HV Battery losing charge quickly and frequently

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by dani1166, Jan 19, 2014.

  1. dani1166

    dani1166 Junior Member

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    Hi all,

    I have noticed with my 2007 prius that recently when I take it for the first drive of the day, the HV battery goes from fully charged (green bars) to low (2 pink bars sometimes down to 1). after i drive it around for a while it charges back up as per normal. I live in Australia and it is very hot down here at the moment. I am sure heat is a factor to the performance of the HV battery and did have an issue not long ago with the battery dropping to 1 pink bar and taking 15 minutes to charge up one more bar and the fan was going off at the back seat. But even on cool days it seems to have the same problem. It also feels like it doesnt have as much power even on a normal state of charge as it used to when i bought it. Could this be my HV battery starting to go? I have had no warning lights come up on the dash yet and my 12 volt battery was replaced by toyota last year. It has done just under 90 000km. I have contacted toyota to see if they could shed any light on it. I am just waiting for a response. The warrenty for the battery here is 8 years or 160 000km which ever is first. Because the car is 7 years old, i should still be covered if the battery needs replacing. Has anyone else had the same issues and if so what did you do to resolve it?
     
    #1 dani1166, Jan 19, 2014
  2. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    Have you cleaned the battery cooling fan? That would be the first thing to check. Make sure there is plenty of air flow through the system.

    What sort of fuel efficiency are you getting? Hot climates have indeed been more likely to produce battery failure, but without any actual warning lights or error conditions, Toyota won't be of any help. There can be driveability issues, but the battery still may be within specs.
     
    #2 nh7o, Jan 20, 2014
  3. hkgngplugin

    hkgngplugin Junior Member

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    Do you have your A/C on? The HV battery should not be wearing off that early for normal uses. During Summer, very often I get 1 bar if I start my car with A/C on immediately. Also note that the battery fan should keep on all the time you drive your car. If it comes off, an error light should throw out on your dash board. Sometimes the battery fan will "slow down" when your car "thinks" the temperature is ok.
     
    #3 hkgngplugin, Jan 20, 2014
  4. dani1166

    dani1166 Junior Member

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    I do have my a/c on low all the time. I have never heard the battery fan so audibly until just recently but I guess its never really been this hot here before. No warning light has come up recently.
     
    #4 dani1166, Jan 20, 2014
  5. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Hi Dani. Re your previous post on this issue: 2007 Prius hybrid battery problem on a hot day | PriusChat

    Have you had any of the suggestions there checked out yet?

    1. Checked the rear fan for dust clogging? See Fur and dirt causing major battery problems | Page 2 | PriusChat

    2. Checked the inverter coolant reservoir for circulation (and correct level)? See maintenance and repair in Anchorage AK | PriusChat

    You can get good help here, but you'll need to test some of the things that are suggested or we can't get anywhere.
     
    #5 uart, Jan 20, 2014
  6. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    double post
     
    #6 uart, Jan 20, 2014
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    why are you reposting and not replying to your original thread?:confused:
     
    #7 bisco, Jan 20, 2014
  8. dani1166

    dani1166 Junior Member

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    Thanks guys. Sorry about the double post. I forgot all about my last one. In regards to checking the battery fan, I am planning on having a go on the weekend. Ill check all the coolant levels and performance then too. Will keep you updated on what I find.
     
    #8 dani1166, Jan 20, 2014
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    no prolemo.;) all the best.
     
    #9 bisco, Jan 20, 2014
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