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Gen 4 Prime (2020) not fully charging anymore

Discussion in 'Prime Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by hans1, Mar 28, 2024.

  1. hans1

    hans1 Member

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    Couldn’t find any threads with the problem I’m seeing.

    My 2020 Prime at under 40k miles now only charges from empty 4.9 kWh (when at home, or at public chargers) and then stops. Car won’t allow charging any more than that. Up until the past few weeks, it used to charge 5.9 kWh from empty.

    In all the years, have never seen this before, for any temperature or weather.

    The estimated range is also down to 18-19 miles, from 21-22 miles.

    Any ideas?
     
    #1 hans1, Mar 28, 2024
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2024
  2. Mr.Vanvandenburg

    Mr.Vanvandenburg Active Member

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    How do you measure the kwh? The estimated range does fluctuate on previous driving conditions. Maybe battery temp is a factor.
     
    #2 Mr.Vanvandenburg, Mar 28, 2024
  3. hans1

    hans1 Member

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    Oh, it was how many kWh that the ChargePoint app showed were added. And this was from battery being empty. This has happening every time, and only started over the past month.

    And at home, I’m seeing the same reduced range to go, after “fully charged”.

    Really a step change from everything previous over the past several years.

    Is there any way to reset the battery and charging? Almost seems like the car is confused?!

    p.s.- the thing I’m worried about is not really the range to go, but unable to accept a “full” kWh charge from empty
     
    #3 hans1, Mar 28, 2024
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2024
  4. route246

    route246 Member

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    What is your climate like? It sounds like it may be a battery state of charge capacity problem. Are you cycling frequently or leaving it fully charged for long periods of time?
     
    #4 route246, Mar 29, 2024
  5. hans1

    hans1 Member

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    Climate is mild, and no temperature extremes. Charge every day, and don’t leave fully charged more than a day or two at most. Drive most days.
     
    #5 hans1, Mar 29, 2024
  6. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    Do you use an app to monitor anything besides kW s into the hybrid battery
     
    #6 vvillovv, Mar 29, 2024
  7. sylvaing

    sylvaing Active Member

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    I'll sound like a broken record but Hybrid Assistant is great for that.
     
    #7 sylvaing, Mar 29, 2024
    vvillovv and hans1 like this.
  8. hans1

    hans1 Member

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    Good thoughts all, thanks. Will have to look for that. I checked the miles/kWh from the display, and it looks like it has also slowly degraded over time, with the worst drop over the past month.
     
    #8 hans1, Mar 29, 2024
  9. hans1

    hans1 Member

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    Found other threads about battery degradation, and that does look like what I’m getting.

    It seems like maybe all my driving in EV mode at high speed (75-85 mph on highways) does make a difference in more quickly degrading battery ability to fully charge?! Even with under 40k miles on my 2020 Prime.
     
    #9 hans1, Mar 30, 2024
    vvillovv likes this.
  10. Mr.Vanvandenburg

    Mr.Vanvandenburg Active Member

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    There an eco diary which shows the daily and monthly miles/ kwh. That would show the efficiency changes. Maybe if you drive only ev around town for awhile and see if anything changes in the capacity. I don’t know why it would, because full ev’s drive highway not losing capacity. Or maybe they do. You do use the battery intensively for long periods going those speeds
     
    #10 Mr.Vanvandenburg, Mar 30, 2024
    Last edited: Mar 30, 2024
  11. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    I didn't want to ask it, but I'm glad you said it. Those speeds in EV mode is gonna do in the tiny EV battery. It gets even worse when driving those speeds and running out of EV range and having the engine switch on cold. Even 100 F is cold for the engine at those speeds. A lot of owners have posted that is how they drive their Primes. :eek:
    It wouldn't be AS noticeable in the Gen 5 Prime as it will be in the Gen 4 Prime, and even more noticeable in the Gen 3 Plugin even though it's top EV speed was 64 mph if I'm remembering right.
    DrPrius and CarScanner are also useful apps.
     
    #11 vvillovv, Mar 30, 2024
    Last edited: Mar 30, 2024
  12. hans1

    hans1 Member

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    Whoops. I drive right up to the about 85 mph limit just before the ICE comes up, whenever I can avoid it turning on. But do let up on the accelerator whenever transitioning out of EV mode, and try to keep it gentle then. Will see what the apps say.
     
    #12 hans1, Mar 30, 2024
    vvillovv likes this.
  13. sylvaing

    sylvaing Active Member

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    If I know I'll be needing the engine later on in my drive, I'll warm up the engine before going by turning the defrost on and off. It doesn't take long for the engine to warm up, if you still have your exhaust heat exchanger that is lol.
     
    #13 sylvaing, Mar 30, 2024
  14. hans1

    hans1 Member

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    Looked at my monthly miles/kWh, and it has dropped from 4.2 kWh a year ago, and continued a steady decline to about 3.6 kWh now. And yes, I guess my high speed EV driving and acceleration has taken its toll.

    Spent a day of driving very conservatively mostly in the city, below the speed limit, and when no one was around at half the speed limit (!), and got it up to 4.5 kWh. But no way I’ll be driving like that long term, haha.
     
    #14 hans1, Apr 1, 2024
  15. iskoos

    iskoos Active Member

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    I don't think Prime is meant to drive extensively on EV mode (especially at high speeds). Yes, it has an advertised 25-mile EV range, but it is still primarily a hybrid vehicle with much smaller battery compared to full EVs. My understanding is that you are driving your vehicle on EV whenever possible and charging it every day. This type of extensive use will cause battery degradation no doubt.
    Every time you power of your vehicle, it gives you an EV driving score based on 4 parameters. May I ask what score you typically see on your screen?
     
    #15 iskoos, Apr 4, 2024
  16. hans1

    hans1 Member

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    Too ashamed to say, and actually I don’t remember, maybe I might be putting it out of my mind
     
    #16 hans1, Apr 5, 2024
  17. iskoos

    iskoos Active Member

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    I think I got my answer :)
     
    #17 iskoos, Apr 7, 2024
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