Quote:
Originally Posted by S Keith
I have personally tested 3 of them. All were completely destroyed though normal use. I've assisted a dozen people remotely by processing their battery data captured through Torque Pro.
I'm also on a first name basis with someone who has intimate knowledge of the design of the GM hybrids, and some of the issues they had between their own decisions and issues with the pack as produced by Toyota/Panasonic.
The criteria for battery failure are such that the battery is completely ragged out by the time it registers a failure.
The battery is completely abused by excessive current primarily due to the high torque load at "launch" coupled with the spin-up of the big V8. The Prius limits the same components to 150A in rare cases. The GM will pull 220A+ routinely if romped.
Their cooling system is completely ineffective.
Here are your options:
- Gentle launches. Don't romp until the V8 is already spinning and can provide torque.
- Drive conservatively.
- Keep the interior as cool as possible during moderate to hot weather.
- Avoid use of recirculation while cooling. It can create a vacuum in the cabin and reduce the battery's ability to eject warm air.
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Thanks for that, I really was surprised how how inadequate the "cooling" system is in this setup. We generally don't race it around, the way we drive it it's a little slow off the line then when the engine comes on we push it a bit harder.
If you don't mind, what is a good way to evaluate the battery? I saw some of your posts over on greenhybrid. Our battery will drive us around parking lots and let the a/c run for a few minutes in summer.
I'm sure it's not in great health but hopefully not on its last leg. It strikes me as a really good stop/start system more than a hybrid.... hopefully that's not already indicative of a trashed battery.