- The Mitsubishi Outlander is likely one of the best-selling plug-in hybrids on the earth.
- This explicit automobile had been sitting in a parking zone for over half as a result of there was a high-voltage system error.
- The gasoline engine wouldn’t begin, and the automobile needed to be pushed into the workshop.
A plug-in hybrid may be very sophisticated as a result of it’s mainly two automobiles in a single: there’s a gas-powered engine, plus a high-voltage battery and no less than an electrical motor. That’s one of many explanation why PHEVs have extra reliability issues than EVs and common gasoline automobiles, in accordance with Shopper Studies. So when one thing goes improper, there’s an opportunity it would value the proprietor dearly.
Nevertheless it doesn’t must be an costly repair if the mechanic is aware of what they’re doing. Take this previous-generation Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV registered in the UK, as an illustration. It was parked for over six months due to a high-voltage system error that prevented it from shifting even an inch.
With 80,000 miles on the clock, it nonetheless had loads of life left in it, however after a fast error scan with an OBD reader, all indicators pointed to a giant job that few restore outlets need to tackle: dropping the high-voltage battery and discovering the problem.
A number of errors got here up on the code reader. One was for the present sensor and one for the leak detection sensor. As each reside contained in the high-voltage battery pack, the fellows at OGS & Mechanicswho printed the video beneath, have been in for an enormous headache. However right here’s the place an old-school troubleshooting session turns into invaluable.
With a easy wiring diagram at hand, the mechanic shortly found that each sensors have been getting energy from a single supply and a single fuse, the latter being rather more simply accessible.
A 7.5-amp fuse below the hood was modified for a brand new one, and that was that. With a $1 repair, the automobile was absolutely practical once more, together with charging from a degree 1 charger, which it refused to do earlier than. That stated, the rationale why that fuse blew within the first place stays a thriller, and the fault might come again.
For now, although, the automobile runs and drives simply fantastic, and it goes to point out that electrified automobiles don’t should be this menacing Babadook in terms of fixing issues. Certain, they’re completely different from conventional inner combustion automobiles, however that doesn’t essentially imply they’re simply lifeless weight when one thing goes improper.
