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Constantly Green Battery?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by kdmorse, Feb 20, 2006.

  1. kdmorse

    kdmorse Member

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    Over the past four days, I've not seen my battery anything other than green, not once, and I'm wondering if I should be concerned about anything. Never fully green, I've never seen that mythical final green bar, but I've not dropped down to blue either.

    My first two tanks were pretty much as expected, the battery would drop when used, whether by initial acceleration, or during deliberate gliding. And it would recharge when breaking, or whenever the computer felt like it.

    But since my last fillup (not that I in any way expect the gas, or fillup has anything to do with it), I've been green all the way. During one trip I know I racked up several little green cars (regenerated kw), but I believe I did so with the bat already green, and it felt like it spun the charge away at every stoplight. (I would coast/break to a stop with the engine not running, and in 5-10 sec it would spin it up inexplicably for the duration of the light).

    I'm not quite sure what to attribute this change in behavior to. It did get *damn* cold around here at the time, from an avg of 35-45F, down to 7-20F. EV mode won't engage, and I find it nearly impossible to reach a neutral energy state, or even glide. Does it perhaps just stop using the bat when it get's too cold? Heat's set at 68F most of the time, defrosters off. Tires at 40/38.

    On the sillier side - I did at the same time load up the MP3 changer, and have been playing my favorite tunes. It's not outside the realm of possibility that I drive differently to music without realizing it. Could a (musically inspired) change in driving patterns result in such different bat usage?

    Where's a 'verbose' mode on the MFD when you need it...

    -Ken
     
    #1 kdmorse, Feb 20, 2006
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    It's b/c of the "damn cold", ICE runs more to heat itself and do it's other work, thus lots of excess charge and into the battery it goes. Nothing unusual and nothing to worry about.
     
    #2 efusco, Feb 20, 2006
  3. Frank Hudon

    Frank Hudon Senior Member

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    in one word, normal. this is pretty well what happens with a Prius when it's really cold and the ICE runs all the time. Eventually the battery get's into the green and pretty well stay's there. If you want to bring it down find yourself a freeway with lots of off and on ramps and accelerate full throttle up on ramp and coast and take the next one and get back on the same way. Alternate method mountain pass.
     
    #3 Frank Hudon, Feb 20, 2006
  4. naterprius

    naterprius Senior Member

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    Agreed. Bitter cold can cause this. I went out to my garage and noticed the battery was at the green level as well. Engine must run to make heat, extra energy is stored in the battery.

    Nate
     
    #4 naterprius, Feb 20, 2006
  5. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    Electric mode will engage, and the battery will resume normal operation, once the car is FULLY warmed up. This may take 15 to 20 minutes of driving. I had more or less your experience in Fargo (much colder than MD) because of my short commute. On rare longer drives it started to look more normal about the time I got where I was going.

    If you install an EV switch you will find you can engage EV much sooner than the car would go electric on its own, but it still takes longer before you can do so. And in bitterly cold weather (say, colder than 20 below zero F) when the battery itself gets very cold, it's almost as though you have no battery for the first 20 minutes of driving. The very small current in and out finally warms up the battery, and eventually, if you drive far enough, all looks normal again. Cold weather takes all the oomph out of your battery.
     
    #5 daniel, Feb 21, 2006
  6. finman

    finman Senior Member

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    "Cold weather takes all the oomph out of your battery. "

    Agreed. As I posted in another temp/weather thread today:

    Last weekend: -19 F as a low temp + 2 days below zero + short 12 minute commute = 33 MPG...but a nice green battery!
    Same commute come summer temps above 70 F = 51 MPG.

    And the power is not there either. Not that big of a deal, but the engine runs faster/louder to get you up to speed, whereas in the summer it is effortless.
     
    #6 finman, Feb 21, 2006
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