United Tire and Service News

Before we begin, let's discuss what a hybrid vehicle is before we go into details about maintaining it. A hybrid car is a vehicle that can operate solely on an electric motor or using a gas-powered engine. This is in contrast to conventional vehicles that can only run using a gas-powered engine. 

The majority of the cars that you will find on the market these days are conventional cars and you have to fill them up with gas every now and then. When it comes to hybrid vehicles, you should know that it requires less maintenance when compared to conventional vehicles. However, you still do need to get some regular maintenance on a hybrid vehicle to ensure that it continues to run properly. 

 

The powertrain for an electric vehicle or a hybrid is quite simple. As a result, you don’t need as much maintenance on the powertrain as you would for a conventional vehicle. You do have to replace the electric motor itself or its battery packs if those stop working, however.

 

All of that work can prove costly and requires mechanics who have the proper knowledge to do it correctly. The good thing is that electric motors and battery packs tend to last for a number of years in addition to going for tens of thousands of miles before they stop working properly. You can also get a lengthy warranty on either of these parts for greater peace of mind. 

 

Hybrids and electric vehicles both include a function known as regenerative braking which just means they utilize the resistance of the electric motor to slow down the car. This means that the brakes on a hybrid wear down much more slowly compared to brakes on conventional vehicles. However, hybrids still do have friction brakes and require brake maintenance and sometimes brake repair. You will have to replace the brake fluid in addition to the brake pads and the rotors as they get older or wear down.

 

A hybrid might need to get a fluid change at some point while you are owning it. You should take a look at your owner’s manual for this information. It will tell you how often you should get a fluid change for your hybrid. 

 

The majority of hybrid vehicles utilize either refrigerant or coolant to make sure that important electrical parts do not overheat. You will have to get a coolant flush every now and then. Also, you should stop by your local mechanic for refrigerant recharges. This is part of regular car maintenance for a hybrid. You should check your owner’s manual to see how often you should get these services for your hybrid. 

 

One similarity between conventional vehicles and hybrids is that you need to get a tire rotation between every 5000 miles and every 10,000 miles for both kinds of vehicles. You should get the tires rotated as often as the manufacturer of your hybrid recommends. This is even more important in the event that you have a hybrid that staggers the sizes of the front and rear tires or utilizes directional rubber. The tires on hybrids do become worn out eventually, as is the case with conventional vehicles. 

 

One part of maintaining your hybrid is making sure that it is properly charged any time you need to drive it. It is a good idea to get a charger for your home so you can charge your hybrid without going to a recharging station. You can charge a hybrid with a typical household outlet, but that can take a long time. 

In most cases, it is best to install a Level 2 charger with a 240-volt output in your home. With a Level 2 charger, you can charge the vehicle easily and the vehicle will recharge a minimum of ten and a maximum of 60 miles of range per hour. You can use a public fast-charging station, but this can cause your battery to degrade. 

 

You should keep the hybrid away from extreme temperatures whenever you can. If it is very cold or very hot, this can make your battery not work as well as normal. Despite this, the hybrid manufacturers usually take temperature extremes into consideration, so there is typically auxiliary heating and cooling to keep the battery at an acceptable temperature. 

 

You should also not charge the battery to full capacity then completely deplete it on a regular basis. This increases the chance that the battery pack becomes degraded. Quite a few manufacturers of hybrids make sure you can’t charge the hybrid to full capacity for this exact reason.