1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Does battery indicator ever turn full green?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by ihparker, Apr 3, 2007.

  1. ihparker

    ihparker New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2007
    8
    0
    0
    I have had an 07 Prius for about a month now and I have not been able to get all the bars on the battery display completely filled; the best I get is a green battery with one line (or what looks like one full line) empty.

    Is this normal or have I just not charged the battery enough during driving to fill in that last line?
     
    #1 ihparker, Apr 3, 2007
  2. mcbrunnhilde

    mcbrunnhilde Opera singin' Prius nut!

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2004
    612
    21
    0
    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bostonimann @ Apr 3 2007, 03:01 AM) [snapback]416934[/snapback]</div>
    The battery will turn all green (8 bars) if you're going downhill for some time. The car likes to stay at 6 bars, so there's absolutely nothing wrong if you don't get all green bars. Don't try to get a certain number of bars...just drive it! :)
     
    #2 mcbrunnhilde, Apr 3, 2007
  3. Rangerdavid

    Rangerdavid Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2006
    1,362
    52
    0
    Location:
    Boone, North Carolina
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three Touring
    B) I second that, just drive it! But, yes, w/ a long downhill, or long period of regen you can get the all green.

    By the same token, don't worry if you get down to two bars and they're purple.

    No worries, just drive & enjoy!! B)
     
    #3 Rangerdavid, Apr 3, 2007
  4. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2003
    19,891
    1,192
    9
    Location:
    Nixa, MO
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    The car is programmed to try to keep the battery at 60% SOC (about 5 blue bars). It tries very hard to do this but still uses the battery as a buffer to store extra energy and as a source for extra energy when it's need. As the SOC gets further from the 60% target the harder the system tries to get it back to the 60% number.

    Thus, it is rare to see only 1 pink bar and rare to see full green. Some folks who routinely drive in the mountains may see these extremes as it puts the system to it's limits on the long up and down hill runs.

    Remember, also, that even when you see all green bars filled the battery is still at or below 80% actual SOC...and when you see 1 pink bar it's still above 40% SOC...all part of the battery life saving system.
     
    #4 efusco, Apr 3, 2007
    Pale Fox likes this.
  5. Betelgeuse

    Betelgeuse Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2005
    1,460
    24
    1
    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bostonimann @ Apr 3 2007, 07:01 AM) [snapback]416934[/snapback]</div>
    Think of it this way: charging (and getting power from) a battery is a very inefficient process. The less you use your battery, the more efficient your driving is. :)
     
    #5 Betelgeuse, Apr 3, 2007
  6. ohm86

    ohm86 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2007
    15
    0
    0
    I had mine for 3 1/2 months before I saw my first "full green" screen ... I'm sad to say that I had a little celebration - I pulled into a parking lot and called my husband to share the happy occasion. (I, too, wasn't sure if I would EVER see it.) Yes, yes, I know. But we Prius owners get excited over very small things sometimes. Even after 9 months of ownership, I rarely encounter it ...

    So have patience, grasshopper. It'll happen eventually.
     
    #6 ohm86, Apr 3, 2007
  7. daveleeprius

    daveleeprius Heh heh heh you think so?

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2006
    429
    2
    0
    Location:
    Seattle
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ohm86 @ Apr 3 2007, 04:45 PM) [snapback]417263[/snapback]</div>
    I see mine about every day on the weekend. And the engine also seems to rev up to around 2600rpm when it happens, presumably to use up the extra energy. But one bar below full is pretty common on my 2007.

    Dave
     
    #7 daveleeprius, Apr 3, 2007
  8. Doorknob

    Doorknob Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2010
    41
    3
    0
    Location:
    VA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    nice... glad i ran into this thread... just got an 07 and was trying to get that last bar. Glad to not be alone. :)
     
    #8 Doorknob, Mar 24, 2010
  9. fgoodyear

    fgoodyear New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2007
    187
    11
    0
    Location:
    Tillson, New York
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Yep
     
    #9 fgoodyear, Mar 24, 2010
  10. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2010
    6,035
    3,854
    0
    Location:
    Rocky Mountains
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I get the full 8 bars everyday. :) I live on a mountain, so when I drive home I park with 2 purple. When I get about 1/3rd of the way down "the hill" I am at 8 bars. Wish I had more reserve to capture all that excess energy. :(
     
    #10 2k1Toaster, Mar 26, 2010
  11. shoregeek

    shoregeek New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2006
    25
    2
    0
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    I've seen the green bars several times, yet ... I live on flat lands.
     
    #11 shoregeek, Mar 26, 2010
  12. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 14, 2009
    6,722
    2,121
    45
    Location:
    North Yorkshire, UK
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Wait until the Plug In Prius comes out. I'm sure I've read that you can recover much much more power from down hill runs. Ideal for us who live in hilly areas.
     
    #12 GrumpyCabbie, Mar 26, 2010
  13. MariaEvri

    MariaEvri Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2009
    122
    2
    22
    Location:
    Limassol - cyprus
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Ive had mine turn all full green a couple of times. Mostly as I return home from a mountain trip.
     
    #13 MariaEvri, Mar 26, 2010
  14. Jolly English Gentleman

    Jolly English Gentleman Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2010
    47
    10
    0
    Location:
    Spalding, Lincolnshire, Uk
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I've gone green going down hill like others. I have also gone green when cruising at 60 on a flat straight road and having to brake sharply down to 15mph because a tractor decided to pull out in front. I remained green until I was able to overtake.
     
    #14 Jolly English Gentleman, Mar 26, 2010
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)