Currently the weather in west Texas fluctuates through various nights between mid 30’s and 60’s. I noticed over the last two weeks of colder nights my blue battery bars have gone to full green during the night. The previous day when I park at 6 pm or so the bars are blue at mid-level. They spontaneously become full green by the next morning when I first start up. Also, they stay green for much longer periods during the day while driving, and I can achieve green with much less braking than in hotter weather. When it’s cold during the day, 40’s-low 50s, I can drive around town for 30 minutes with green level. When it’s warmer I rarely see green during the same driving locations, time and distance. It’s as though the cold weather gives the hybrid battery a boost, but that is contrary to everything I’ve read here about cold weather effects. What’s up with this?
Cold weather forces your ICE to run more to produce heat for itself and the cabin. While it is running, it charges the battery. With our cold winters here we often see green on the battery monitor. That doesn't explain why you have green at start-up, but that could be just one of the funny things that happens before the computer gets a good read on the SOC. Tom
I'd like to contribute that if the fluctuating outside temperatures are actually making their way into the batteries and cooling or warming them, a part of it is probably the effect of temperature itself on apparent power levels. You'll see the same thing in cell phones or even in batteries. I've seen it in cell phones and even alkaline batteries; you can duplicate the same sort of results by running your mobile phone dead and then throwing it in the freezer (in a ziploc baggie, of course). suddenly the phone thinks the battery has much more power remaining. the prius has pretty sophisticated software that maintains the batteries at a 30% - 70% charge level to avoid fatiguing them; the car literally doesn't like the idea of "topping off" the hybrid battery system and is smart enough to avoid it whenever possible. ~ dan ~
Sandra, I suggest that you start a new thread concerning this issue. I'd be willing to bet it would have a lot more exposure and get a few more responses. Windows frozen solid... Is any kind of grease used in this application? If so, consider using gear grease for an old differential. Is water getting into the door and immobilizing it? Any way you look at it, that's a weird problem. You people who live in areas that actually have weather must have to deal with a lot of random strange stuff, and I bet it's all normal to you Good luck
