Some hybrids having battery heating problems

[chrisc]

The EV version of the Jazz is not sold in SA, but the Hybrid is.

Speaking to my Honda workshop manager about galvanised bodies, he let slip that they have had a few Hybrids in with smells due to the battery getting hot.  It does not overheat drastically or anything, but if the outside temperature is over 35 deg (quite easy this summer as it is a hot one) the plastic components surrounding the battery start to give off vapours which have a bit of an acrid smell.  The battery sits in a holder which is again inside a sheet metal compartment, almost totally sealed.  They remove this plastic tray and put in an aluminium one and also open the vents that face the rear of the car.  He said that they only had 5 cars like that, all from up-country where it is much hotter than Cape Town.  In one town (Robertson) it was just over 40 deg for several days last week.

[Ozzie]

35 degrees??, absolutely no chance here in the UK, but thanks for the warning. 

[chrisc]

Didn't it get to this temp for a few mins back in summer 1976?

[Defender]

Yes it can, very occasionally get that high or even higher in the summer when it's when it's not raining
I wonder if the have the same issue in the USofA, it can get quite hot there sometimes

[John Ratsey]

30C is rare enough in England. However, a car parked all day in strong sunshine can get quite hot inside although the battery below the boot shouldn't get heated that way.

John

[Defender]

Tarmac being black absorbs heat so will hold it and release it slowly that could help to heat up that battery pack from underneath the car?

[chrisc]

Yes, but the road surface under the car is a lot cooler than the bit where the sun shines on it, when the car is parked.

The workshop guy said it was the high current charger that was the main cause of the heating.  If the ambient temperature is over 35 deg, this adds to the heat generated by the charging process.  I am sure that in parts of the USA it gets as hot if not hotter than here (Americans always do things better than anyone else!).  He also said that he noticed that a different looking battery with a different part number is now fitted in newer hybrids.  The new one is a whitish translucent case and you can see the innards through the case.

[Defender]

Yes, but I was thinking more of when you first park the heat radiated from the tarmac will rise towards the underside of the car?
35 degrees is about where computers etc start to call it a day, we have large air condition units on our CT machines to  keep the internal temperature down, the others use fans to circulate air though them.

[chrisc]

You are right about computers not liking high temperatures.  I fitted a temperature alarm which triggered text messages when the temperature reached 22 deg, then 25 deg and then 28 deg.

This was in the University of Cape Town's internet server room where there are 48 racked systems.  There are 3 airconditioning units to keep the temperature to 16 deg.   One long week-end the power tripped to the aircon units and 2 failed to restart.  There was panic stations when all 3 messages arrived within 30 mins of each other.