Tips for HV battery care?

don't park in the sun all day in hot climates.

use the a/c, if you're comfortable, so is your battery.

keep the battery vent clear, and clean the cooling fan regularly if you carry dogs or anything else that might clog it up. if it's an ongoing issue, consider a pre filter.

 

If you have the pull out cover in the rear hatch area, keep it extended to help shade the battery underneath the floor boards. Use the reflective sun shades on the dash also. Will help to keep the temperatures lower on those hot summer days. Also cracking a window a little bit will also tend to keep the temp lower inside the cabin. High quality tint also helps to a certain extent.

 

If parking in open parking lot for work, install the window visors so that you can leave windows slightly open to reduce cabin heating in summers.

 

Limit the charge discharge cycles to the minimum. Ie, use ICE for acceleration, no EV for gliding or low speed driving, no "idling" with ready on, etc. Don't park with very full battery.

 

If you are going to do all of that.......then what's the point of even HAVING a battery in the first place ??
Seems like you are almost saying: The best way to ensure long battery life is: DON'T USE IT.

First, all hybrid batteries are not the same type so the "rules" might be a little different for different models.
One BIG common one is: Avoid excessive heat.
If you live in Arizona or New Mexico that one might be tough.....but it's really important.

 

Exactly, no brainer here. The less battery you use, the longer life AND MPG. BTW, without battery the whole hybrid system would not work. I thought it was a common knowledge?

 

Makes perfect sense that Bisco "liked" your post........
since it makes NO sense to me at all.

If they did not create a hybrid with a battery to increase the gas mileage, then why DID they do it ??

(This answer should be interesting.)

 

You may have noticed from my previous posts that I don't tolerate BS answers. Here is another rule: I don't respond to silly questions.

 

Now that's funny.......because I consider your last post to be both silly and BS.

So, how about let's start over and play nice, OK ?

What exactly did you mean by this:
"Exactly, no brainer here. The less battery you use, the longer life AND MPG. BTW, without battery the whole hybrid system would not work. I thought it was a common knowledge?"
Especially the part about less battery use equals better MPG.I honestly don't understand what you are trying to say........and that is not BS.

 

Maybe I can try.

1. The Toyota Prius hybrid system features a relatively small displacement Atkinson cycle engine. The benefit of the small displacement is that the engine uses a relatively small amount of fuel while the Atkinson cycle provides further efficiency. The disadvantage is that this engine has very low torque available at low engine RPM, hence performance is poor at low vehicle speeds. Compare to a regular vehicle that uses a relatively large Otto cycle gasoline engine to ensure good low end torque and acceleration, but results in higher fuel consumption because an engine with larger piston displacement needs more fuel to run smoothly at a given RPM compared to a smaller engine.

2. To offset the disadvantage of the small Atkinson cycle engine, the hybrid system also includes a traction battery powering MG2 within the transaxle, via the inverter that converts high voltage DC to three-phase high voltage AC. MG2 offers very high torque at low RPM, for example 2G Prius is rated at 295 ft.-lb at zero RPM.

3. The traction battery is used as a means to "recycle" energy that would otherwise be wasted when the vehicle decelerates. A regular vehicle converts forward motion to heating up the brakes, and that heat energy is lost. The Prius offers an energy regeneration feature where MG2 and MG1 both can produce electrical energy that recharges the traction battery, while working to decelerate the Prius.

4. The process of charging and discharging the traction battery results in efficiency losses, which can be observed by noting that the traction battery temperature increases as the battery is utilized. This is why the battery has a dedicated cooling fan and temperature sensors spread throughout the battery case. The inverter also requires a cooling system due to efficiency losses as it converts high voltage DC to three-phase high voltage AC and the reverse.

Given the above, perhaps you can see that the traction battery is required for the Toyota hybrid system to perform adequately. However, if you drive in a way that minimizes the need for electrical energy to be put into and taken out of the traction battery, that will enhance your overall mpg vs. if you drive in a way that unnecessarily cycles the battery (because the more the battery is utilized, the more efficiency losses are incurred that translate into heating up the battery and inverter).

You can observe battery heating in a qualitative manner if you climb or descend mountainous terrain over a significant distance. The Prius battery fan will increase its speed and make noticeable noise as the battery heats up.

 

I think the best advice you've gotten as far as something you can directly do to help HV battery life is be aware of the battery fan and clean it if necessary. --bisco's comment

Use the search function, there are some scary looking pictures of clogged fans, as well as instructions on how to get to the fan, clean it, and even install a filter if necessary or desired.

IMO the rest of the advice? You can take it or leave it, but the Prius system pretty much is designed to protect the battery.

I'd just drive the vehicle, and use some common sense if you happen to find yourself driving across a desert. Strive to keep it as cool as possible.

 

Just to expand on this aspect: In NiMH batteries, the temperature goes up suddenly as the batteries are charged towards the top of their capacity. It can happen that one can drive down a big hill, end up with all green bars, and turn the car off. The batteries will then continue to increase in temperature even with no current through them, and if parked in the sun this can cause a temperature spike that one wants to avoid. The recommendation in this case is to sit for a minute with the AC on and discharge the battery a couple of bars before shutting down.

 

Do not let unqualified mechanics to do work on your hybrid car, and especially on battery/hybrid parts.

- Alex