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Hybrid battery not charging when idling in drive

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Martaybirdie, Aug 22, 2018.

  1. Martaybirdie

    Martaybirdie New Member

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    Hello. I recently bought a 2010 plus with 240k. The hybrid battery will get down to one bar and the triangle of death will come on while in drive, idling like at a drive thru or car wash after about 5 minutes.

    It will not do it when driving around town or highway. I don't have a really nice scanner anymore to be able to look at individual battery cell voltages. But could these be an inverter problem not a battery issue? The Toyota tech( working hybrids since 05') who just put the head gasket on said he has only seen one or maybe two 2010+ Prius batteries even go bad yet.

    Has anyone else had this issue where it won't charge hybrid battery when idling in drive?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    your battery is on the way out. may not be too late for a prolong reconditioner, but likely is. yes, we have seen a number of gen 3 batteries die, but what that number is, we don't know. and it doesn't really matter.
    a mech working hybrids for 13 years should have a copy of tech stream diagnostic software.
     
  3. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    In the drive-thru, are you idling in P(ark) or D(rive) or N(eutral)? P is best, D still works (though isn't as safe). Don't use N, because it prevents battery recharge.

    Drive-thru car washes are an issue when entering with a low battery charge while using air conditioning in hot weather, even with a good battery. It is worse with an old weak battery, which you likely have. Make sure you go in with the battery as high as practical -- at least 6 bars -- and turn off as many accessory loads as possible, especially the AC. If this still isn't enough, then your battery may be a short-timer. And use a different type of car wash, one where your car stays stationary during the wash.
     
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  4. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    The title and last sentence both stipulate in Drive.

    It's the battery. If it was the inverter, you'd have issues either all the time or when it's overheating but that usually shuts the whole party down when it goes south.
     
  5. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Ambiguous, especially with lower case, clarification is needed.

    I regularly deal with folks who commonly use that level of ambiguity, driving many misunderstandings and miscommunications.
     
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  6. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    Don't want to be blunt or too direct but before you actually buy any prius of any model, run it down to 2 bars and observe what happens in the next couple of minutes when idling. It shouldd never go down to 1 bar. Drive in EV with 2 bars, ice should kick on to charge the HV battery for 3 minutes on idle, HV batt then be back up to 2 - 3 bars with ICE going back to off.

    There are a lot of great used prius out there, this is my method to help others to test and know which ones to not buy because without this basic HV battery test, youre buying someone else's problem.
     
  7. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    Mine is when they dont' use the search feature and want to be hand feed everything, or when their glove box has the answers as well.
     
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  8. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    I'll just note that the folks I referred to here are outside PriusChat, in my face-to-face world.
     
  9. Martaybirdie

    Martaybirdie New Member

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    UPDATE* the ICE will always start and charge the HV battery when it gets to 2 bars. ONLY in neutral will it drop to one bar and the warnings come on. Yes, I know the ICE will not to start the HV battery in the neutral position. The problem is that the HV battery can be halfway and in neutral (2 min car wash) it depletes to quickly. I took to the Toyota tech that did the head gasket. He has 14 years Toyota Hybrid experience and another Toyota tech watched the battery and data while this was happening.

    Both agree that the battery was discharging too fast. And that the amperage draw was nothing out of the norm. They both told me that they have together only seen 2-3 2010 model year and newer batteries even go bad and they are at a large Toyota dealer. And there are no codes for the battery, ICE ECU, no parasitic draws or unusual loads.

    I would have to bring the car in for them to further test. Since they have looked at it they both have talked t other techs who have never seen the issue. Even while under a heavy load with all the accessories on the battery cells stayed with .2 volts of each other. No codes for battery corrosion etc...It does not have any codes that would it to fall under the 15 year inverter campaign.

    I will buy a grid charger because I want one anyway to see if this solves it, if not let the techs look into it deeper.
     
  10. Martaybirdie

    Martaybirdie New Member

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    And without the smart nice person comments Grid, I searched... there were no threads with my exact problem. AND not everyone goes and sets up a profile on a forum and checks EVERY thread before going out and buying a car.....
    You cant "help" others if they didn't know where to look for answers before they knew there was a problem......
     
  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    it does sound like the battery is going south. we have seen some gen 3's go bad. 8 years and 240k, it is not unexpected. please keep us informed of your progress.
     
  12. egn83b

    egn83b Junior Member

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    I have a 2011 prius nearing its batterys life cycles it still runs and drives fine just that it acts out from time to time gets sluggishly slow charging. I live in a hot climate use ac all the time. You dont need a grid charger per say you need to take it on a 400 mile highway trip going no less then 70mph to charge the battery because it needs a deep long charge to recover the cells from deep discharge. My car recovers for a few weeks and goes back to short charging cycles which cut mpg. You can buy an ebay hybrid grid charger but you will have to do the install yourself which isnt hard but requires some basic hand tools and safety gloves. You can buy a used low milage battery from a wrecking yard way less then dealer.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  13. Martaybirdie

    Martaybirdie New Member

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    Was not the battery. At least it’s not bad. We just took 2 weeks and drive it long distances while driving as efficiently as we could. Guess the battery was low from sitting a few months before we bought. All is well. Averaging 47.1mpg
     
  14. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    There are many threads here recommending to NOT use those types of car wash for a Prius due to discharging when in Neutral. Since your HV battery is quite old, the symptoms of doing so are more pronounced.
    At this time a Prolong battery reconditioning system may extend the life of the battery but using the car wash like that shortens the remaining life by discharging the pack deeper than normal.
     
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  15. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    Okay that pinpoints you're issue. "ONLY in neutral," and then a few more times that you mentioned. HV battery never gets charge in neutral, not even when going down hill at hwy speeds. You need to leave it on PARK even when idling, it's not like a regular car. Never go neutral, never ever because HV battery will never get charge.
     
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  16. Martaybirdie

    Martaybirdie New Member

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    I went to car wash before I knew. Also the Ac was on high and stereo playing and two phones charging AFTER waiting in line for 4-5 minutes to go in.
     
  17. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    Get a waterless car wash bottle, those work great. Saves money and 100 gallons of water per wash.
     
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  18. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    If you absolutely need to use drive in car wash, avoid the ones that requires you to put gear into neutral. AM/PMs here have those you pull up and stay stationary the whole time. It might not be as clean-effective as the one your going to but it will save a chunk of money replacing the HV battery.
     
  19. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    The thread title is misleading then. You are not idling in Drive, but idling in Neutral. Big difference for a Prius.
    If the issue is happening in Drive too, the battery may be too far deteriorated for reconditioning to rescue without some careful module replacement. Hybrid Automotive who sell the Prolong charger also sell good used modules if needed.
     
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  20. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    If a penny was put in a piggy bank for the each time I've come across a misleading thread title on priuschat, Id be a millionaire.
     
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