Battery charge indicator.

[Sean Regan]

I'm new here and this may have been asked before.
I've had a 73 plate Crosstar since March.
I don't go very far in it, all local journeys, shopping etc., averaging 40 miles a week.

I drive on "B"

The battery charge indicator never shows more than four bars. Mostly only three.
Even with this stop/start life, I'm getting 52mph.

Would this seemingly low amount of indicated charge be because, "I don't go anywhere?"

[Kremmen]

Maybe

I'm sure I've seen advice to give the car a 30 mile or 30 minutes run at least every 3 months

I'm a very low mileage usage as well and my battery meter only goes between 3 and 6 now, even on a long 40 mile journey. Used to vary between 3 and 7 for the first 3 years

[tfw7]

On my 72 SR I get to full 10 bars regularly, probably 2 times per journey to work (10 miles). Downhill sections definitely do it.

My car has never gone on a longer journey than about 35 miles.
I do about 70 miles per week.

Ave tank to tank mpg 67 in winter and rising to 72/73 in summer

[Nicksey]

72 plate EX just hit the 30k mark and I still see 10 regularly, especially on the country roads in B mode.
We generally have a couple of +20 milers a week, and a good 100 miler once a month.
I think you have to do the mileage for the regen to have any effect on the bars. Just short trips are never going to take it up the scale, the same with the average mpg figure.

[Kremmen]

Just because I had the time yesterday I did do a 50 mile journey up and down the M4 and it was 3 to 6 bars all the way

I held it at 50mph behind the trucks just to lengthen the trip time wise, all in B mode

[ninanina]

To be honest I very rarely look at the hybrid battery level indicator bars

I just drive it like any other car and let the car sort everything out for me

So far absolutely no issues

[5thcivic]

Mine went to 10 in the cold weather when it had been in the garage a couple of weeks and started and the engine ran longer than usual to do so. Obviously the micro has routines for cell life rotation programmed and the cell blocks will be charged as and when needed.

[coldstart]

I'm new here
...
I don't go very far in it, all local journeys, shopping etc., averaging 40 miles a week.
...
The battery charge indicator never shows more than four bars. Mostly only three.

Welcome and please don't hesitate to ask!

I wouldn't worry too much about the charge level of the HV battery (as long as it permanently is at or above 3 bars).

The system is actually quite clever and normally keeps the charging level between 3 and 7 bars i.e. it is "low cycling" the battery which is best for a long service life. As others have already mentionend it only reaches 10 bars on long(er) downhill cruises.

As for your observation that it hardly goes over 4 bars: I have found that a demand for cabin heat makes the ICE run "needlessly" with regards to HV battery charge level on shorter trips so the charge level doesn't go through its normal cycle.
Instead it may go up and stay up beyond 3 bars for the entire trip.

My "recommendation" is to relax and give Honda's engineers the benefit of the doubt
(imho they did an excellent job!)

Just enjoy the ride!

[ninanina]

The system is actually quite clever and normally keeps the charging level between 3 and 7 bars i.e.My "recommendation" is to relax and give Honda's engineers the benefit of the doubt
(imho they did an excellent job!)

Just enjoy the ride!

I totally agree coldstart

I just leave the Jazz to do it’s thing and I have never worried about what electronic stuff is going on in the background as it’s seamless

The Jazz system works so well that there’s really no need to worry about it; just let it do it’s ‘thing’ and you’ll be absolutely fine

Drive it like a ‘normal’ car; you don’t need to adjust your driving style to drive the Jazz

[Marksla]

24 plate and averaged 64mpg for the 7,000 miles since new.

Recent trip from Suffolk to Northumberland averaged 62mpg for the 900 miles which included the A1 there and back at 60-70mph.

B mode will only regen when coasting so I use D mode on motorways until I'm on the exit ramp, otherwise I drive in B mode.

Battery indicator often around 3-6 but coming off a dual carriage way at 70mph, and using B mode to decelerate, 2-3 bars can be added to the battery in quick succession.

Maybe if you're only doing very short journeys the engine never gets warm enough to reach peak efficiency?

[Bristol_Crosstar]

I'm new here and this may have been asked before.
I've had a 73 plate Crosstar since March.
I don't go very far in it, all local journeys, shopping etc., averaging 40 miles a week.

I drive on "B"

The battery charge indicator never shows more than four bars. Mostly only three.
Even with this stop/start life, I'm getting 52mph.

Would this seemingly low amount of indicated charge be because, "I don't go anywhere?"

Do you ever use the climate system? On mine if I switch it on for a short trip and set to a cold temperature (in the summer) it forces the petrol engine to fire up and I get 10 bars on the battery. Another way is to go down a steep hill in 'B', there are plenty around where I live that get the battery up to 10.