How do you troubleshoot hybrid car issues?
- The common issues
- Maintenance
- Jumpstart your hybrid car
Owning a hybrid car has great benefits. But of course, every great thing has its own downsides, naturally and realistically. In this article, we will tackle some of the common issues you may encounter with a hybrid car, and give you a few tips for troubleshooting hybrid cars and find best practices and solutions to help you pass your hurdles.
The Common Issues
Batteries have an expected lifespan. Whether it be a gadget, cell phone, or laptop, then it will only serve you for a certain amount of time, depending on your overall output. They have a certain number of charges and discharges before they have to be replaced. And while that is true for hybrid cars, they do have quite a good record of longevity.
Older cars and models, though, will have an estimated battery life of 8 years before suffering from battery drainage. But you do have to do your part to maintain your battery and keep it operating at optimal power and efficiency. More on this later. You also need to turn your attention to its auxiliary/accessory battery as well. The car runs on electricity, and thus draws some power from the small battery.
There is also the issue of excessive heat generation from its electric motor. Your hybrid car becomes susceptible to overheating when heat compounds from both usage and external factors, especially during the summer season in a warm climate like we have in the Philippines.
Maintenance
You have to use your hybrid car regularly to keep it at its best performance level. Keeping it shelved in your garage for extended amounts of time without any activity will slowly drain its battery. So try to take it for a spin at least twice a week to keep the system operating and warm up to jog its motor and keep its battery power flowing.
Keep it charged, but not overstocked to 100% percent. The most efficient battery level would be at the 40-60% mark. So if you use your hybrid car regularly, then keep the charge level at the median. But definitely do not leave it on empty and routinely monitor your hybrid car for healthy battery levels.
Also, to save you the trouble complex problem solving later on, visit your hybrid car automotive specialist and have a check-up for electric motor wiring included in your routine car tune-up. Having damaged and faulty wires replaced and augmented as a small electrical hiccup can cause the entire system to malfunction. You should look to your professionals to troubleshoot your hybrid car to avoid hazardous electrical accidents. Also, have them look at evaporative emissions systems and watch out for leaks.
Remember to keep your hybrid car parked in a shaded area to keep from the higher temperatures of the midday sun.
Jump Start Your Hybrid Car
If you find yourself in a real bind, stuck on the road, and your battery and motor need a jumpstart, then here is a method to remedy your emergency. This may also help you aid someone driving a hybrid car who gets stranded in the middle of the road with no immediate help, and this is when it pays to be prepared and equipped with some troubleshooting knowledge on hybrid cars.
- Turn off both cars completely. Any part or accessory that requires electricity must be shut off as well, the radio, lights, air conditioning and GPS systems. The sudden surge of electricity may be damaging them.
- Open the hood of your car and go to the fuse box cover. Attach the latch to keep both hoods open as you operate on the motors.
- Connect the positive jumper cable (in red) to the positive terminal on the discharged vehicle (your hybrid car). Then, do the same with the other end to the donor vehicle.
- Now, attach the negative cable (in black) first to the donor vehicle. Then, attach the other end of the black cable onto an unpainted metallic point or surface in your hybrid car.
- Get the engine running in the donor vehicle and rev it for at least five minutes. After this stretch of time, press the ON switch on your hybrid car. Check if your hybrid car’s ready indicator light is active.
- Make sure to carefully remove the cables in the reverse order that you connected them, making sure that no ends of the jumper cables touch until everything is removed. So detach the cables in this manner: remove negative cable on hybrid car, negative on donor, positive on donor, and lastly the positive end on your hybrid car.
- Finally, replace the covers of the engines. Now you’re good to go!
Key Takeaway
With all the perks of a hybrid car, most issues arise from poor maintenance practices. Be sure to tend to them early to avoid problems from cropping up sooner rather than later.
