Driven my brand new 2013 to 6500 miles. Never got the dash battery display to register full until I drove down a mountain. Is it normal that it doesn't fill up? I usually have it one bar lower than full in everyday use. Just wondering.
Yes that is normal. Once the battery is 'full' you can't use regenerative brakes and lose some MPG, so the computers try to prevent a full battery. (the PHV works differently)
Yep, quite normal for me. Have only hit full battery a couple of times, usually during abnormally long regenerative coasting down hills at higher speeds. The battery is sized very well by Toyota to be only as big (and heavy/expensive) as it really has to.
Finally? You really should try to avoid filling it too often for long term reliability, though couple times a week would be fine. The car normally sits between 6/8 bars, though will fill to 7/8 or 8/8 when going down a long hill. Even when the car shows it as totally and absolutely full it is only 80% full and empty is about 40%. By using this 40% window allows the battery to last the life of the car. Seriously, don't worry about it. You should be more worried about it running too low such as if you leave the car in neutral with the a/c running (such as in a car wash) or if you drive the car when you've run out of petrol - the car will carry on on electric at slow speeds until the battery is totally empty. Only a dealer can charge it up again and chances are it will have been damaged beyond repair.
You quoted me a little out of context there. I meant DO NOT leave the car in Neutral such as in a car wash. Some (granted not all) carwashes ask you put the car in neutral whilst their machine drags you through. If it was a hot day and you had the a/c on high, you could run the HV battery lower than it should go and cause it damage and possibly not have enough charge to start the engine. If the car is in Park or Drive the engine will start up to charge the HV battery. When it's in Neutral it doesn't.
Actually, in an "automatic" car wash you are supposed to leave the car in "N", and if you are in a nice warm climate I would expect the AC would be running. So that's why it would happen. Grumpy, even if you run out of "petrol" and continue on the Prius will eventually "shut you down" -before- the battery is completely discharged. You CAN discharge a little deeper this way, but only to about 20-25% charge. The car will still start once fuel is added. Though if you kept trying to start it without adding fuel you -could- discharge the battery too far.
I forgot about those types of automatic car washes. I live in a small town and we have the type where the vehicle is stationary and the automatic car wash moves.
But not always. There are numerous posts on this forum about people who've continued for a mile or two on electric after running out of fuel and still not being able to start despite putting 10 litres of petrol in. Sure you might get away with it, but if you're the one who pulled a short straw that day you end up needing a new HV battery. Had my car serviced a couple weeks ago and was talking to the dealer about the hybrid health check (UK only) and they said the only HV battery they've replaced was when it was damaged after running out of fuel. Other than that one car they've never replaced any. Granted they're a small local dealer.
Yeah, I've been death on car washes for decades, avoid them like ebola. But I noticed one in our neighbourhood like that: car drives in, stops, and all the washing apparatus moves around the car. Might be tempted, in the middle of winter. Likely not though: my concern is wheel wells, and catching the scratches, before they get away from you, start rusting.
