How to determine battery condition

Cheapest way get 5 dollar torque app and 5 dollar obd2 reader .

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

you need tech stream and a laptop. that will give you readings while driving with a load on the battery.
unfortunately, it can look good today, and fail tomorrow.
think of it like any wear item. a tyre or a brake pad. but less easy to predict the wear.

 

Better get checked your battery after a few months because sometimes one of the battery cell starts to weaken.. (which can be replaced) but that one cell weaken all the other cells. Thus the battery needs replacement.

 

initially, the battery does not show proper value. You need tech stream software & laptop to check your battery level.

 

see post #4.

 

12-volt? High voltage? Symptoms? Reason?


iPhone ?

 

Hi guys,
I have 2010 Prius which has only 30K on it but I'm not sure how to determine the condition of the HV battery? I'm the second owner and the most I've ever seen the battery gets charged is like below:


It never goes higher than this. Is the battery started having a problem? I have torque app and OBD reader but not sure what exactly I should check.
Also any inputs on Prolong charger from Hybrid Automotive? Does it worth to spend more than $400 on buying it? or I should think of getting a refurbished HV battery?

Thanks!

 

that's normal, your battery is probably fine. how are your mpg's?

 

Thanks for your response. I'm hoping to receive a more definite response as I don't want to let it to chance. The mpg is a little less than 50 I guess but I don't know how accurate it is.

 

Normal battery charge on that display is 6 bars which corresponds with about 60% SOC. That is what the Prius is aiming for. If you brake a lot or during second stage warmup when you're not in ECO, you can get to 7 or even 8 bars, but your Prius will try to get back to 6 bars quite rapidly.
So this is no indication of any problem.

 

Don't confuse the Prius Hatchback with an EV. The traction battery works in conjunction with the gas engine (ICE) to provide energy to get the car moving and then to capture energy when the car is coasting. The software attempts to keep the charge level near the middle of the display. If the charge level ever gets full, there will be no place for the kinetic energy to go and it will be wasted. Even while in steady cruise, you'll notice the arrows reverse from providing power to charging the battery constantly. To answer your original question: the best indicator of a battery on its way out is when the charge level rapidly goes from full to empty and vice versa. By rapidly, I mean within a mile or so of driving.

 

Thanks for the info. That was helpful. By your definition, it seems that the battery is on its way out because it goes from what I showed in the picture down to two bars in about of a mile. Now the question is, does it worth to invest in a Prolong reconditioning kit? I know it really depends on the exact condition of the battery but I'd like to know what you and others think?

Thanks,

 

if it goes to two bars with the engine running, that is not good.

if it goes to two bars because you are trying to keep it in ev, that is normal, but not good for your battery if done regularly.

 

Yeah, unfortunately, it goes down to two bars sometimes with the engine running.

 

hmm, doesn't sound right unless the engine is warming up, in which case it uses more battery than engine. does it quickly go back to full?

 

Yes, it goes relatively fast up.

 

since you are a new owner, do you have anything to compare it to?

 

No, I don't.