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New issues with engine switching

5K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  Carbon 
#1 ·
2013 Optima Hybrid

I recently went on a work trip and unfortunately my trunk was popped open just slightly to not notice. When I came back, the battery was dead. Ok, no problem. I got the 12v jumped and all is well. However, now I notice that the engine has issues with switching back and forth between engine and battery. My fuel economy has taken quite a hit and I notice that the battery doesn't kick in nearly as much as it used to.

Should I take it to the dealer to have them run a diagnostic or is there something I can do to troubleshoot on my own?

Background: Bought this car in October, hybrid battery was shot and has been replaced, so the HEV should have zero problems...should

Mike
 
#3 ·
So I had the dealership attempt to diagnose the issue. They couldn't find anything wrong and then also told me "Well your gauge is saying you're getting about 36mpg and that's what the EPA rating says, so you're still maintaining that, so techincally nothing is wrong." That ticked me off a little because 1)I was getting much better mpg according to the gauge on the car just two weeks prior and 2) that gauge is WAY. Even when I was being shown 40mpg, reality was that it was actually only about 33 at best.

Anyway, I talked to a buddy who has owned Toyota hybrids for years. He said to charge the 12v battery to be sure it is all the way juiced up. He explained that when I jumped the car, it obviously does not charge the battery completely and since the hybrid does not have an alternator as a normal car, the HEV will notice the 12v is low and act like it's trying to charge it, thus draining the hybrid much quicker than usual. So, I did as he said and sat the 12v on a charger over night. That seemed to help quite a bit, but I'm still not convinced it's back to where it was before.
 
#5 ·
I've sat the 12v on a charger overnight twice now and it doesn't seem to help anything.

I've not got a new set of tires on the car (not that that would make THAT much of an issue), new spark plugs, and a fresh oil change. No change.

I'm beginning to get very frustrated with this. My gauge says I barely get up to 34mpg, but I know that's skewed by about 5-6mpg, which means I'm barely getting 30. The only thing I can seem to determine is that the car just feels like it is trying hard. I know that's a weird way to explain, but it acts like the engine is constantly trying to keep momentum going and is using a lot of gas. Even when I'm on the highway, the hybrid struggles to charge quickly and then get utilized again (or in tandem with the engine). This is what I know is going wrong. I can absolutely tell the car is not being used efficiently and so my mpg has dropped. I just can't figure anything out.

I'm going on a work trip this weekend and driving 500mi round trip. So, I'll continue to keep an eye on things.

Thanks for anyone and everyone's help!
 
#8 ·
So, even before I noticed a significant drop on my gauge, I would calculate my mileage. The gauge would show me to get 38-39mpg avg and hand calc would give me 33mpg at best. I just took a work trip driving over 600miles round trip and my gauge shows I never got over 32 and hand calc gave me about 30-31.

While keeping an eye on the different infographics on the screen throughout the drive, it seems like the battery takes quite a while to charge up for the car to realize it's good enough to switch over to electric mode, but then it rarely pulls from both battery and engine together as it used to do this regularly. Maybe I'm just being a nutter butter and being a whiner for only getting 31mpg. But, I feel like it should be much better.

I have not checked brakes lately. That's been on my list of next possible suspects; brakes/rotors/brake recharge system. Any suggestions on specific things to look for? I figured I would just remove the wheels and start looking for anything abnormal, but I'm pretty new to the hybrid world.
 
#9 ·
Aright, drove 20+ miles highway home work today. Checked the wheels and rotors. Warm, but nothing crazy. Only odd thing wasn't front right rotor seemed noticeably warmer than the other three. Not HOT, but definitely warmer.

Weird issue I noticed tonight. Just took a fairly short drive on a quiet road, radio off, etc. I noticed an odd sound when I let off the accelerator a bit. It is definitely from somewhere around the engine. It resembles a grinding sound, but not metal grinding. To me, sounded Moreno like when you have an electronic module trying to kick on by to doesn't want to. Anyone understand what I'm saying? I know I sound like nut job. But I'm able to recreated it knots entire way home, max speed 50mph. If I fiddle with the accelerator I'm able to almost force the car into switching to the battery from the engine. This is confirming the feeling in my gut that the car is having trouble figuring out how to switch.

I think I'm going to have to call up the dealership and tell them about it and maybe take them for a drive with me and prove it to them.
 
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