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Battery charge down to 4 bars overnight..

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by newtoprius2010, Feb 8, 2011.

  1. newtoprius2010

    newtoprius2010 New Member

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    Should I be concerned..I have been noticing my battery is charging down overnight. I checked and all lights are off. It does charge immediately in the 10 mile I drive to work..but I am concerned why overnight it should be discharging.

    Another Question - The right/left indicator sound is very muted..is that normal? Like, if I have the indicator on to merge into traffic, I am not sure it is as I can barely hear it chirping..
     
  2. Flaninacupboard

    Flaninacupboard Senior Member

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    Short answer, no, you should not be concerned.

    The battery you see on the display is the 230V traction battery, not the 12V accessory battery that keeps the car alive (and would get run down by leaving a light on). The SOC (bars) of the traction battery might vary in the morning to what they were at night, due to change in temperature etc, but again nothing to worry about unless you park it with 8 and wake up with 1. It's fine.

    As for the indicators, they seem normal volume to me.
     
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  3. unkprius

    unkprius Member

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    Blinker volume seems quite normal at slower speeds with no radio, but at highway speeds and just a little radio volume they are impossible to hear, my wife commented on it just the other day. And the arrows are in the display section with all the other blinkey flashey stuff, which kind of cammo's them. After entrance/exit ramps I re-check them all the time now.
     
  4. twittel

    twittel Senior Member

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    I think your Hybrid battery is okay, BUT how many bars when you park it compared with how many in the morning? Also, if you drive it in "EV mode" prior to parking it in the garage, this will drain your number of bars. If you've not driven the car for a couple days, how many bars? I'm thinking your hybrid battery is fine unless you say you park at night with 10 bars showing and only 4 appear in the morning. That doesn't sound right.
     
  5. newtoprius2010

    newtoprius2010 New Member

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    When I park it at night, it is almost to the top (except 1) bar, when I take it out in the morning from garage, it is only 3-4 bottom. That seemed strange to me..I guess I will keep an eye on it for few more days and take it for service if it continues. Would something else be discharging it.
     
  6. newtoprius2010

    newtoprius2010 New Member

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    Exactly what I felt ! I noticed it is normal at slow speed..at highway..I can barely hear it..guess something to get used to ..
     
  7. Engineer

    Engineer New Member

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    That seems like an abnormally large drop, based on what I've observed on my own G3. Next service I would definitely have it looked at. Good luck.
     
  8. tumbleweed

    tumbleweed Senior Member

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    I agree with the above post, the drop you describe seems large. I sometimes see a drop of 1 bar overnight due to temperature change but no more than that. When the car is off (not in Ready) the hybrid battery should be completely disconnected. I think you should keep a close eye on it.
     
  9. Flaninacupboard

    Flaninacupboard Senior Member

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    Are you definitely turning the car off overnight? if the car is left in Ready mode it will slowly drain the HV battery.

    Shutting down with 7 and starting off with 4 is definitely NOT normal.
     
  10. twittel

    twittel Senior Member

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    IMO, let your dealer check this out as soon as possible. I feel like your hybrid battery discharges too much during the night. My battery does not discharge even if not driven for a few days. The dealer has the diagnostics to evaluate. As you're seeing on PC, there are a multitude of reasons what could cause this to happen.

    On a slightly different topic, before I turn off the car, I turn off radio, A/C, fan, heat and any other electric items. I just have this idea that the car won't draw so much electric the next time I turn it on. I am neither helping nor hurting anything by doing this, or not doing this. Just my quirkiness :)
     
  11. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    I would be curious as to what sort of driving you do. Is it mostly very short journeys?

    Maybe the 12v is low because of the short journeys and the HV is spending more time than usual charging it?

    Just a thought, but if you can get your car checked out in the mean time by your dealers I would do - just to be on the safe side.
     
  12. Jim Clark

    Jim Clark Member

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    If it's dropping 4 bars overnight, assuming it was powered off correctly, I would think that's a problem.
     
  13. newtoprius2010

    newtoprius2010 New Member

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    Will get it checked this weekend. Noticed it again this morning..
     
  14. J5A

    J5A Active Member

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    Just looking for an update......wondering if I need to call the dealer.

    My 2010 is doing the same thing, and today it started with two bars down from eight overnight.

    My trips are usually very short (city driving, 10 miles per day) and the battery has always lost a couple/few bars overnight, but this morning was its biggest drop.
     
  15. adamace1

    adamace1 Senior Member

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    Question for you guys. Are you driving on battery power alone the last little bit of your drive home? If you are the display is slow to show the battery charge going down but it will show it when you start it up next time.

    like take me i drive 19 miles home, but the last half mile of road i can glide with only electric power, then i go to the mailbox and then back to my apratment on battery power alone when i park it still shows almost full but it's wrong i just drove over a half mile on battery power alone. When i got start it up it will have less bars that when i shut it down.

    another poster had this problem and said theirs is the same as mine.
    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...brid-battery-looses-charge-5.html#post1323772
     
  16. J5A

    J5A Active Member

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    Thanks adam - for me the last 1/4 mile home is slight downhill and all EV. Then up a steep driveway, still with EV only.
    Maybe I should press power mode the last 1/4mi, floor it and piss the neighbors off, just so I can have a full battery pack again.
    I worry the low reading will affect its long term life. No?
     
  17. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

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    What you describe sounds like what is causing your battery to run down. But really it shouldn't be more than one bar (over night). Just relax though... you have a 8/100,000 mile warranty(10/150,000 carb state) on that battery. If it fails, it is on Toyota's head.
     
  18. Flaninacupboard

    Flaninacupboard Senior Member

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    J5A, could you show us a video of the end of your drive, the SOC, and the shutdown, and then the startup next morning? If possible, also show use the external temperature.
     
  19. J5A

    J5A Active Member

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    I would, if I could (I don't own anything that shoots video).
    Temps were 80 at end of drive in evening, morning temp was 65.

    Another thing was I filled up on Meijer's gas this weekend (midwest grocery chain) for the first time and my mileage DROPPED from 47 mpg avg to 33 mpg avg. :confused:
     
  20. Flaninacupboard

    Flaninacupboard Senior Member

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    Well if you get an opportunity to shoot a video, it would be interesting. One of your friends/family may have a cellphone which can capture video, most do these days.