Can any Hybrids run with a dead battery?
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My mother's first gen Prius would not go at all when the battery failed.
The Honda hybrids can to a point, not the newer 2-motor system in the new Accord Hybrid/Insight/NSX. But doing so will risk even more expensive damage.
Originally Posted by Cujet
My mother's first gen Prius would not go at all when the battery failed.
You can't go in a Prius if the 12-volt battery dies, either, but that's an easier problem to solve.
My mother's first gen Prius would not go at all when the battery failed.
You can't go in a Prius if the 12-volt battery dies, either, but that's an easier problem to solve.
My wife's 2nd Gen Prius ran and drove with a "known bad" HV battery. It still chugged to life with the 12V battery. I believe there's a huge relay that the computer controls that disconnects the HV battery under fault conditions.
There were multiple warning lights and the battery cooling fan ran full bore, and the car had less pep at low speeds. But it limped around.
There were multiple warning lights and the battery cooling fan ran full bore, and the car had less pep at low speeds. But it limped around.
Originally Posted by eljefino
My wife's 2nd Gen Prius ran and drove with a "known bad" HV battery. It still chugged to life with the 12V battery. I believe there's a huge relay that the computer controls that disconnects the HV battery under fault conditions. ...
Partially correct. The 12-v never cranks the engine; it only boots up the computers and activates the "huge" relays that connect the big battery that starts the engine (among other duties). Your "known bad HV battery" might've been lame, but it wasn't totally dead if you could still start the engine.
Some early Honda hybrids did have capability to start the engine with the 12-volt battery when the big battery was sick. That was handy, because their big battery was comparatively short-lived.
My wife's 2nd Gen Prius ran and drove with a "known bad" HV battery. It still chugged to life with the 12V battery. I believe there's a huge relay that the computer controls that disconnects the HV battery under fault conditions. ...
Partially correct. The 12-v never cranks the engine; it only boots up the computers and activates the "huge" relays that connect the big battery that starts the engine (among other duties). Your "known bad HV battery" might've been lame, but it wasn't totally dead if you could still start the engine.
Some early Honda hybrids did have capability to start the engine with the 12-volt battery when the big battery was sick. That was handy, because their big battery was comparatively short-lived.
Originally Posted by ZZman
If a older hybrid vehicle is bought and the battery pack goes belly up, are there any hybrids that can run in strictly gas engine mode indefinitely?
Yes the original Honda Insight, there are 3 cables you disconnect and it runs non-hybrid indefinitely.
Highway fuel economy stays the same 50-80mpg but city economy can suffer if you disable the hybrid.
The Chevy Volt under certain circumstances can also run with an inop main battery as a gas car.
If a older hybrid vehicle is bought and the battery pack goes belly up, are there any hybrids that can run in strictly gas engine mode indefinitely?
Yes the original Honda Insight, there are 3 cables you disconnect and it runs non-hybrid indefinitely.
Highway fuel economy stays the same 50-80mpg but city economy can suffer if you disable the hybrid.
The Chevy Volt under certain circumstances can also run with an inop main battery as a gas car.
Originally Posted by CR94
Originally Posted by eljefino
My wife's 2nd Gen Prius ran and drove with a "known bad" HV battery. It still chugged to life with the 12V battery. I believe there's a huge relay that the computer controls that disconnects the HV battery under fault conditions. ...
Partially correct. The 12-v never cranks the engine; it only boots up the computers and activates the "huge" relays that connect the big battery that starts the engine (among other duties). Your "known bad HV battery" might've been lame, but it wasn't totally dead if you could still start the engine.
Some early Honda hybrids did have capability to start the engine with the 12-volt battery when the big battery was sick. That was handy, because their big battery was comparatively short-lived.
That makes sense-- one cell in one battery module was shorted so it read 6.2 volts instead of 7.5. If this is a typical failure then OP's concern about stranding may be assuaged.
Car didn't show the battery screen, just more ugly red lights, though Techstream knew what was going on.
Originally Posted by eljefino
My wife's 2nd Gen Prius ran and drove with a "known bad" HV battery. It still chugged to life with the 12V battery. I believe there's a huge relay that the computer controls that disconnects the HV battery under fault conditions. ...
Partially correct. The 12-v never cranks the engine; it only boots up the computers and activates the "huge" relays that connect the big battery that starts the engine (among other duties). Your "known bad HV battery" might've been lame, but it wasn't totally dead if you could still start the engine.
Some early Honda hybrids did have capability to start the engine with the 12-volt battery when the big battery was sick. That was handy, because their big battery was comparatively short-lived.
That makes sense-- one cell in one battery module was shorted so it read 6.2 volts instead of 7.5. If this is a typical failure then OP's concern about stranding may be assuaged.
Car didn't show the battery screen, just more ugly red lights, though Techstream knew what was going on.
Not directly related, but I test drove a used Honda Insight, 2002 if I recall . I got it on a back road and hit 90 indicated and it had a little more speed left, but I ran out of courage. Which was a good thing, because on closer inspection the front tires were both worn to the steel belts. He said the oil was freshly changed in the last 100 miles,and had receipt to prove it, but the dipstick and fill cap said otherwise, so I passed. It was a very slippery little car at speed. I always wondered what the tested top speed was in that car.
Originally Posted by Rmay635703
Originally Posted by ZZman
If a older hybrid vehicle is bought and the battery pack goes belly up, are there any hybrids that can run in strictly gas engine mode indefinitely?
Yes the original Honda Insight, there are 3 cables you disconnect and it runs non-hybrid indefinitely.
Highway fuel economy stays the same 50-80mpg but city economy can suffer if you disable the hybrid.
The Chevy Volt under certain circumstances can also run with an inop main battery as a gas car.
This is interesting. I'd thought about it but assumed that Sods Law would mean it couldn't be done.
None here but it might be a possibility back in the Yook, where petrol prices require something like this. IF you could remove the motive battery you'd save some weight and might gain some load space, which is lacking.
What happens to the regenerative braking? I assume you'd have to disable it somehow and use conventional since all that energy would have nowhere to go, unless you somehow hook in a big hot resistor.
Originally Posted by ZZman
If a older hybrid vehicle is bought and the battery pack goes belly up, are there any hybrids that can run in strictly gas engine mode indefinitely?
Yes the original Honda Insight, there are 3 cables you disconnect and it runs non-hybrid indefinitely.
Highway fuel economy stays the same 50-80mpg but city economy can suffer if you disable the hybrid.
The Chevy Volt under certain circumstances can also run with an inop main battery as a gas car.
This is interesting. I'd thought about it but assumed that Sods Law would mean it couldn't be done.
None here but it might be a possibility back in the Yook, where petrol prices require something like this. IF you could remove the motive battery you'd save some weight and might gain some load space, which is lacking.
What happens to the regenerative braking? I assume you'd have to disable it somehow and use conventional since all that energy would have nowhere to go, unless you somehow hook in a big hot resistor.
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