Hot Weather & HCH-II Recals

[narsjafo]

I have a 2008 HCH-II with approximately 73,500 miles on it. It has been in the high 90's to low 100's here in NC the last week. Every time I drive after the car sits for a few hours or more, it will start a recal, down to 1 or even 0 bars, within the first mile of driving that will last up to 10 miles. Sometimes it will go until it has a full 8 bars of charge, but just as often it will stop 7 or even 6 and then quickly drop to as low as 5. Even if it reads 7 or 8 bars at the end of my trip, it will again do a recal the next time I drive it. I am taking a 5-10 mpg hit on my trips and tank mileage as a result. Should I take it to the dealer and have it checked out? I know the battery packs in the HCH-II are notorious for issues. So far no IMA light or other indications of "official" trouble. Suggestions and advice? Thanks.

PS I bought it used in the summer of 2010 with 30,500 miles on it and don't think it has had the major software update from then. Thanks.

[all_about_the_glide]

My 2007 recals more often in the heat and most frequently when I run the AC (82-86f setpoint - up to 4 bars of fan) with a similar effect on MPG--10 on a short trip with a full recal--but not every time it sits. I would take it to the dealer to get it on record that the battery is degrading, you have less than 19k miles left on the IMA warranty.

[Bennett]

Definitely worth having it looked it. Seem have suggested the most recent flash will more properly trigger the IMA light if appropriate.

I've also seen more bad behavior in the heat - but not that bad! (yet...). My recals if they happen are far shorter - the bigger impact on my mileage in the heat is running the AC and struggling through the city traffic without autostop. I consider it a price worth paying...

[jmelson]

Originally Posted by narsjafo

I have a 2008 HCH-II with approximately 73,500 miles on it. It has been in the high 90's to low 100's here in NC the last week. Every time I drive after the car sits for a few hours or more, it will start a recal, down to 1 or even 0 bars, within the first mile of driving that will last up to 10 miles. Sometimes it will go until it has a full 8 bars of charge, but just as often it will stop 7 or even 6 and then quickly drop to as low as 5. Even if it reads 7 or 8 bars at the end of my trip, it will again do a recal the next time I drive it. I am taking a 5-10 mpg hit on my trips and tank mileage as a result. Should I take it to the dealer and have it checked out? I know the battery packs in the HCH-II are notorious for issues. So far no IMA light or other indications of "official" trouble. Suggestions and advice? Thanks.

I have a 2009 that just passed 50K miles, and it is doing the same. After a 1000
mile trip it was REALLY bad, two full recals a day commuting to work. It seems to
have settled down a little, now I don't always get the 2nd recal.

Jon

[ematzen]

Not to be a downer, but welcome to the slow decline of your hybrid. That's how it started with mine, a Houston car. My experience is that heat is VERY bad for the HCH battery. We had to have ours replaced.

[all_about_the_glide]

I've been letting it run without AC in 90f+ temps whenever I don't have to worry about arriving looking like a drowned rat: the recals are way down and the FE is stellar (multiple 70+ trips) with the battery behaving normally (mostly)??? Now, it is possible that I'm stressing it and the power electronics, but the constant cycling and increased crashes from using the AC can't be great for it either. Figure I might as well pick the poison that maxes FE.

[narsjafo]

Anyone know the likelihood of throwing an IMA light in the next 19K miles, before I loose my warranty? Would the software update really help this along? I have loved this car for last 2 years, but i am starting to think I should have gone with the second gen Prius. Is that blasphemy?

[ematzen]

Not blasphemy. I owned my 06 HCH for three years, and there wasn't a day that went by where I didn't wish I had purchased a prius instead (like I did for my wife). If it's 90+ degrees out, I want to run the AC and have the car operate fairly normal. Prius gets great FE regardless of how it is driven and how much AC load there is (granted, it fluctuates, but not like the HCH).

The only saving grace for my HCH was that I bought it used three years ago for $11,400, and sold it last month, having put 30+K miles on it for $10k. Used that money to buy a new Prius. So I can't complain about the economics of the HCH, just the function.

[psyshack]

Our pack in our 09 was so low one morning this week that the old school starter and lead acid battery started the car. I had to hit the key twice. Hearing the starter clank to engage and being use to the electric motor and pack doing the job silently really caught the wife and I off guard. It did not start on the first try. because I got off the key to quick. I looked at the charge state and had "0" bars. Hit the key again and held it like a normal car, and sure enough she fired up off the lead acid battery. All I could do is laugh. I put in reverse, waited for the crappy CVT to wake up and move the car. Backed out, got into the street, put it in Drive and again waited for the worthless CVT to figure out what it's suppose to do and off we went. With in a few miles the pack was back with a full charge with no IMA idiot light.

But there is no doubt AC kills the pack and MPG Almost as much as Honda's stupid update's to the code. It has been well over 100 degree's here a lot of late. It was a 109 to 111 yesterday depending were you were at in the metro. And I'm not kind to the car anymore when it comes to very hot temps and AC use. We don't use the AC during the morning commutes. But come the afternoon or evening commutes or drives. It gets put on low and full fan. Even with those setting on the hwy one can keep the pack topped off and auto stop will still work at times when I come to a light or two in town.

[Right Lane Cruiser]

Hey hey, Jeff! Glad to hear you are still kickin' out there in OK.