JapanBuick

The car was perfectly drivable up until the “check hybrid system” warning came on in the instrument cluster. And actually, it was technically drivable after that, too, although I was told that when the battery actually goes totally flat it won’t run anymore at all.

In comparison to the new battery, the symptoms would be the engine not shutting off as frequently as it once did with a new battery. I say that because I found my engine shutting off at nearly every stop with the new one. I didn’t recall that happening much, if at all with the old pack.

tempestv8

Long term getting 10 litres per 100 kms, so that's 23.52 (US) MPG. of completely all suburban driving. I rarely use the car for long distance extra urban driving.

Perhaps I'll just not touch the battery until I have to, given that the engine does stop at every red light and the airconditioner runs for a reasonably decent period of time before the engine kicks in to recharge the hybrid battery pack. So it must be still healthy.

703

The third party batteries look quite exposed. Not sure how safe they are in a crash.