It should if it is doing one of the following: 1) Generating heat for itself, the catalytic converter, or the cabin. 2) Recharging the battery. Most likely it was doing both, in addition to putting along at less than 35 mph. Tom
Probably only once or twice a week in warmer weather... Now that it's cold, it happens all the time, since the engine runs much longer to warm up. (Both for its own sake and because I'm running the heater, I guess.)
Re: Does your battery EVER show 100% full?? My 2007 with 25.5K typically runs in the green most of the time with just one empty bar at the top. It occasionally goes to blue, but right back to green. I do a combo of flat and rolling hill driving about 30 miles a day running errands. Avg 47.5 mpg. Hope this is not a bad thing?
it's rare, but it does happen. as PATRICK says, going down a hill for miles will charge my batteries to absolute full.
Re: Does your battery EVER show 100% full?? I see 7 green bars at the end each way every day on my 20 mile commute but in the flatlands of Clearwater Florida I have never ever seen 8 green bars. THis car has never seen a big hill. Most of commute is a steady 50-60. Also the traction battery on my 07 stays charged pretty good. I can store the car for a week at a time and the traction battery will always stay at the bar I stored it on either green or blue. Life time of 46-47 mpg's.
well I finally got mine to show 100% full -- started up in 28 degrees F and just let the ICE warm up for about 2 mins...when charging stopped I dropped in D with my foot on the brake applied a little gas = more charging, 1 minute later the battery was 100% full....first time ever for me!!
Worth noting the battery is never 100% full, the indicator shows full when it is at 80% capacity and the HSD system will do whatever it takes to keep the charge below 80%. I believe the systen tries to maintain 60% charge but will go 20% either way (40% - 80%). This is why the battery lasts so long.