Ev's, Hybrids and you.
I got 45 mpg with a standard internal combustion Honda back in the 90s.
Progress.
yahooyahoo said:
I got 45 mpg with a standard internal combustion Honda back in the 90s.
Progress.
I was getting the same with my 95 celica.
All of this can be researched on you tube. If your car has a weak 12 volt battery you can replace it with a better quality unit. Your key fob should have a manual key inside it to open the door with the battery dead. I had to deal with this on my 2012 Prius. It wasn't too hard.
DanDietrich said:
All of this can be researched on you tube. If your car has a weak 12 volt battery you can replace it with a better quality unit. Your key fob should have a manual key inside it to open the door with the battery dead. I had to deal with this on my 2012 Prius. It wasn't too hard.
Did you actually read the OP?
DanDietrich said:
Of course I did. I've lived this situation.
But the OP says he has no 12V battery, and your post is talking about how to fix a 12V battery problem.
?
He absolutely does have a 12 volt battery. Whatever guy said that he didn't is wrong. That battery is used for accessories and the engine computers. In an EV it is charged from the main battery. I'm not actually sure whether hybrids still have alternators or if they charge from the relatively small hybrid battery.
a small charging block can give the 12 volt enough of a boost to fire up the electronics in an EV and get things moving again. the hybrid needs either more time with a charger or a jump, because it has to drive the starter motor.
The Prius is a pain because after unlocking the door you need to fold the rear seats, crawl in and remove a small panel on the inside of the hatch, and pop the hatch mechanism to open it from the inside. Then you can remove all of the floor panels and inserts to reach the battery.
Jersey jack didn’t mention the make of his hybrid. But it seems like a Prius, which Dan has experience with and knows where to find the 12v battery. If some guy at the dealership says there’s no 12v battery I would be hesitant to go back there for service.
You should always use original Toyota batteries for your Prius, don’t be taken in by some cheaper aftermarket battery. And most importantly, it’s not like a regular 12v battery you can get at buy wise or advance auto parts. Like everything else it will die one day, but it’s still cheaper than the 200v battery that drives the car. You should drive the car often, a Prius sitting in your driveway for days on end won’t do it any good. Drive it often so the batteries keep active.
Jaytee said:
yahooyahoo said:
I got 45 mpg with a standard internal combustion Honda back in the 90s.
Progress.
I was getting the same with my 95 celica.
Whichever car FormerlyJerseyJack has, it's much safer and the ICE will have emissions that are much much lower than the engine in either of those cars. As the former owner of a 1989 Celica that also got about 45mpg, but would have also folded up like a wet paper bag in a crash, I would say that getting 45mpg today is real progress.
DanDietrich said:
He absolutely does have a 12 volt battery. Whatever guy said that he didn't is wrong. That battery is used for accessories and the engine computers. In an EV it is charged from the main battery. I'm not actually sure whether hybrids still have alternators or if they charge from the relatively small hybrid battery.
a small charging block can give the 12 volt enough of a boost to fire up the electronics in an EV and get things moving again. the hybrid needs either more time with a charger or a jump, because it has to drive the starter motor.
The Prius is a pain because after unlocking the door you need to fold the rear seats, crawl in and remove a small panel on the inside of the hatch, and pop the hatch mechanism to open it from the inside. Then you can remove all of the floor panels and inserts to reach the battery.
My Prius (2014) has the battery under the hood (I think) along with jumper cable connection points. It's not at all obvious, but if you have the manual. Definitely has the jumper cable points, so maybe the battery is hidden away somewhere else.
DanDietrich said:
But can you tell me what this thread has to do with EVs?
guess EV batteries never go F.U.B.A.R.
drummerboy said:
But the OP says he has no 12V battery, and your post is talking about how to fix a 12V battery problem.
?
Point about he 12v was, the guy at the intake desk said there was a 12V battery. There isn't. Hyundai Sonata.
The point of the post is, even the dealer may have no idea what he is talking about. So investigate and learn about YOUR particular car before you are stuck on a street in West Undershirt, Mississippi and it's getting dark outside. It ain't about you getting out of the car and asking the guy across the parking lot if he has jumper cables.
Oh, and yes, EV batteries also have a limited lifespan... somewhere around 10 years.
