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BATTERY ICON SHOWS THREE LINES ONLY

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by kalum, Sep 24, 2014.

  1. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    Here in the US the service interval is 5000 miles or just over 8000km so the car should have been serviced twice already, according to how prius are service in the US.
    So as long as the service intervals are kept up and the first try at forced regen worked for the most part, the rest of the story sound fairly benign, at least ot me anyways.
     
  2. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    If the car is being used for short trips all the time and using a/c on short trips all the time, it never has a chance to charge and balance.
    No need to get worried yet, it's still a new car, But I would recommend you learn how to care for it by driving it so it can fix itself.

    No that is not normal, but neither is the the way you are driving it, ( that is if I understand correctly how you are driving the car).
    If I were you, from what I've read so far in this thread, I'd make it a high priority to learn the best ways to get your hv battery charged and keep form using as much of that charge as possible, until the battery starts hold it's charge a bit longer.
    It may that you a few weeks or months to learn how to drive the car with it being in its current state of affairs.

    Don't give up.
    Keep trying to get the State of Charge gauge all the way to the top.
    And see if the charge starts to last a bit longer each time you get the charge higher.
     
    #22 vvillovv, Sep 27, 2014
    Last edited: Sep 27, 2014
  3. Oskar

    Oskar Member

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    I find this interesting. If one has to learn how to drive a Prius properly so the traction battery properly gets "charged and balance" then I think there are thousands of Prius owners out there that may be potentially harming the traction battery, or at the very least not driving "normally". Including myself. I've been reading the manuals cover to cover on my new Prius and have yet to read for the need to drive properly to keep the battery charged and balanced. I'm not done reading so it may be in there. And it's was a bit concerning to read this since my battery generally stays about half full, and at times drops to just two lines. Sure, I get it charged up, but I would say it averages about a half to a bar above half. Now I'm thinking I'm driving it wrong?

    But this is new to me. I would think that driving habits are unique to all of us. Add in the fact that we all live in different places (mountainous, hilly, flat, curvy, no traffic, too much traffic, etc.) which also affects the way one drives, it would seem that it would be tough to find a true standard for driving a Prius. I'm sure the engineers and technicians at Toyota have compensated for the wide variety of driving habits from around the world. If there is only one way to drive a Prius then there probably should be a tag/sticker/notification in the car itself telling us how to do it the right way. I don't get the impression that the Prius is that delicate of a car.

    As a matter of comparison, the other guitar player in my band bought a new Prius a few days before me and we couldn't be different in our driving habits. I asked him if he pulses & glides, etc. etc. and he says "Naw, I just get in and drive it. Love the Power button" And he gets between 45 & 50 mpg. I drive as if I'm trying to squeeze every ounce of gas and I get between 60 & 65 mpg. And yet we're both pleased with our cars and what we are getting out of them. I'll have to ask him about the battery charge.
     
  4. cary1952

    cary1952 Member

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    its simple. i would be 90% sure you have a bad battery. I would contact the person you purchased it from and raise heck with him The good news is that is should be under warranty.
     
  5. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Assuming it's an official vehicle for that market. If it's a grey import then the options are very limited. The question had been asked earlier and doesn't appear to have been answered. If it is a grey import then it will have sat for months at the docks in Japan, weeks on a ship and then more months at port whilst paperwork is completed etc. There is a great chance that if that is the case, the 12v is probably shot and the HV battery could have run lower than it should. To many unknowns and limited responses coming back from the OP.

    To the OP; do you leave the car in Neutral or Park or even Drive at the traffic lights?
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    just because the battery is at 3 bars, doesn't mean it's uncharged or unbalanced. if all your driving is stop and go, that's what you're going to get. it doesn't mean the battery is bad (he already tested it and the charge level went up) or that he needs to learn how to drive it. the car takes care of itself.
     
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  7. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    Sorry about saying that everyone needs to learn howto drive a hybrid.
    It's not exactly what I meant, but seems to have taken on that meaning for some/all reading this thread.
    I have no idea what exactly is happening with the OP's car either.

    I have had pack and gauge issues with a hybrid and when gauges seem out of the norm, especially related to the pack, it's not an easy task to understand what is actually happening. But there are techniques one can use, using what is available with the car and with help from forum members, to begin to understand what the car is trying to tell the driver.
    ie: forced regen brought SOC up to 5 bars.
    But these techniques are not written in stone, nor can usually be found in the drivers manual, either.

    Further, to get a deeper understanding of the car, the driver needs to learn howto use real world diagnostics like torgue, or a mini vci.
    It all depends on how much a driver wants to know about the car and what is normal for the car considering car history, driving techniques and any other unique variables related to the car.
     
