Our Guide to Hybrid Vehicle Maintenance

Hybrid cars and trucks require different repair considerations than gas-powered vehicles. Getting peak performance from your hybrid engine and components requires careful hybrid-specific car maintenance.

Our team has years of experience in hybrid auto repair here in Langley. We even have a specialized hybrid-specific mechanic on staff to handle your hybrid repair needs.

In this latest post, we’ll provide the benefit of our background knowledge with a quick guide to hybrid vehicle maintenance.

Signs Your Hybrid Vehicle Needs Repair

Before reviewing our hybrid maintenance guide, let’s pinpoint a few clear signs of hybrid repair issues:

• Charge fluctuations

If you notice widely varying charge readings on your drive, this could be a sign the battery is failing and needs urgent repair. Take your vehicle to your local auto repair team as soon as possible before the battery fails and requires replacement.

• Constantly running fans

If the battery fan is running continuously, the battery is probably getting too hot. Overheating batteries could be due to a cooling system failure or the wear and tear of your connected components. 

• You’re using more gas

While hybrid vehicles are far more efficient than those powered by an internal combustion engine, you may find your hybrid uses more gas when maintenance is needed. If you’re spending less time on the road and more at the gas station, consider visiting your local Langley hybrid repair team to check your battery’s performance. You may find replacing a component restores your hybrid’s fuel efficiency. 

Now you have more information about the signs of a repair issue, let’s look at a few ways to minimize your repair expenses. 

Undergo Regular Battery Checks

Hybrid vehicles contain two batteries: the traditional 12v car battery and the hybrid battery that converts your car’s electric energy into power. Ensure your Langley auto repair team checks the battery’s connections are clean and performing properly. 

High-voltage hybrid battery repair is one of the most expensive jobs for hybrid vehicle owners. Keeping the battery in the optimal state of charge can minimize your repair costs over your many years of vehicle ownership. 

Consider the impact on the battery if you plan to store your hybrid vehicle for several months. Extreme temperatures can significantly reduce your battery performance. You may discover you need a battery replacement after leaving a hybrid in storage without first considering the environment and the temperature.

Your battery may also have an air-cooled battery filter, in which a fan pushes air through a filter to cool the battery. To help control the battery’s temperature, make sure you replace the battery filter regularly and ask your local auto repair team to review the filter with each scheduled repair. 

Schedule Inverter Maintenance

The inverter is the core of your hybrid vehicle, and is central to its optimal performance. The inverter converts direct current to alternating current to power the engine. This conversion generates high heat levels and requires coolant to lower temperatures. Ensure the inverter undergoes regular flushes to remove dirt and debris, and improve the efficiency of the cool-down process. 

Pay Close Attention to the Cooling System

It’s critical to keep the cooling system of your hybrid vehicle in peak condition. Hybrids use regenerative brakes and an electric drive motor that create significant heat. This equipment has its own independent cooling system, requiring a more complex maintenance process than gas-powered vehicles. 

Ask your Langley auto repair team to conduct regular cooling system checks to minimize the impact of heat-associated wear and tear on your hybrid components.

Book Your Next Hybrid Repair at Gary’s Auto Repair Langley

Gary’s Auto Repair Langley is your local hybrid vehicle repair leader. We have skilled Red Seal technicians on staff to handle all vehicle questions and concerns and can complete repairs to the highest of industry standards. Call us today to book your next hybrid vehicle service.