I have a 2007 Camry Hybrid with about 80,000 miles. Over the last year the MPG has dropped from 43-44 to about 38-40, same type of driving, a mixture of City and Highway, same driver, nothing has changed except the car is older. Service has been done almost consistently with the service manual recommendations. Nothing major (oil changes, filters, etc.) I have read some items that discuss the Hybrid battery is not kicking in like it should but I have no documentation of that. Thoughts? Should I take to a dealership? A local mechanic mentioned to me that he could retrieve the codes from computer. Would that show anything?

Thanks to all.

 

Given the age, I expect your battery is deteriorated. Have you noticed the battery meter going up and down to greater extremes or more rapidly?

If so, I suspect you are on the verge of a battery failure, and you are a good candidate for a Hybrid Automotive reconditioning system (charger + discharger).

I just installed one for a friend on his 2006 Prius. We did a charge and discharge. With the TEchstream software, I was able to calculate the state of health of the battery. Prior to the grid charge/discharge, it was 35%. After the grid charge/discharge, the capacity grew to 78%.

 

Thanks...Your thoughts were my thoughts about battery deterioration although I can't pinpoint it. The battery meter stays pretty consistent. I will look into TechStream software. I believe I have 10 years warranty on the Hybrid battery, the question is "how does Toyota handle the diagnosis?"

Thanks

 

Search for MiniVCI on amazon. You'll need to supply a Win-32bit laptop.

Toyota waits until the battery fails and then charges a lot to replace it. They don't use it the way I do. I use the data recorded by Techstream to calculate performance. They just read codes and give the official diagnosis... "no codes. Nothing's wrong"

 

Thanks for your information. I figured as much with Toyota.

 

Toyota is not setup to recondition batteries. It is time consuming and would take up valuable shop space. The cost for a Hybrid Automotive reconditioning package is a small fraction of what Toyota would want.

 

yep, agreed..Thanks

 

This car is a perfect candidate for a Drive Cycle Stress Test offered by The Hybrid Shop. We supply full graphic results of the test that will (likely in your case) show one or more V-blocks under-performing. It sounds like this vehicle is just a matter of time/mileage before it starts throwing code for out of balance pack. Our battery conditioning service saves thousands vs. dealer replacement and is backed by a minimum 2-year warranty. Not sure where you're located, but if you're interested in speaking to one of our hybrid experts, you can find your nearest location on our website. good luck!

 

Thanks..I am pretty sure it is still under warranty for 10+ years

 

Unless you are in California the warranty is 8 years 100,000 miles. We had a similar vehicle in here last year with about the same mileage. Did a conditioning service to the vehicle and it did fine. This year we had another vehicle with 70,020 miles on it also a 2007 and since the person did not drive great distances conditioning the battery was not a great option. The second vehicle however did have the high voltage battery light on. If you are going to do something now is the time before the light comes on. Suggest you contact your closest Hybrid Shop and discuss getting it done.