  8. Oskar

    Oskar Member

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    Oh, no need to apologize, and perhaps I didn't quite get the gist of what you were trying to say. But I do understand. I guess sometimes I feel we get so wrapped up in checking guages, and timings, and mpg, and voltages and pressures, and torques, etc. etc, that we lose site of the fact that just driving a Prius can literally be a Zen experience. The fact that you don't mind being stuck behind a slow moving school bus for five miles says something in, and of, itself. Just sit back and roll with the flow.

    The only reason I posted is that my charging bars are all over the place. Sometimes there's just two for a while, sometimes more. The way I figure it as long as I'm getting the great mileage I won't be too concerned. There may very well be something going on with the OP's Prius, but I suppose a check with an authorize Prius mechanic would provide some definitive answers.
     
  9. kalum

    kalum Junior Member

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    here iam again I have fill my tank with 24 liters at 1860km total mileage (that time fu it shows two bars above half) now my mileage is 2005km and I have only two bars remaining in fuel indicator so far I have done only 145km I am driving in flat roads always in eco mode with ac (no hill) with less than 60km per hour where is 50mpg is this thrue
     
  10. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Relax, the fuel gauges are not linear.

    There are some unanswered questions, you're complaining about fuel but not throwing too much light on how you drive or your tyre pressures etc.

    Also, do NOT try and keep the car in electric more than it actually wants. Many a new owner think they'll get better economy by being too light on the accelerator to try and stop the engine kicking in. That actually makes for worse economy. Just drive it gently and let the car decide when and where to use electric or petrol. Unless you're a super experienced hyper-miler you're unlikely to beat the car at its own game. Just drive and enjoy.

    The fact you are getting poor economy and struggling to get more than 2/8 bars on a virtually new car would reflect the above. Or you have a dud and should return to your dealer.
     
  11. kalum

    kalum Junior Member

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  12. kalum

    kalum Junior Member

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    this time the bar I mean is fuel indicator not battery indicator . yes tire pressure is35 psi the reason that I can not do much about this car is I am working out of my country. my wife is using the car she also new to hybrid it drives less than 100km per day. my dealer said when I start drive press eco mode and go is this not right?pls advice
     
  13. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    sounds right, and you mpg's sound terrific!
     
  14. kalum

    kalum Junior Member

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    now my tank is empty I have done only 9km/L PLS any one, what could be the reason even with bad driving habits it has to go more than that
     
  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I believe 9 km per liter equals 21 miles per US Gallon. Between that a stubbornly low state of charge, I think you have a problem.
     
  16. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    I think it must be the lowest reported fuel consumption on a Prius - ever.

    One minute he's driving the car, the next he's out of the country and it's his wife who's driving yet reporting back with fuel consumption statistics to him. You ask questions about the car or use to try and establish why it is using such an unbelievable amount of fuel and they're either ignored or skirted around.

    I try and help people as do many on this forum, but sometimes the op has to help themselves first before we can help. Without answers to the questions and exact use, we're all just guessing and speculating. Is it as simple as the OPs wife isn't switching the car off being unfamiliar with the keyless system and leaving the car running overnight with the a/c on? Or is the op a troll or is their car a dud? Why would we assume he'll answer these questions?

    I'm not wasting my time on this one any longer.
     
  17. Oskar

    Oskar Member

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    It can be frustrating, but there is also a language barrier here. I think the OP is trying his best, speaking a language that's not native to him, to explain the situation. You're right, more info is needed, and we may never get a true picture, but it seems strange to me that he's only getting 21 mpg. I could PUSH & GLIDE my Prius and get better FE. ;)
     
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  18. kalum

    kalum Junior Member

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    I am sorry to see that mr grumpy miss understand me. I tried my best to explain real situation. as oskar said sorry about my poor language this car is new to me so far I checked my tire pressure (I asked my wife to get it checked) it is 35 psi/ I asked to keep a/c at 26c not in auto /her average driving speed 50km per hour total average mileage per day 30km /driving mode is eco/only 03 pax are traveling in it. with out any hybrid driving technic it should go much more than this. when I asked dealer they also surprised. and also I asked to check is there any fuel leak they found nil leak. if some one need any more details let me know I will provide as much as I can this is 2013 prius third gen. total mileage 2040km only I when I buy it was at 1860km.this is make me crazy.
     
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  19. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Your reporting of fairly consistent low state of charge (3 bars) is worth passing on to the dealer too.

    We were driving about 60 kms round trip yesterday, and your posting made me cognisant of our state of charge, I made a point to watch it. In normal driving it typically would show 5 or 6 bars. Sometimes (with extended lower speed on flat terrain) runs it was down to 4 bars. Once when I was driving slowly on a block to get a parking space it went to 2 bars, due to extended electric-only propulsion.

    But on the whole, in normal driving, it would stay around 5~6 bars.
     
  20. kalum

    kalum Junior Member

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    I think battery is now charging properly now I call my wife and she told while driving it indicates five bars