Not so much with pure electric vehicles, but hybrid vehicles have been steadily arriving in significant numbers at multi-brand workshops for some time now. And although professionals have been training for years to work on these vehicles, doubts and mistakes often arise at critical moments when performing maintenance, for example.
This is understandable, given their similarity to combustion engine cars, yet at the same time, the very different electric components raise questions about the correct procedures and how to carry them out. Among the differences, one of the most important concerns the two coolant and brake fluid reservoirs, which are considerably larger. This is because hybrids have a dual cooling circuit: one for the combustion engine and another for the electric motor. In both cases, however, it is recommended to follow the manufacturer’s specific maintenance plan.
The cabin filter is common, similar to those found in diesel cars, but when it comes to engine oil, several considerations must be taken into account. The first is to ensure the vehicle is stationary, for which it is recommended to remove the key and keep it away from the vehicle. The oil would be changed using a lift and a regular oil filter.
Also important is the coolant change, which often raises questions due to the two reservoirs. According to the manufacturer, the coolant for the combustion engine should be replaced every 150,000 km. Regarding precautions when changing fluids in these vehicles, maintenance mode needs to be activated because there is a specific operating phase for changing both the oil and the coolant.
That said, it’s important to understand that disconnection is not necessary, as is often mistakenly done; high voltage is only disconnected when working on a high-voltage cable. What may be necessary, depending on the vehicle, is the use of a diagnostic machine to activate maintenance mode. The same applies to the brake system, which requires diagnosis and is, in these cases, a fully guided and semi-automatic process.
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