Hybrid Car Repair, Performance, and Maintenance

It is a fact that every hybrid car's battery will degrade over time, some faster than others. Their primary batteries are nickel-metal hydride modules (NiMH).

Every 60,000 – 80,000 miles, a NiMH battery needs to go through a series of deep discharge and recharge to keep it running at its optimal performance. It can never be brought back to 100% but we can commonly reach levels of 80-90% after this process.

*Note* not all NiMH battery can achieve 80-90%

This process is the only assurance to lengthen the life of your hybrid battery, improve gas mileage and performance. (Similar to having a tune-up on a conventional gas operated car). This information is not shared or discussed at the car dealer service department and sales department before you purchase your hybrid car. They simply do not have this level of knowledge and equipment to perform this type of maintenance to your hybrid battery.

Masaki's Auto has the equipment, knowledge, and experience to perform this kind of preventative maintenance and repair, if needed. Our team of experts specialize in Toyota Prius cars, and not only can we recondition or replace your hybrid car battery, we are Honolulu's only certified hybrid repair shop and have have over 10 years of experience to get you back on the road quickly!

Here are some other things that hybrid car-owners need to be aware of to ensure the longevity of their cars:

1. The CVT transmission/ electric/ generator motor in your hybrid car has no filter. Over a period of time, your transmission fluid acts like a sponge and collects moisture. Moisture and electric does not go well with each other.
At 60,000 - 80,000 miles, we recommend that your CVT be drained and that the filter be replaced.

2. Hybrid/electric vehicles do not require much mechanical braking power to slow down your car. "Regen Braking" is what mostly slows down your hybrid car and it uses the kinetic energy from a car's momentum to recharge your hybrid/electric car’s battery. As your car ages, the guide pin for your brake calipers can get sticky or frozen due to lack of use. This guide pin should be regularly inspected and lubricated to prevent brakes from binding and losing gas mileage over time.

3. Hybrid cars have a gas engine that requires spark plugs to operate. (Same as regular gas cars). Many owners are unaware of this and may neglect their spark plugs. If your car has 120,000 miles and has never been changed, we highly recommend replacing them and can take care of this for you.

We are the only independent repair facility that provides full repairs on most hybrid cars.

Masaki's is a distributor of Enno, Yaste, and Nexcell lithium batteries.