What condition causes the turtle to light? “Batteries are shot, time to replace 'em” is obviously the common answer, but doesn’t explain how the light functions.
Those wanting more info; 2012 E2 with 9 each 8vdc Gel cells about 4 years old. After fully charged it dropped down by only 2 bars (after about 7 miles) and with 8-bars-remaining on the gauge she shows me the yellow-turtle-finger, why??
Is it a temperature, voltage, current, or cosmic zodiac sign thing? Tell me ‘I got’s to know!’ and No, I don’t feel lucky.
The turtle is a running check done by the controller. It is sensing a drastic drop in Pack Voltage and more/less a Load check. I forget wh0vt the lower threshold actually is, but let’s say it is 60v for a time of 15 seconds that will trigger the turtle. When in Turtle mode, the controller will go into limp mode and allow you to get off the road safely and possibly back to the home plug for a recharge.
You may be correct in guessing your batteries may be whupped. It could also be a bad connection in any of the main cable connections or that your batteries may just need to be properly balanced. Depending on the age and history of these batteries, It may be that one battery is failing and sometimes you can get away by replacing one or two, but that is a crap shoot/band-aid fix.
The turtle light is not related to the Battery Bars (SOC Meter) which is a separate indicator and calculated on a different set of factors.
Thanks! From what I’ve seen, turtle comes on after some extreme loads, hills, hard running. Easing her along in ‘retirement mode’ keeps her happy(er). I’m hunting for some LiOn batteries to make me an offer I can’t refuse . . . and buy them. However, this should get me by for a while. That the SOC is unrelated to the turtle finger light makes sense. Thanks again.
Lotta turtle tapping going on there. Just saying…