Can a Power Jockey improve the main Hev Battery

This is an interesting question. The purpose of the Power Jockey is to enable a weaker battery to work with the vehicle. It does this by keeping the operating voltage above critical level. (Power Jockey Graph)
In our lead acid battery reconditioning process we use battery desulphators which basically feeds ripple current into the battery to break up the sulphation. Can this process also benefit Nimh batteries? Some people believe that in their experience with Nicad batteries in model airplanes ripple current did benefit the batteries.
The Power Jockey in it's latest configuration was change to introduce this effect. It is difficult to test this phenomenon but I had the chance to drive an NHW10 with a reconditioned battery and a Power Jockey installed from Auckland to Paihia (240 Kms) and back twice last week (24-30/6/2011).
In the first trip the turtle showed up nearing the top of high hills. The vehicle exhibited good power. I was able to accelerate uphill and speeds of up to 96Kph. When the turtle showed I had to slow down to about 70 Kph to allow the battery to recover. When the turtle went away I could accelerate away again. On the way back the triangle appeared possibly due to the delta SOC exceeding 50% and the vehicle went into a different mode. There was more power and acceleration uphill was even better. I could easily hit speeds of 120 Kph on the flat and 97 Kph in hill climbs. ( There are some very long and steep hills between Auckland and Paihia. )
On my second trip back to pick up someone I left behind, as I had to come back to work! I could feel that the vehicle was getting more responsive and there was much more power. Back in Auckland after a short stop the triangle went away!! This happened by itself  I did not reset the computer with our scan tool. I have never experience this before. Hev batteries never improve after the triangle shows up. So did the Power Jockey improve the battery? I can't say and this is just one instance. Maybe others who install the latest configuration of the Power Jockey can add to this.

Essential Maintenance For Prius Hybrid

It is horrifying to think that very few people know how to maintain their hybrid vehicle. Even more alarming to realise that their local mechanic don't know much either.

The hybrid vehicle is very unlike the standard gasoline or diesel vehicle. It does not have the usual components in a standard vehicle that often breaks down such as starter motors, alternators, distributors, cam belts.

Hybrid vehicle owners including owners of the Series 1 Prius now 12 years old will testify to the fact that they don't spend much money in repairs to the vehicle except for the HEV battery. The truth is that a little maintenance would have prevented most breakdowns including the HEV battery.

Essential Maintenance

1) There are 2 coolant tanks. One for the ICE motor which most owners know about and the other is for the electric drive which is less known and I have personally seen it go dry. When this happens the transmission systems runs hot and the engine clunks when it heats up. This will lead to gear box failure and a very expensive repair.

2) The Air Flow Meter. This is a very important piece of equipment to maintain in a hybrid vehicle. As the vehicle runs very lean slight degradation in performance will affect the power output of the internal combustion engine, which in turn affects the charging and the HEV battery, shortening the life of the HEV battery. This is a major cause of HEV battery failure.
The air flow meter can be cleaned with a mass air flow meter cleaner which comes in a spray can and it is recommended that this be done every 10,000 km.
The ICE motor determines the power at the higher end. If you feel a loss in power on acceleration or a dip in smoothness in the acceleration then it may be time to change the air flow meter.

3) The 12 volt battery. If this battery fails or does not hold a charge get it changed. A low capacity battery will affect the functioning of the on board computer and you will get strange errors. Eg power steering when the power steering is perfectly OK.

4} Spark Plugs ; Change the spark plugs! Many of the Series 1 Prius have done 150,00 Kms and are still on their original sets of spark plugs. This affects the combustion and power from the ICE.

Taking care of these items will go a long way towards getting trouble free motoring with your hybrid vehicle.