So on vacation in a mountainous area I thought I'd share an issue I ran into with the Prelude and what I found to maybe help avoid or reduce the unexpected problem I had...(Any other suggestions appreciated!)
Traveling Eastbound on I-80, just east of Laramie, WY going up a grade with the cruise set at 78mph and in Comfort mode, about 2/3rds of the way up the 3 mile, 6% grade to the top of Sherman's Summit (later AI would find out the highest point on Interstate 80 at over 8,600 feet!!), the car started slowing down...I put my foot on the accelerator pedal, and the engine immediately revved up to max rpms, super loud but the car didn't gain any speed...sounded like the engine was in neutral and did I mention LOUD!
No warning lights on the dash, but I did notice the battery was at 2 bars, and every time I tapped the accelerator, the power gauge went up to almost 100% as the engine did its super revving..
I moved over to the slow truck lane and nursed the car up to the rest area at the summit at about 55mph...
A scary moment for us, but after researching I believe I found that the car was performing as expected under extreme climbing conditions to prevent damage to the battery pack and car..
Come to find out, the 2 liter engine at that altitude was making 25% less horsepower and couldn't both charge the battery and keep engaged to the front wheels, (due to the lack of no transmission and the inability of the engine to shift to a lower gear) so the car opted to use the torque of the electric motors to get to the top of the mountain, albeit at a reduced speed.
Long story I know, but it gets longer...below is what my research (with the help of 3 different Ai's) has found that MAY help with this problem in the future in a similar situation...
When in mountain areas, drive in Sport mode to help keep the battery charged before starting any climbs...
When you see the highway split into a dedicated truck/climbing lane, execute these three quick steps:
Turn off Cruise Control:
Cancel it immediately. Cruise control is blind to the road ahead; it will ruthlessly drain your battery to zero just to fight for a number on the dashboard. Taking manual control of the accelerator is the single most important thing you can do.
Switch from Comfort to Sport Mode:
Doing this immediately wakes up the gas engine and tells the hybrid computer to prioritize electricity generation. If the battery is already a bit low, the engine will rev up to start "panic-charging" the system before the hill gets even steeper.
Ease Off the Gas (Target 55-60 mph):
Move over into the right lanes with the flowing traffic and drop your speed slightly. By backing off from 75 mph to 55 to 60 mph, you drastically lower the workload on the car. This lower speed allows the faded high-altitude gas engine to comfortably sustain your momentum without needing to drain the hybrid battery down to its 2-bar protection floor.
I experimented with the above, driving some less steep grades later on, and being in Sport Mode did keep the battery charged much better, sacrificing a little gas mileage.
Any others out there have a similar story and if so what was your solution?
Traveling Eastbound on I-80, just east of Laramie, WY going up a grade with the cruise set at 78mph and in Comfort mode, about 2/3rds of the way up the 3 mile, 6% grade to the top of Sherman's Summit (later AI would find out the highest point on Interstate 80 at over 8,600 feet!!), the car started slowing down...I put my foot on the accelerator pedal, and the engine immediately revved up to max rpms, super loud but the car didn't gain any speed...sounded like the engine was in neutral and did I mention LOUD!
No warning lights on the dash, but I did notice the battery was at 2 bars, and every time I tapped the accelerator, the power gauge went up to almost 100% as the engine did its super revving..
I moved over to the slow truck lane and nursed the car up to the rest area at the summit at about 55mph...
A scary moment for us, but after researching I believe I found that the car was performing as expected under extreme climbing conditions to prevent damage to the battery pack and car..
Come to find out, the 2 liter engine at that altitude was making 25% less horsepower and couldn't both charge the battery and keep engaged to the front wheels, (due to the lack of no transmission and the inability of the engine to shift to a lower gear) so the car opted to use the torque of the electric motors to get to the top of the mountain, albeit at a reduced speed.
Long story I know, but it gets longer...below is what my research (with the help of 3 different Ai's) has found that MAY help with this problem in the future in a similar situation...
When in mountain areas, drive in Sport mode to help keep the battery charged before starting any climbs...
When you see the highway split into a dedicated truck/climbing lane, execute these three quick steps:
Turn off Cruise Control:
Cancel it immediately. Cruise control is blind to the road ahead; it will ruthlessly drain your battery to zero just to fight for a number on the dashboard. Taking manual control of the accelerator is the single most important thing you can do.
Switch from Comfort to Sport Mode:
Doing this immediately wakes up the gas engine and tells the hybrid computer to prioritize electricity generation. If the battery is already a bit low, the engine will rev up to start "panic-charging" the system before the hill gets even steeper.
Ease Off the Gas (Target 55-60 mph):
Move over into the right lanes with the flowing traffic and drop your speed slightly. By backing off from 75 mph to 55 to 60 mph, you drastically lower the workload on the car. This lower speed allows the faded high-altitude gas engine to comfortably sustain your momentum without needing to drain the hybrid battery down to its 2-bar protection floor.
I experimented with the above, driving some less steep grades later on, and being in Sport Mode did keep the battery charged much better, sacrificing a little gas mileage.
Any others out there have a similar story and if so what was your solution?
