Three week storage recommendations?

New car? No problem, the 12V should still be in great shape. It is only after the 12V has lost capacity with age or abuse that it will start have issues in that period.

Last year, over my Liftback's 4th birthday, I was gone 44 days. Since the battery was already showing some sign of reduced capacity, I shut off SKS from the Nav-Audio system menu to reduce the drain. It started up just fine on my return. Though it was sitting in the warm sun when I returned, so that would have helped boost any weak battery issue.

 

As they say in Italy, "Fogit about it!"
Your new car should be fine when you return. Hopefully you'll have it safely tucked away in the garage. Safe travels!

.

 

In the Prius, the 12 volt charging system works just as well sitting still as driving, unlike many cars. So when you need to be gone more than 3 weeks, just have him start it for an hour each week then turn it off again. Much safer than driving an unfamiliar car.

 

Drain the battery to something less than 100% (50% would be nice) and don't leave the car plugged in. That's it.

 

Totally unnecessary.
And not a good suggestion to be throwing at a nubie anyway.

Between now and your departure, just be sure it is driven.......one or two longish trips are better than a lot of short ones.
Then don't worry.

 

if there's any plug charge left, drive it until the engine comes on, then put it away. toyota recommends not leaving it charged for long periods of time.

 

What I said was correct. Lithium batteries don't like to be stored at full charge.

 

Just my opinion.

Run it in Ev mode until there is no more EV.

The cars ship from Japan that way, and that takes about a month.

jp

 

"While lead acid must always be kept at full charge during storage, nickel- and lithium-based chemistries should be stored at around a 40 percent state-of-charge (SoC). This minimizes age-related capacity loss while keeping the battery operational and allowing for some self-discharge."

BU-702: How to Store Batteries – Battery University

Assuming the prime's Ev-only range is from about 22% to about 87% of full range (65% of the 8.8kWh capacity = 5.7kWh which is about the amount we actually get for Ev-only range), 40% of full-range would be about 28% of of Ev range remaining. The reason I suggested 50% instead of 28% is because there are loads in the Prime that don't go away when the car is not in use, and I'm not sure what the parasitic load is on the hybrid battery versus the 12V battery. The little bit of extra charge (22%) was to allow some room for the battery to discharge somewhat during the storage time through loads other than "self-discharge".

 

I wonder if the uncharged batteries on the cars from Japan is either for safety reasons with all that electricity stored in those cars and/or easier for the factory to send them out that way because it involves less labor. My Kobalt lithium battery instructions state that the battery should be stored at full charge if they're not going to be used for a while.
Hunh...??!! Can anybody agree on this topic?

.

 

check the o/m. the pip o/m specifically states that the battery should be run down to the ev portion when the car is not going to be used.
i can't speak to power tool batteries. perhaps the chemistry is different. do they keep a large buffer at the top and bottom like toyota?

 

Come on folks.
Can't we just TRY to be reasonable......just ONCE ??
Three weeks is NOT a "long period of time".....and just in normal use it is highly unlikely that the HV battery will be fully charged anyway, since the design generally prevents that.
I was talking about the 12 V battery.

 

this is a prime thread. as for what toyota means by a long period of time, we all have to make our best guess, since they refuse to define it. lawyers orders, no doubt.
it is not a burden to leave the prime discharged when not in use.

 

Obviously, the 12V battery should always be kept at a full charge. The car will do that for you unless you leave some lights on or something (or leave it plugged in).

And having the HV battery fully-charged would be extremely easy to do - just leave it plugged in the whole time (which will also, paradoxically, slowly discharge the 12V battery).

 

I am gone 3 weeks at a time all the time. Has not been a problem with my other Prii. Should not be for this one as well. 3 weeks is not like exploring the Congo.

 

Garage stored? If yes, personally I would hook up my charger. If no, I would disconnect the 12 volt connector (and isolate in something like a heavy glove), and lock the car with the mechanical key. 12 volt's under the hood right?

Be prepared to reset radio presets, and there may be a few odd behaviours from the car at first subsequent start-up, due to re calibrating process.

 

huskers,
what other plug in prius have you owned? and when you say it hasn't been a problem, we're talking long term battery health. it's not something you would notice when you got back.

 

Hey, I don't think I'd last 3 weeks in the Congo between the mosquitoes and other wildlife. Unless of course, I could use my Prime Advanced!!

.