Reconditioning Experience with Hybrid Automotive's Prolong System

Won't the gas mileage just reset and you can replicate with another tank of gas?

It's not all that hugely important to disconnect 12v, just recommended so the SOC resets.

 

As Jeff indicated earlier the SOC resets itself after a few miles anyway.

 

I think the recommendation to disconnect/reconnect the 12V was (as I understand from @jeff652) aimed more at the Honda Hybrids than Prii. I've found that the system left to its own devices, resets the SoC eventually!

 

I always charge the 12 volt the same time I charge the hybrid battery.

 

Just make sure you don't leave the interior lights on with the hatch open. I switch them all off. But I also use the down time to put the 12v on a maintenance charger while I'm at it. Probably doesn't need it, but won't hurt and it might help prevent something I didn't notice running down the 12v.

 

Looks like great minds think alike. LOL!

Yours apparently posted as I was typing.

 

No, nobody knows. That's why it is generally not recommended. The fear of the unknown.

I have charged the HV battery a few times without disconnecting the 12V battery with no ill effects.

 

Thanks jerry but something is not right that meter is not acting like an ammeter. When I had my pack all the way down it should pull a lot more current than if it's full and topping off. It always says 338ma no matter the soc is. That's not right.

And Jeff says in his post swings from 100 to 450ma.

Yes both my meters were flashing like crazy when it was down to 80 volts. I thought great it blew up.

 

I have one of the early models of Jeff's chargers. First few months, if I'm not mistaken. Perhaps there are design changes.
Anyway, I seem to remember mine fluctuating some in amperage when the soc is low, but I don't think it was much. It'll be quite sometime before I'll be checking that now with an almost new battery in the '07.

 

... when the voltage (on a Prius) is below 200 V.

I don't recollect the voltage swinging wildly at any voltage, only the ammeter (below 200 V). The voltmeter always read the current (no pun intended) voltage of the HV battery. Maybe those with swinging voltmeters need to return the unit for repair.

 

When I was down to 80 volts while discharging I ran out of time so began charging and both meters went nuts bouncing very high and low real fast for quite a while. Bonkers.
Didn't stop till it got up to 120 volts then they went back to there 120v and the .338 and continued charging.
Never saw it do that before but that's my first discharge do that's the first time the charger had a
Load on it. Just balancing cycles before.

Maybe the metering circuit is jacked up. When I bought the system the little black plastic box with the power supply for the hybrid cooling fan didn't work. I had no fan. Found an unsoldered wire in the box and the rest of the solder connections looked terrible so had to resolder that whole circuit.
I posted That one with pictures. I remember now that when I first got the charger the fan was really loud. If I pressed on the case it stopped making the fan noise. I took the case off and looked around and noticed 2 pots on the meter circuit. So maybe just out of adj. I put the cover back on and the fan noise is better but still a little buzzy loud so maybe thats the way they all are.

 

So far I'm thrilled with the results. I'll wait for the fill up to confirm what I'm seeing on the screen.

First longer distance test over a very familiar route this morning. I filled up at my usual station and headed up to my son's place out on the desert in Kern County, 110 miles each way, 95-100*F heat after passing Victorville. Ran the a/c 100% of the way and cruise control most of the way.. I left the MFD on the screen displaying the battery level and energy flow so I could see what affect the battery reconditioning had.

For the first time since we bought the car it never reached the purple level on the way up the Cajon Pass, only going down as far as the last blue bar. On 395 the ICE was much quicker to shut down at traffic signals. I noticed the car seemed to be much more efficient at bleeding off the excess energy the few times it actually hit the green bar level (for example, heading down the 395 grade to Kramer Junction and coming back down the Cajon Pass). Maybe it's me but the car just seemed smoother in general.

Well, the car is back in the garage 223 miles later and displaying 49.9 mpg. The highest it's displayed before on this same trip was 48.6 when it was cooler and I didn't have to use the a/c. The best previous with the a/c on was 46.4.

Now I can't wait to need gas again so I can crunch the actual numbers.

 

Sounds successful !

Congrats.

 

After reading this thread and debating weeks and weeks about getting the auto discharger...I finally broke down and ordered one from Jeff.

 

The auto discharger is a nice unit.
Set it and forget it.
Once it begins discharge you can simply walk away.

 

Yep, it's like having a hobby charger. Set it and walk away. I was sick of the light bulbs lol

 

Except it's a hobby charger that does an entire high voltage pack all at once!

 

For the small time conditioners, the grid charger and auto discharger is perfect. For the pros, they'll stick with the hobby chargers