Traction Battery Update
 

When I called the tech about the power steering issue, I asked about the traction battery.

I ask if the traction battery lost one or two cells would we see a trouble code. He said certainly, ever cell is scanned all the time. If one cell gets weak it will give a trouble code.

I asked, do they then replace that defective pack. He said no, we replace the whole traction battery. He said it's not a real worry. He had replaced only two packs since 2000.

He had mentioned this to me before. I misunderstood him thinking he was talking about the plug in packs toyota used for a while. He said toyota abandoned the idea. The problem was that the plug in packs would swell making it very hard to remove any plug in pack.

No worry, I got almost 7 years to go on the pack in my TCH.

Re: Traction Battery Update
 

Data from the Dept. of Energy fleet studies, one other battery swap user, and data from my battery refurbhisment studies indicates there is about 2-5 MPG improvement for the first 3-4 months that then decays to a steady state mileage for the rest of the battery life, until near the end. But I would be interested in anyone else's MPG data to see if this pattern is repeating or limited to the three known vehicles and my bench batteries.

Re: Traction Battery Update
 

Here's my mpg Database if it helps. My slightly lower readings were during the winter months and not the the NiMH batteries. So far this year I have overcome the drop.

You fleet and refurbished battery studies may not be the same Panasonic traction battery used in the Camry Hybrid. I have found the NiMH batteries charge and discharge better during the summer than in the coldest winter months.

Here is a string of my gas mileages per tank starting when the car was new.

https://www.greenhybrid.com/compare/.../car/5583.html