Reconditioning Experience with Hybrid Automotive's Prolong System

Well I wouldn't suggest anyone overuse the auto discharger, mine just crapped out and it seems many would do the same if used often. It doesn't heat up and discharge the battery. Luckily I'm still within the 2 years warranty, but I'm going to be using it sparingly from now on. Don't want to buy another one of these things.

 

How many times have you used it?

 

My guess is between 10 - 15 packs, rarely doing 3 cycles

 

We’ve used our shared unit up here close to 10 times.

I think @SFO said the last reconditioning he did over thanksgiving was to the 17 volt level.

Other than that, it’s been to the 84 volt mark as the low.

 

I'll be doing the "Full Monty" on The ChuggyPig in the next week or so (…it's that time of the year!), so I've just been catching up on the latest in this thread! (Wow! 844 ) …watch this space! (BTW, Fuelly says 40mpg (last 10), 43.8mpg (average over 60,399 miles, 260 fill-ups), just sayin' )

 

We've talked at length about the good, the bad and the risks of performing the full process but what's everyone's opinion on the "charge only" sessions? The directions indicate three month intervals but do you do them, at what interval, and what is the reasoning behind your answer?

 

I do a top end balance only once per year and this was just before Thanksgiving.

I monitor the battery performance and would do it more if there were signs of pack degradation.

I do not do this more frequently as I think there is a limited number of times you can do maintenance on batteries. So if I am on a pitch count, I’ll extend the time to when either absolutely necessary or at a limited frequency.

When I do the top end balance, I’m looking for 4-6 hours of stable voltage and when I see that, I’m calling it. I also feel that the more I pound on the pack, the more risk I run.

Just my thoughts through the process.

Happy holidays.

 

I've done mine according to the directions but plan to do it less often now that things are as good as they're going to get and I don't want to overdo it. I've only watched the battery using the MFD but that is changing this week. One of the elves spilled the beans. Santa is bringing the Elm adapter and Torque Pro app that ericbecky recommended on page 41 of this thread.

Happy holidays back at you!

 

Here is a recommendation from the manufacturer.

from FAQ

 

I love it when Santa brings tools.

Those visions of sugar plums are already dancing in your head.

Can’t wait for the 25th now I bet.

 

Thanks for the clarification .

I’m interpreting our 2010 with 193 k miles to fit into the “newer and battery performing well” category.

But @jeff652 left it open ended enough for each to make their own choices .

 

But if you follow what you remember he said verbally, he can point to what he actually wrote to correct you & your memory.

I am a little surprised that @jerrymildred should have left his wife's Prius charging when they fled the hurricane. though. It definitely sat unused for more than a week.

 

I’m actually not following what he told me verbally.

I’m doing what he’s written and you’ve quoted.

Definitely trying to avoid depending on my recollection as it’s hard to remember what I had for dinner last night.

 

Again just guidance not “thou shalt” territory.

Or at least I don’t interpret it that way. I leave our 2010 at least 2 times a year at the airport for more than a week when I travel to visit my folks back east. No issues to report .

My bet is @jeff652 as a business man has adjusted the legal ease to accommodate covering him and his businesses bottom .

 

And their bottom line too

 

All of the recommendations are made up.

Doing something is better than nothing.

As with all things, do it in moderation.

 

Coincidentally, all inventions are made up too.

Many recommendations are based on sound scientific fact though.

 

There were three reasons I didn't connect her car to the charger.

• First, the battery is only about four years old and acts just like a new one.
• Second, we were only gone for about 24 hours.
• Third, even if there had been a reason to want it plugged in, who knew how many lightning strikes there would be while we were gone? I didn't want the car connected to the grid.

 

If you read the FAQ further, you will see that Ray's interpretation is better and probably more correct. See the advice for long term storage. It is better for the battery to self discharge right down and then recharge before putting back in service. Going by this advice, Jerry, if he had the inclination (and I, personally wouldn't unless my battery was on its last legs), would have charged & (top) balanced his battery when he got back, before driving the car.

Personally, I would not bother to do the charge/(top) balance, unless the battery sat idle for much longer and/or I had a battery that I knew was nearer EOL.

At the end of the day, those with experience of the process trump those who are arm chair theorists.

Despite the "manufacturer's recommendations" I do not even top balance twice a year. I found immediate benefit doing an initial recondition on a battery that was showing signs of "softness" after about 10 years in service. My inclination was not to do anything further for a year when I did a follow up recondition, even though I did not feel it needed it. I will now not do a another charge of any kind until at least the 2 year anniversary, unless signs of degradation start to show beforehand. My mantra with any kind of rechargeable NiMH/LiIon batteries is less is more, because you can not get away from the fact that rechargeable batteries have a finite number of (full) charge cycles and Toyota have demonstrated that their charging regime (limiting the charge discharge to 40% capacity, between 40 and 80% among other things) yields an exponential increase in battery cycles.

Just my 2¢ worth based on my own research, observations and experience with NiMH batteries and the HA system.

 

I completely agree!