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is it unusual to have 2 or 3 bars on the battery?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Technical Discussion' started by dainironfoot, Aug 18, 2011.

  1. dainironfoot

    dainironfoot New Member

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    Hi guys, first post here. I have been driving my new 2011 prius for a week now and have noticed that in stop and go traffic I occasionally get down to three bars before the engine kicks in. Is this normal? Also today I was in a traffic jam for a half hour and got to 2 bars a few times(lots of stop and go). Is this normal also? When driving on the freeway the bars are always 6-8. There are no colrs on the bars like some people have mentioned in other posts, just white.
     
    #1 dainironfoot, Aug 18, 2011
  2. Mark57

    Mark57 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD

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    Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new Prius. What you are seeing is completely normal. Your engine will come on as needed depending on many factors like how heavy your foot is, what kind of load it's under, the vehicle's speed, etc. If you were just sitting still and you get down to 2 bars the engine will come on to get it back to 3 bars and then shut off. This is normal.

    Be sure to take time to read your vehicle's manual and spend time reading current and older posts here. it can seem a little overwhelming at first but it doesn't have to be. You can dig in and get as detailed as you want or you can just drive it and enjoy the great mpg's. ;)
     
    #2 Mark57, Aug 18, 2011
  3. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Sounds normal to me.

    2 bars in heavy traffic - very very rarely down to 1 bar.

    6 bars is normal

    7 bars sometimes in normal driving

    8 bars totally full does occur if you travel down a long and/or steep hill. This again is normal and the car will do what appears to be weird things - such as revving the engine etc. This is normal. Try to use B instead of D when going down steep or long hills.

    The colours appear on the Gen2 Prius.

    Hope this helps.
     
    #3 GrumpyCabbie, Aug 18, 2011
  4. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    Do not worry about it, battery levels fluctuate especially while in traffic. The car will manage battery levels accordingly, so watching it's level is almost pointless for most drivers.
     
    #4 Paradox, Aug 18, 2011
  5. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Stop-n-go traffic: I hate that!
    Depleted battery because of stop-n-go traffic: I hate that even more.

    If you haven't picked up on it yet, there are two main themes:
    1) It's perfectly normal and don't worry about it; the car will take care of itself.
    2) Welcome to Priuschat and Prius ownership! :welcome:
     
    #5 TonyPSchaefer, Aug 18, 2011
  6. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

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    Welcome aboard and try to enjoy the ride! :)
     
    #6 spiderman, Aug 18, 2011
  7. Skoorbmax

    Skoorbmax Senior Member

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    Absolutely normal.
     
    #7 Skoorbmax, Aug 18, 2011
  8. mad-dog-one

    mad-dog-one Prius Enthusiast

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    Declining bars in stop and go traffic is as normal as dips in the stock market. We generally don't like them, but they are a natural consequence of spinning your wheels without much foreword motion. Running the A/C in stop and go traffic depletes the battery more quickly, starting the ICE.
     
    #8 mad-dog-one, Aug 18, 2011
  9. Spenumatsa

    Spenumatsa Junior Member

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    Welcome to Prius Chat and enjoy your new Prius. Believe me, you will enjoy it.
     
    #9 Spenumatsa, Aug 18, 2011
  10. dainironfoot

    dainironfoot New Member

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    Wow! thanx guys! You have given me peace of mind, I really appreciate the feedback.
     
    #10 dainironfoot, Aug 18, 2011
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    The colours are not there on 3rd gen, 2010 and on. I gather they're on 2nd gen, and first?

    When you're in stop-and-go, gently rolling, then stopping, then repeat: it is a perfect scenario for electric-only. The computer lets the battery "spend" till it's down to 2 bars, then stops the party.
     
    #11 Mendel Leisk, Aug 18, 2011
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