Question, can you charge the hybrid battery with a normal battery charger while you charge the standard battery so the hybrid battery reach a 100% charge?
I say this because most charging systems never really charge up a standard battery to full charge during normal driving, therefore to get a longer life out of car batteries it is always good to use a battery charger to fully charge them every so often. I charge my batteries every month and they last for years so I never ever replaced a car battery since I started that habit.
If I owned a hybrid, then I would do the same thing to extend the life of the hybrid battery. However, I do not know if the hybrid battery and standard battery is on the a same charging circuit.
I would not like that the my battery only reach a 50% charge as a norm. Hybrid batteries are costly, so I would try to extend the life of them if possible.
According to this GM site:
http://sandyblogs.com/techlink/?s=HYBRID+VEHICLE
Excessive Engine Starts
Requesting excessive vehicle starts by pressing the Engine Start-Stop button will cause the high voltage battery pack to drain. It’s recommended that drivers do not attempt more than 10 engine starts using the Engine Start-Stop button without driving the vehicle to ensure the battery pack is charged. Too many engine starts may require replacement of the high voltage battery pack.
If the green “Ready” light (Fig. 3) on the instrument cluster is displayed, the vehicle is ready to drive. Normally, the vehicle should enter the green “Ready” state on the very first start attempt. If it does not, there may be some other issue, such as the fuel system, which prevents the gasoline engine from starting. Avoid unnecessarily draining the high voltage battery pack until the root cause is corrected.
f03-malibu-ready-light
Fig. 3
If 10 start events are reached and propulsion is still not available (no green “Ready” light on the instrument cluster), begin diagnosis following the appropriate Service Information and contact TAC for additional diagnostic assistance.
Prolonged Operation in Neutral
Inadvertently leaving the Malibu Hybrid in Neutral for prolonged periods (more than 5 minutes) will cause both the 12V battery and the high voltage battery pack to drain. After 5 minutes, a Driver Information Center (DIC) message will appear requesting the driver to “Shift to Park.” If the message is disregarded, the excessive high voltage battery drain may require the high voltage battery pack to be replaced.
High Voltage Battery Pack Replacement
If the high voltage battery pack is drained, other DTCs may indicate an issue with the engine or transmission. Diagnose those DTCs first and make any necessary repairs. Also check the fuel level and fuel quality.
After repairing the condition causing the engine to not start and produce torque, the high voltage battery pack must be replaced in order to try another crank attempt. DTC P0AFA also may be caused by an internal fault in the high voltage battery pack. This condition also requires the high voltage battery pack to be replaced. Follow the instructions in PIC6194 to obtain a replacement battery pack, which is currently on restriction.
TIP: The engine will have a limited number of crank attempts when a new high voltage battery pack is installed.
There is currently no method to charge the high voltage battery pack other than running the engine.
– Thanks to Lane Rezek and Keith Newbury