Jaytee said:
Jersey jack didn’t mention the make of his hybrid. But it seems like a Prius, which Dan has experience with and knows where to find the 12v battery. If some guy at the dealership says there’s no 12v battery I would be hesitant to go back there for service.
You should always use original Toyota batteries for your Prius, don’t be taken in by some cheaper aftermarket battery. And most importantly, it’s not like a regular 12v battery you can get at buy wise or advance auto parts. Like everything else it will die one day, but it’s still cheaper than the 200v battery that drives the car. You should drive the car often, a Prius sitting in your driveway for days on end won’t do it any good. Drive it often so the batteries keep active.
Before going to the dealer, I went o Advance on Springfield Ave. They agree, there is no 12V for my car.
Formerlyjerseyjack said:
Before going to the dealer, I went o Advance on Springfield Ave. They agree, there is no 12V for my car.
But you wrote there is a 12v battery reset switch. Maybe it does some kind of electrical reset and they didn't bother to relabel on the new models.
However, it makes sense not to have a 12 volt battery in addition to the main battery. That seems redundant.
Well I'm wrong about the sonata. It does have a low voltage lithium battery but not a 12 volt battery. There is a specific jump start routine in the manual to follow if the push button doesn't work, but it is complicated. As far as the throw in statement that ev batteries only last 10 years, that's wrong. Mine is warranted 10 years and should last the life of the car.
Jaytee said:
Jersey jack didn’t mention the make of his hybrid. But it seems like a Prius, which Dan has experience with and knows where to find the 12v battery. If some guy at the dealership says there’s no 12v battery I would be hesitant to go back there for service.
You should always use original Toyota batteries for your Prius, don’t be taken in by some cheaper aftermarket battery. And most importantly, it’s not like a regular 12v battery you can get at buy wise or advance auto parts. Like everything else it will die one day, but it’s still cheaper than the 200v battery that drives the car. You should drive the car often, a Prius sitting in your driveway for days on end won’t do it any good. Drive it often so the batteries keep active.
My son is thinking of getting a EV but works from home. If not for going to the gym everyother day it would sit all week. Should he reconsider until he's more of a daily driver?
The trick I think with an EV is that you have to drive it to save money. The upfront cost is higher than a comparable gas car, but it is much cheaper to maintain and operate. If your son wants an EV for short trips it might not pay off. But if he likes the green aspect, a used Nissan leaf may be a good choice. They have less range, but that is no issue for driving to the gym. It only takes a short drive every couple of weeks to keep the 12 volt charged up.
DanDietrich said:
The trick I think with an EV is that you have to drive it to save money. The upfront cost is higher than a comparable gas car, but it is much cheaper to maintain and operate. If your son wants an EV for short trips it might not pay off. But if he likes the green aspect, a used Nissan leaf may be a good choice. They have less range, but that is no issue for driving to the gym. It only takes a short drive every couple of weeks to keep the 12 volt charged up.
The green aspect is the draw. He's vegan, not that there's anything wrong with that.
My first hybrid. I enjoy it, 45 mpg is good.
Then came Wednesday. Battery was dead, door won't open and there is no slot on the door for a key to go in. So I call AAA. "Probably gonna need a tow."
The dealer where I bought the car, told me that the 12V. is under the rear car seat.
AAA guy says he can open the door with his "Jimmy" stuff. So he does. Doesn't ask me if I have a manual key. But he gets the car open and proceeds to look for battery under the hood.... As I told him, there isn't one. Its under the rear car seat.
he can't find it. So he calls AAA's instant car guru and asks about what to do. Guy tells the driver to look for a button or switch that says 12V reset. Driver finds it, pushes it and the car starts right up.
OK. So I drive to Maxon and leave the car. Write-up desk calls 2 hours later and says the battery was running at 30%. We recharged it and now its good. I ask why this happened. He doesn't know. Says there is a service bulletin reporting that it happened a few times and they don't know why.
I ask where the 12V battery is so I can have it charged if this happens again. He calls the tech guy who says there is no 12V battery. Only one "BIG" battery that you probably can't safely charge yourself.
SO, HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO YOU?
Well, if you have one of these, a good idea would be to find out how the electrical system, motor(s) are fueled and what to do if you are having trouble.
My manual gives no information about this.
I hope this saves somebody some trouble in future.