aren't cheap! Crazy!

[Mojo1010]

The MK4 Yaris has better generation Battery than the MK3 and auris. Because of that, it has better power and fuel efficiency. Get a cat lock for the auris. 

[Cyker]

The funny thing is it's half the capacity of the Mk3's!  

But it is lighter, and because it's lithium now, it can also handle more current, which means more rapid regen and higher power output  

Mojo's catlock tip is also essential (If you can get them to fit one as part of the sale, then bonus!  )

[Saxmaniac]

2 hours ago, Cyker said:

I've always thought that would be a more sensible setup, esp. for performance, as lithium cells hate having lots of current pushed and pulled into/out of them repeatedly and having a super capacitor bank to buffer that would greatly extend their lives, but I must admit I've not heard of a manufacturer using them yet; The only one I recall it even being mentioned with was the Yaris Hybrid R concept car, as that was more of a parallel hybrid and didn't need a traction battery to start as it was more like other hybrids (Conventional ICE-driven FWD with electric motor assist and 2xMG driving rear left and right wheels)

Even F1 doesn't use them AFAIK, which is baffling - They just hammer the poor battery pack with high current the whole time, and IIRC they actually have to replace the whole pack after every race, and those aren't cheap! Crazy!

I can't remember what cars capacitors were used on, maybe even race cars or high performance German stuff. Might only have been a concept. I suppose it's a bit OTT for a standard road car 

[Gerg]

1 hour ago, Saxmaniac said:

I can't remember what cars capacitors were used on

This was Mazda, wasn't it?  Launched some years ago and not without teething problems, I seem to remember.  Located behind the headlight, and sometimes got too hot, not so?

[SteveMK3]

Thanks for everyone's advice that's reassuring and really helpful! Cheers.

 

 

[Saxmaniac]

11 hours ago, Gerg said:

This was Mazda, wasn't it?  Launched some years ago and not without teething problems, I seem to remember.  Located behind the headlight, and sometimes got too hot, not so?

Really can't remember but I expect it wouldn't be cheap either 

[SteveMK3]

Me again guys, sorry about all the questions! So I'm looking at viewing a couple of cars this weekend, is there any advice you can give me about what to check regarding the Hybrid system and how to make sure it's all functioning as it should plus any error codes or warning lights to look out for etc? Thanks in advance.

 

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, SteveMK3 said:

Me again guys, sorry about all the questions! So I'm looking at viewing a couple of cars this weekend, is there any advice you can give me about what to check regarding the Hybrid system and how to make sure it's all functioning as it should plus any error codes or warning lights to look out for etc? Thanks in advance.

 

Hi, 

you can start the car on cold and listen for excess metallic noises like slack timing chain or valve train rattling immediately after the engine kicks in. Any heavy metal knocking sounds may show egr blockage on cars over 100k miles. Check oil dipstick for any signs of dirt accumulation, oil colour and level , usually these engines has clean oil. Check coolant if pink and at correct level, check hybrid Battery filter grill to see how dirty is, and after a test drive with car still ON try to listen for excess noise from the hybrid Battery cooling fan, this should be nice and quiet. 
During test drive try to pay attention to the Battery charge level should remain in the middle and when waiting at traffic lights or stop and remain stationary how fast the hybrid battery goes down, there should be good few minutes before goes down and engine kicks in to recharge. If it’s your first ever hybrid and you like the car but unsure you may want to take it to a Toyota dealer for a battery health check or ask the seller of the car has current health check done and extended battery warranty. 
These are most basic checks . 
Good luck 

[SteveMK3]

Hi Tony, many thanks for that, should be very helpful.

[TonyHSD]

1 hour ago, SteveMK3 said:

Hi Tony, many thanks for that, should be very helpful.

You are welcome 👍