Anyone have problems in a huge traffic jam?

FishHawk · 10-17-2006, 05:30 PM

I was involved in a large traffic jam going to Cape Cod. We were crawling. I was mostly on my battery and electric motor. I got a little nervous because the battery was getting very low. Has anyone had issues with the car stalling or the battery not being charged in such as situation? FishHawk

Pious · 10-17-2006, 05:32 PM

I had that happen to me yesterday, and the ICE kicked in and charged the battery with no problem.

Bill Lumbergh · 10-17-2006, 05:43 PM

As long as you're not leaving the car in neutral, the ICE will start and charge the battery whenever the ECU thinks it needs to.

daronspicher · 10-17-2006, 05:48 PM

It wasn't very impressive a time this summer when it was too hot to leave the AC off all the way. I had that on low and we got in a traffic snarl. 1.5 hours, 10 miles... After a point, the car was pretty well freaked out starting and stopping the engine. It's terrible for mpg when it's doing that, but no harm done.

qbee42 · 10-17-2006, 05:52 PM

Just leave it in D and drive it; the Prius will take care of itself. You can't discharge the battery unless you leave it in N.

Tom

DocVijay · 10-17-2006, 06:09 PM

I've been doing this 5 days a week for the past 10 months. Not once has it been a problem. Battery is full, battery drains, ICE charges battery, battery is full. Lather, rinse, repeat.

If you are really worried, when the traffic stops for a second, put on the brakes hard, and push the accelerator. The ICE will come on an charge the battery. Don't know if this is good or bad, but it works.

aaf709 · 10-17-2006, 06:40 PM

The only time I have that bad a traffic jam is when I'm in LA. Every time the ICE kicks in and out as needed without problems.

**efusco** · 10-17-2006, 06:56 PM

This is a FEATURE of your Prius...instead of sitting and idling it uses the battery to keep critical systems alive during low speed or stopped traffic. It allows the battery to get quite low on the assumption that traffic will go away soon and you'll recharge when you start driving. If you don't start driving it'll start up, charge nominally for a tiny fuel burn, and go back to battery-only mode.

Do NOT shut off the car when the battery gets low...this is worse for FE as it will force it to go through the warm-up cycle again and you'll actually end up with an even lower battery charge.

Do NOT do the forced charge method above (brake, gas technique), also unnecessarily burns fuel and increases the temp of the electronics (inverter, battery, etc) making them less efficient.

Do NOT put the car in neutral or you eliminated the option for the battery to be recharged by the ICE. There are really only 2 ways you can damage your prius battery....1)leaving the car in Neutral and allowing the battery to be discharged, or 2)running out of gas and continuing to drive until the battery is depleted (and even that won't do it unless you keep going and going with multiple restarts).

DO smile at all those saps burning gas for no good reason and frown at those same saps for polluting our world while they sit there burning gas.

darelldd · 10-17-2006, 07:05 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Oct 17 2006, 03:56 PM) [snapback]334227[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

This is a FEATURE of your Prius...[/b]

Indeed! You are driving a "real" hybrid. This is what it does. Be happy that it works this way. If it doesn't use the battery in this fasion, there's little reason to drag the thing along with you. In the car I drive the most, the Internal Combustion Engine NEVER comes on - mostly because there isn't one.

Ari · 10-17-2006, 07:05 PM

This whole thread sounds like my daily commute! (I'm sure I'm not the only one.)

It's really cool to inch along using little or no fuel while everyone else is idling. So no, it's not a bug, it's a feature

10-17-2006, 06:56 PM	#8
efusco Troll Slayer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nixa, MO Posts: 12,829 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: #9 Nominated 1 Time in 1 Post TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 20	This is a FEATURE of your Prius...instead of sitting and idling it uses the battery to keep critical systems alive during low speed or stopped traffic. It allows the battery to get quite low on the assumption that traffic will go away soon and you'll recharge when you start driving. If you don't start driving it'll start up, charge nominally for a tiny fuel burn, and go back to battery-only mode. Do NOT shut off the car when the battery gets low...this is worse for FE as it will force it to go through the warm-up cycle again and you'll actually end up with an even lower battery charge. Do NOT do the forced charge method above (brake, gas technique), also unnecessarily burns fuel and increases the temp of the electronics (inverter, battery, etc) making them less efficient. Do NOT put the car in neutral or you eliminated the option for the battery to be recharged by the ICE. There are really only 2 ways you can damage your prius battery....1)leaving the car in Neutral and allowing the battery to be discharged, or 2)running out of gas and continuing to drive until the battery is depleted (and even that won't do it unless you keep going and going with multiple restarts). DO smile at all those saps burning gas for no good reason and frown at those same saps for polluting our world while they sit there burning gas. __________________ Evan E. Fusco, MD Seaside 04BC9/OEM EVb/NAV & auto-BT/XM Radio, CAN-View, Shark Fin, BT Stiff. Plate, Skid Plate & Strut Support

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10-17-2006, 05:30 PM	#1
FishHawk Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 110 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I was involved in a large traffic jam going to Cape Cod. We were crawling. I was mostly on my battery and electric motor. I got a little nervous because the battery was getting very low. Has anyone had issues with the car stalling or the battery not being charged in such as situation? FishHawk

10-17-2006, 05:32 PM	#2
Pious Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 57 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I had that happen to me yesterday, and the ICE kicked in and charged the battery with no problem.

10-17-2006, 05:43 PM	#3
Bill Lumbergh Enabling ISR ATOs for OEF/OIF Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Persian Gulf Region Posts: 503 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #1 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 1	As long as you're not leaving the car in neutral, the ICE will start and charge the battery whenever the ECU thinks it needs to.

10-17-2006, 05:48 PM	#4
daronspicher Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,205 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	It wasn't very impressive a time this summer when it was too hot to leave the AC off all the way. I had that on low and we got in a traffic snarl. 1.5 hours, 10 miles... After a point, the car was pretty well freaked out starting and stopping the engine. It's terrible for mpg when it's doing that, but no harm done.

10-17-2006, 05:52 PM	#5
qbee42 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 4,803 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 5	Just leave it in D and drive it; the Prius will take care of itself. You can't discharge the battery unless you leave it in N. Tom

10-17-2006, 06:09 PM	#6
DocVijay Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 1,455 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 1	I've been doing this 5 days a week for the past 10 months. Not once has it been a problem. Battery is full, battery drains, ICE charges battery, battery is full. Lather, rinse, repeat. If you are really worried, when the traffic stops for a second, put on the brakes hard, and push the accelerator. The ICE will come on an charge the battery. Don't know if this is good or bad, but it works.

10-17-2006, 06:40 PM	#7
aaf709 Ravenpaw of ThunderClan Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 3,823 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	The only time I have that bad a traffic jam is when I'm in LA. Every time the ICE kicks in and out as needed without problems.

10-17-2006, 07:05 PM	#10
Ari Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 156 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: Base Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	This whole thread sounds like my daily commute! (I'm sure I'm not the only one.) It's really cool to inch along using little or no fuel while everyone else is idling. So no, it's not a bug, it's a feature