Last Updated on July 5, 2024 by Rose Morah
If you are moving from a conventional vehicle (internal combustion engine vehicle) to a Toyota hybrid, having some tips and tricks up your sleeve can help minimize your trips to the mechanic and make owning this type of car more exciting.
Hybrid vehicles are undoubtedly different from other conventional vehicles.
And for that reason, we have lined up several important tips and tricks to help you avoid common problems faced by most new hybrid owners.
- Tips and Tricks for Toyota Hybrid owners
- 1. Know where the battery of your Toyota hybrid is located
- 2. Don't jumpstart an internal combustion engine(ICE) vehicle with your hybrid
- 3. Hybrids get serious problems with oil overfills
- 4. Know when to use ECO mode for better fuel economy on your hybrid
- 5. Get convenient car accessories for your Hybrid
Tips and Tricks for Toyota Hybrid owners
1. Know where the battery of your Toyota hybrid is located
It is important to know where the battery is located to avoid damaging it. For example, some Toyota hybrid batteries are located just under the back seats. (Note: I am not referring to the 12-volt battery.)
This means that, if you pour a lot of water at the backseats, the water may end up settling underneath the battery and over time it may end up causing future damage to the battery.
What can you do if you accidentally spill large amounts of water under the backseat?
If the battery is located under the back seat and you realize that the water may have gone down under the seats, be sure to call a Toyota hybrid specialist.
They will have a look at it and help you dry the water from the battery.
How Long Does A Toyota Hybrid Battery Last? Here is Everything You Need To Know.
You may also like Prius Battery Lifespan: How Long Does Toyota Prius Battery Last.
2. Don’t jumpstart an internal combustion engine(ICE) vehicle with your hybrid
Hybrid vehicles don’t have an alternator. They have a DC to DC converter. Additionally, the 12-volt battery on the hybrid is not rated to have a starter.
Therefore this means using it to jumpstart an ICE vehicle is going to cause a massive strain on the DC to DC converter.
You may hence end up damaging the hybrid inverter, which is a very expensive part of the vehicle.
NOTE: You can only jumpstart your hybrid or another hybrid but not an ICE vehicle. |
I recommend getting a handheld portable jumpstart kit. It is very convenient when you need to jumpstart your hybrid. You will also not need to wait for roadside assistance when you have the device.
Check its current price on Amazon.
See also Types of Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Which One You Should Buy.
3. Hybrids get serious problems with oil overfills
You’re probably aware of the fact that overfilling any vehicle’s engine with oil can lead to future problems, such as clogging.
The same goes for hybrid vehicles. It’s only that they tend to be heavily affected by oil overfill even if it’s by a slight overfill, especially the old models.
Most people are aware of this but they still end up overfilling the engine with oil unknowingly because:
- They refill the oil when the engine is cold.
- The cold oil.
Refiling the oil up to the required level (line) when the engine is cold will always end up being excess.
This is because when the engine heats up, it will in turn heat the cold oil. The oil will then expand and end up becoming excess.
The excess oil will then end up accumulating in the intake, leading to more future problems in the engine.
NOTE: If you are filling oil when the engine is cold, don’t fill up to the required level. Check the level of oil to see if it has leveled up after driving for some minutes. And another thing, it is better to underfill than to overfill your hybrid with oil. |
See also: Volkswagen ID.4 Tips and Tricks (VW ID.4 Hidden Features).
4. Know when to use ECO mode for better fuel economy on your hybrid
ECO Mode gives you a better fuel economy because its function is to prioritize fuel economy over performance.
The best place to use the eco mode is when you are driving on highways. This is because you are not accelerating very fast
NOTE: ECO Mode stands for economy. |
Read This Before Buying A Low Rolling Resistance Tire.
5. Get convenient car accessories for your Hybrid
Most hybrid car accessories are not expensive. They also make owning a hybrid to be more exciting.
Personally, I love lighting accessories, especially on the rav4 hybrid.
And speaking of lights, if you ever need brighter LED bulbs for your car then I recommend this one that I found on Amazon.