Hybrid vehicles can be a great thing, but when the dash lights up like a Christmas tree with warning lights it can be a little scary. I know when I see a warning light on the dash I get uneasy. Not to mention a warning light for a 420-volt DC battery. Ok, Ok, I am sorry! I don’t mean to scare you, but we do need to take warning lights seriously.
Recently we had a 2013 Chevrolet *Malibu Hybrid* in with a service engine soon light on the dash. We retrieved the code and found a fault in the *hybrid battery* cooling fan system. Further testing revealed cooling fan for the hybrid battery was defective allowing the battery to get hotter than it should during normal usage. Hybrid batteries generate heat as they charge and discharge. This is normal for any rechargeable battery, so the manufacturer designed in a cooling fan that blows fresh, cool air across the battery to keep it at a certain temperature. This system utilizes a blower motor and a duct system that diverts the air around the battery case. We replaced the blower motor assembly, cleared the codes and operated the cooling fan and now all is well.[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.90″]Moral of the story if this customer neglected to fix the issue causing the service engine soon light, it could have ended up costing them a new hybrid battery and those are not cheap!
#hybrid #hybridbattery #hybridcoolingfan #malibuhybrid
