HYBRID owners I need your help with something..... battery questions

[Iced_Out_Audemars]

(I also posted on reddit). So my 5th gen is sold. I car camp in the summer and sometimes (alot) I need to run the engine to give me some AC/heat. The 5thgen would idle so rough it could keep you up at night. I like the hybrid because I assume, like the Prius, that it can use the AC at night without the engine running--and when the battery needs to charge the engine turns on for 15mins only. At the same time the non hybrid extra storage is a huge bonus for me. Could someone test how long the battery will run the AC without the motor turning on? Then once the motor turns on, how long does it take to charge the battery before turning off? That might be more than I can test at the dealership. Thanks!!!!!

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[TRD_Alex]

Considering the 4Runner Hybrid pack is more than 7 times smaller in capacity than a modern Prius battery, it's going to cycle a lot more than the Prius would, but for a shorter amount of time.

As for time on to time off, I've sat in a parking lot with it running and A/C full blast, and the system seems to turn on and off every 10 minutes (roughly.) Couldn't tell you about the cycle for heating as I haven't use it yet.

Honestly, if you plan on sleeping IN your 4Runner that often and value every square inch, the non-hybrid might be better purely for the extra space. However you will lose some nice amenities such as the 2400 watt inverter and the ability to run climate controls without running the engine the entire night.

On the opposing side you'll save thousands by going non-hybrid, which you could spend on a solar+battery kit to cover the lack of OEM inverter. But you'll still be stuck running the engine all night for a/c.

 

[kekecarioca]

It won't get you very far and there is no straight answer on how long it will run the A/C compressor on since it depends how full the battery is and temp. factors. It's also hard to get it to be fully charged and once it's about 3 bars (out of 8 ) full it will kick in the engine always it seems like. I've had it sitting for several minutes w/ ac on and no engine but also the fan is blowing hard to get air flow on that condenser = noise.

Honestly I'm impressed how much it rests on EV and it's been a HOT summer.... but I don't think it's the ideal solution for your needs. It will be significantly better than 5th gen idle since the T24-Fts is quite smooth.

The real estate space is quite compromised to sleep and sit up inside the Hybrid....
It's a dilemma I know. Sorry if this did not really help answer your question.

 

[Nodak]

also you have to remember the ecu will shut the engine off after 60 mins idle time in park. a pop up screen comes on asking this same question.

havent tested the acknowledge screen that comes up if it will still shut the engine off after the 60 min timer if you click the pop up screen away.

 

[bakutheleo]

The popup asks if you want it to shut down--I assume not answering is the same as answering yes, but similarly I'd guess answering no means it will not shut down after an hour. I have not tested it by waiting that long! The manual does not seem to explain the popup question at all (I just did a quick look). It does say that if you lock the doors from the inside or from the outside with the mechanical key then the automatic shutdown is disabled. Strange exception, I guess so you can force it to stay enabled. I wonder if that popup was added later (after the manual was written) to accomodate the option of preventing it from shutting down after the hour.

 

[DHermit]

I've had my Platinum for a week now and my hybrid battery never shows a charge over half. Is that normal? If I drove for hours and hours on the highway, would it actually reach a full charge?

 

[coloradomarmot]

Yep, it's normal, I see the same thing in normal driving - most I ever saw was about 75% and that was coming down I-70.. I think that's to preserve the life of the battery.

 

[bakutheleo]

@coloradomarmot is correct, keeping this type of battery between about 20-80% of full charge increases its overall life (same is true with Lithium ion (not lithium iron phosphate) used in phones, laptops, and most other portable devices. Mine regularly goes down to 3 bars, not sure if I have ever seen it less--to almost full (maybe one down from max) but rarely. That would happen when coasting a lot, which charges the hybrid battery.

 

[DHermit]

Yep, it's normal, I see the same thing in normal driving - most I ever saw was about 75% and that was coming down I-70.. I think that's to preserve the life of the battery.

Let's say you wanted to have a more full charge, like before a tailgate, is there any way to increase it?

 

[coloradomarmot]

Let's say you wanted to have a more full charge, like before a tailgate, is there any way to increase it?

Not that I've seen - it's really designed just for the engine vs a giant battery pack. I'd just get a jackery unit - charge it on the way there while driving from the 110 outlet, and then use the pack there.

 

[MikeD]

I and others have posted about the battery charge levels in another thread (Hybrid real world MPG). I show a picture in that thread where I got up to 8 bars by using engine braking in standard mode on a long mountain downhill. But for me three bars is most typical, then 4, then 5. I've seen 6, 7 & 8 but never 1 or 2.

 

[tywyatt]

I've had my Platinum for a week now and my hybrid battery never shows a charge over half. Is that normal? If I drove for hours and hours on the highway, would it actually reach a full charge?

We have had out platnium exactly a week too with the same thing battery is never charged?

 

[Nodak]

they hybrid will 95% of the time never fully charge or discharge if you follow the 20-80 rule of batteries

this is a wild speculation ...

also the gauge is misleading. 0-100% = 20-80% of the actual battery charge (if you follow recommended charge state of the metal hydride battery for normal usage and longevity)

Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) car batteries typically last 8 to 10 years or 100,000 to 150,000 miles, but their maximum life can extend beyond that with good management, potentially reaching 15+ years or over 200,000 miles, especially in well-maintained Toyota hybrids due to advanced battery management systems that keep them in shallow charge cycles (20-80%) and avoid extreme heat, though heat and long periods of sitting idle are key factors that shorten their life.

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