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Battery ? and Dash Light ?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Hybrid Hobo, Feb 15, 2022.

  1. Hybrid Hobo

    Hybrid Hobo Member

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    I've posted here several times already with questions regarding my new (to me) 2008 Prius, which is the first I ever owned. The answers you have all provided are greatly appreciated and I thank you a lot. On that note...

    Today was actually the first time I've driven car since I bought it 6 weeks ago due to medical issues, bad weather, having to get it registered at the DMV, etc. Rides like a dream! However, I noticed a couple of things and I'm asking here to make sure they're normal, and not potential problems. Sorry in advance if these are idiotic questions.

    First, when I got in the car this morning, the hybrid battery had about 3 blue bars on the battery icon on the info screen. Upon arriving at my destination maybe 25 minutes later, I noticed that I then had all green bars...1 short of a full battery icon. Left the car parked for a few hours while I ran some errands, and then made the reverse trip back home, again, about a 25 minute drive. Before I was about to shut the car off however, I noticed that the battery indicator now only had 3 blue bars...which - to me - seems to be a large drop after such a short trip. Is this type of fluctuation of the battery indicator normal? Once the battery icon is full (or almost), wouldn't it stay that way since I'm actually driving the car (helping to recharge by braking occasionally)?

    Also, I noticed that on the combination meter on passenger side, a yellow light was on which read "Passenger Airbag" or something to that effect. No warning light or icon, just that text was lit up in orange. Is this normal operating behavior?

    Again, sorry for such newb questions, but just want to ensure all is fine with my new baby. Thanks!
     
    #1 Hybrid Hobo, Feb 15, 2022
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    The normal Prius battery isn't really big; just holds enough charge to give you some extra oomph for a short acceleration and to absorb some when you slow down. It's enough to drive several blocks on the flat, slowly, that's about it.

    And the car likes to keep it most of the time at a sort of middling charge, so it both has some oomph available for your acceleration, and some capacity available for your braking.
     
    #2 ChapmanF, Feb 15, 2022
  3. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    If you were to install a brand new hybrid battery you would see very little increase and decrease in bars on the screen in a 25min drive. This is because as these batteries age they lose capacity because the NiMH chemicals tend to crystallize and loose conductive efficiency. However, the good news is you can break this crystallization up by deeply discharging and then recharging your pack several times with lightbulbs and a high voltage trickle charger. Hybrid Automotive and Maxx Volts sells equipment to do this but it's a bit expensive. Or you can build your own for $100: Build Hybrid Battery Maintenance Gear For Under $100 | PriusChat
     
    #3 PriusCamper, Feb 15, 2022
  4. Hybrid Hobo

    Hybrid Hobo Member

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    Thanks @ChapmanF & @PriusCamper Glad to know there's nothing off about the battery behavior. Again, the car ran FLAWLESSLY. @PriusCamper, makes sense what you said about the battery age degrading performance. When I noticed the fluctuation in the bar levels on the battery icon (half empty to full and back down again) in such a short period I feared something was wrong.

    P.S. - When I'm driving the car, should I ever worry if the battery icon is only showing 1 or 2 bars, or does it rarely get that low unless the battery is bad or it was sitting for a while?

    Appreciate both of your input (y)
     
    #4 Hybrid Hobo, Feb 16, 2022
  5. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    I'm glad you're finally able to get out and enjoy the "new to you" car. Getting used to your first Prius is a bit of an adventure, isn't it, @Hybrid Hobo? Especially when it's an older one. SO many new sounds and lights. That passenger airbag light is normal. Weird, but normal. LOL! It's telling you if the passenger side airbag is on or off. It would be nice if it was more legible from the driver's seat.

    On the original post, I agree with the others that your battery has less capacity than a new one, so the charge indicator will move more than with a new one. That shows up very clearly if you were describing a situation where it was downhill going away from home and uphill coming back. On flat roads, it likes to be around six bars, but it'll go up or down as needed to accommodate your braking and acceleration.

    As for 1 or 2 bars, that should be pretty unusual. If you're just sitting with the car ready and the air conditioner running, it'll run the traction battery down to two bars and then will start up the ICE to recharge the battery, but it won't charge it full; just enough to get by. One bar should be very rare. If you see that, or if the charge goes up and down quickly, then it's time to take action such as what @PriusCamper suggested or, if you want to get an easy 10 years out of it, spring for a new battery. But that's probably down the road quite a bit.

    While I have your attention, can I suggest that you change your profile to tell people that you have a 2008 Prius as opposed to "Other Non-Hybrid?" That makes it easier for people to tell at a glance what vehicle we're talking about. Thanks. Enjoy the new buggy.
     
    #5 jerrymildred, Feb 16, 2022
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  6. Hybrid Hobo

    Hybrid Hobo Member

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    @jerrymildred Is having my first Prius a bit of an adventure? You betcha! Even though I have an older model, compared to traditional cars, it's still like going from an Edsel to a Ferrari! I just have to work on my anxiety when driving it, as I get nervous every time an unusual light comes on or a noise happens :LOL: As safe and reliable as these cars are, there are surely plenty of things that can fail/break, which I know because I've been studiously reading this site for months now. But I purchased a one-owner gem from an elderly couple, and it seems to ride perfectly, so I have to learn to calm down and enjoy the full experience of the Prius, as it's truly an amazing vehicle.

    You've chimed in on several posts of mine with helpful information, and I'd like to thank you for taking the time to answer my many questions...as silly as some of them may be. This is a great community with extremely knowledgeable members.

    P.S. - Appreciate your advice on changing my vehicle under my avatar...just fixed it (y)
     
    #6 Hybrid Hobo, Feb 17, 2022
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  7. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    I know what you mean. We went from a 1998 Nissan Frontier diesel pickup made for Latin America with no nuthin' to a pair of top trim 2005 Prii. It was like a trip to the future!!!

    Some people say there's no such thing as a dumb or silly question. Actually, there are, but yours are inexperienced questions and there's a big difference. Keep on asking when you feel the need. That's the biggest reason most of us are here. There are some really knowledgable people here. Next to them, I'm a real lightweight. :D

    Looks great!!!

    BTW, where did you get that avatar picture? It reminds me of someone on the Andy Griffith Show. (y)
     
    #7 jerrymildred, Feb 17, 2022
  8. Hybrid Hobo

    Hybrid Hobo Member

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    Sorry for the late response @jerrymildred - My avatar is a still shot of Walter Huston from "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", one of my most favorite flicks. Prior to the medical issues I'm dealing with now, I was an avid (hopelessly addicted) metal detectorist/treasure hunter, so the film is close to my heart ;)
     
    #8 Hybrid Hobo, Feb 28, 2022
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