Traction battery needs to be protected (Solved & Explained) 

When the warning sign “Low Traction Battery/Shift to P Position” pops up on the dashboard, you should not use or put the traction battery in the N position. When the warning says this, you must take your vehicle out of neutral and shift to the P or D position. 

When a traction battery is in neutral, for a long period of time, it will not be able to recharge the battery. If the battery cannot charge then it will continue to drain power and it will slowly begin to die. 

This may be an issue if your vehicle has a very low charge and needs to be recharged soon.

How to protect a Toyota Tractions Battery

Driving an electric vehicle can make you feel like you’re in the future. Perhaps one day we will not need hybrid vehicles at all and we will be able to use fully electric vehicles. 

For that to happen, there must not be a single oil mogul left on this Earth! So we must do what we can to protect our electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles now and that means protecting the battery. 

One big issue that many electric vehicles and hybrid vehicle owners have is keeping their vehicle properly charged without overcharging it. 

All electric and hybrid vehicle owners will learn how to properly keep their vehicle charged as per the manufacturer’s instructions. But sometimes, things can go wrong and we can leave an electric vehicle in a position where it cannot charge itself anymore.

This is what happens to Toyota traction batteries from time to time. Here’s how you know a Toyota traction battery needs to be protected from burning through its charge.

The main warning that indicates you are allowing your electric Toyota vehicle to burn through its charge with recharging is through a dashboard warning sign. 

When this warning sign pops up on your dashboard, it does not mean that the traction battery has to be protected from water, collision, or overheating. 

This warning is simply telling the owner of the vehicle that the vehicle has been in neutral for too long and the traction battery has begun to burn power without being able to recharge. 

In order for a vehicle with a traction battery to charge its battery, it must be in park or drive. 

Now, if you see this warning sign pop up on your dashboard, you will not need to attend to it right away. It is essentially telling the owner of the vehicle that the vehicle can no longer charge. 

If you have a full battery, there won’t be an issue. Just wait until you’re finished with whatever task you’re doing and put the vehicle back in park or drive. 

However, if you have a very low battery oh, then you may want to attend to the warning sign quickly as your battery could die since there’s very little charge left.

Most Toyota electric and hybrid vehicle owners first experience the protected battery warning sign when they take their vehicle to a car wash

Car washes take a long time and the vehicles must be left in park so they can be pushed through the car wash. But it doesn’t mean that there’s car wash soap for water getting into the battery.

What is a traction battery

What is a traction battery?

Technology is improving the performance of both regular and electric vehicles, how they work, and how long their gas and electricity last. Many electric vehicles, run on a combination of gas and electric power. 

It is the combination of two types of power that allows hybrid and electric vehicles to get so many miles on the gallon. Even the oldest Prius model can get 40 miles per gallon and essentially not use any gas when it is in electric cruise mode. 

It is the electric vehicle battery, also known as a traction battery, which enables these vehicles to have a high MPG. A traction battery is a rechargeable battery that provides power to all of the electric components and parts of an engine. 

Traction batteries can be found in hybrid electric vehicles and in completely electric vehicles. Traction batteries are made out of lithium, 

The reason that electric vehicles use traction batteries instead of regular vehicle batteries is that they are better able to provide a steady amount of strong electric power over a long period of time. Of time.

How to Charge a traction battery

Is important to make sure that your traction battery is constantly fully charged. This may seem tedious and like a lot of work. 

But as long as you follow a few steps and form a few good habits, you can protect your battery from poor charging mistakes that drain the battery of its longevity. 

The first habit you must develop is keeping the battery charged immediately after it drains a little bit of its battery. You should never ever leave a traction battery uncharged. 

Even if only 10% of the charge is lost, it needs to be recharged again until it is fully charged.

According to TVH.com, a traction battery should never drop lower than 80% of its charge. If it does, it will not be able to power the Toyota electric vehicle as efficiently as its can when it is at 90% or 100% charge.

Charge the battery until it is fully charged.

Once it is charging, do not interrupt its charge. If a charging traction battery is unplugged, Sparks may fly out of the battery and burn anyone in the vicinity. 

Also, charge the battery in a cool area.

Conclusion

In order to protect a Toyota traction battery, it must be charged when a small amount of battery charge is drained away. 

Do not leave a Toyota electric vehicle in neutral for a long time or else a warning sign will pop up on the dashboard saying that the battery must be protected. 

When a traction battery is charging, do not disconnect it or you can get burned from the sparks. Do not let the traction battery drop below 80% of its charge.

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  • Eric Williams

    I'm the founder of Daily Car Tips. I wrote articles in the automotive industry for more than 10 years, published in USA and Europe. I love sharing my knowledge and insights with fellow enthusiasts. Join me on this journey as we explore the exciting world of cars together!