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Heater and climate control

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by rockerdan, Sep 14, 2012.

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  1. rockerdan

    rockerdan PiP Rocks!

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    Tonight was our first rather cool night since I got my PiP a month ago.....I decided I would try the heater and see how it works.

    My Outside temp said 59f. I was driving in EV mode, and tried a few different things. I first tried to just turn up TEMP(pushing red UP button) and got it all the way up to 85F. No ICE at all came on even when turning up the fan speed.

    I then decided to try AUTO....and when using AUTO mode, with 85F set, and 59F outside temp, the AC light came on, and still no ICE....No heat.

    So I got out the bible, and found that there is basically little to nothing about heat on this car...there is tons about AC but little about heat.

    Now, when i was coming home....I finally ran out of EV miles, and the ICE came on as usual, then of course i got heat!

    So is this just because the car knows the outside temp is not all that cold?(59f) Am i supposed to just use the heated seats when its this mild? Just thought it was odd I was calling for 85f(heat) and no ICE.

    also, why does the AC come on when you AUTO at 85f ? I have to push AC to turn it off everytime i use HEAT in auto mode? that seems to be a pain, or does the AC not draw any power when its at a higher temp?


    Just need to understand this heater better....I have had so many cars my whole life and his is first one that makes heating something to understand! LOL

    thanks
    Dan
    :)
     
    #1 rockerdan, Sep 14, 2012
  2. priuskitty

    priuskitty PIP FAN

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    maybe next week.....supposed to be even colder....by how much, I don't know, but colder
     
    #2 priuskitty, Sep 14, 2012
  3. ryogajyc

    ryogajyc Active Member

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    Well, what matters is the inside temperature, not the outside temperature. This is actually one of my gripes about the Plug-in/Gen3. In my 2004, the inside temperature was visible on the Climate screen, but there isn't a inside temperature at all in the Plug-in.
    ​
    Besides cooling, A/C removes moisture, which avoids moisture condensation on the inside of your windows when the outside is significantly colder than the inside. I believe this is fairly standard on automatic climate controls.
     
    #3 ryogajyc, Sep 14, 2012
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    but still, it's not likely that inside the car was 85+ degrees. the ice should fire and the heat should come on. there should be something about this in the manual detailing what things will cause the ice to fire up.
     
    #4 bisco, Sep 14, 2012
  5. priuskitty

    priuskitty PIP FAN

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    #5 priuskitty, Sep 14, 2012
  6. rockerdan

    rockerdan PiP Rocks!

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    Exactly right.....the Inside temp was likely approx 68f, nowhere near the 85f i was calling for.

    So the AUTO AC runs all the time when in heat mode? doesnt this suck a ton of extra power? I know some cars run AC in defrost mode to help with window condensation.

    how does everyone run their heaters? do you guys use AUTO or just do it manually? I was hoping to use AUTO always for heat but it always kicks on AC. If im in AUTO mode, will it always come on when i go out in morning in AUTO? If so will the AC remain OFF once i turn it off the first time?

    I went into the bible as I said, and there is very little....It did say when using defrost ICE may run, but as I said mine never started once.


    very odd system to say the least.

    Dan
     
    #6 rockerdan, Sep 14, 2012
  7. rockerdan

    rockerdan PiP Rocks!

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    If anyone sees something in the manual i missed please let me know....I went through everything i could find on heater.

    Dan
     
    #7 rockerdan, Sep 14, 2012
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    rd, either we're missing something here, or something is wrong. in the non plug in, when you call for heat, if the ice is off, it comes on. some of us will have to try ours and report back. meanwhile, i'm going to go over the heating control instructions again. i don't think the a/c is going to come on with the heat.
     
    #8 bisco, Sep 14, 2012
  9. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    If the heating is anything like the regular GenIII, the HVAC system has electric grids that heat up the air and they come on when the temp is run all the way to the max heat setting. They don't do a big job, but they're better than nothing. The next time you try, put your hands right where the air blows and see if it's warm.
     
    #9 El Dobro, Sep 14, 2012
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you mean until the ice is warm enough to provide heat.
     
    #10 bisco, Sep 14, 2012
  11. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    That's correct.
     
    #11 El Dobro, Sep 14, 2012
  12. rockerdan

    rockerdan PiP Rocks!

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    Will the AC always stay on when im just driving in winter calling for heat with ICE running? Seems like a waist of fuel to me.

    Or if i turn AC off once, but leave AUTO on, will it remember that each time i go for a drive? That would be great if it does this.


    Im assuming my ICE did not start due to Not cold enough temps, I assumed 59F and calling for 85f or HI would fire it up!

    when did all you get your PiPs? didnt anyone buy theirs last winter?

    Dan
     
    #12 rockerdan, Sep 14, 2012
  13. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    I have a non-plug-in GenIII and the HVAC remembers the previous setting, so if I had it on Auto with the A/C off, it goes back to that setting when I start the car.
     
    #13 El Dobro, Sep 14, 2012
  14. rockerdan

    rockerdan PiP Rocks!

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    #14 rockerdan, Sep 14, 2012
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i got mine in late april so no heat yet. i have noticed when i'm running auto a/c, i have to hit 'off', then hit fan again, then hit a/c button to turn a/c off. i'm not sure i'm doing it right, but when i press 'auto', it doesn't shut off.
     
    #15 bisco, Sep 14, 2012
  16. rockerdan

    rockerdan PiP Rocks!

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    yeah it seems like you gotta hit auto, then AC again to turn AC off, but will it remain off after that if you turn off and back on power? Or do we have to do this each time we drive? Or does AC in heat mode NOT rob power/fuel? I find it odd in this huge bible of a manual there is basically no info on the HEATER.

    I guess ill just keep experimenting as we have cooler nights now ahead.

    Dan
     
    #16 rockerdan, Sep 14, 2012
  17. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    If the controls are like the standard Prius, you leave the Auto button alone and just click the A/C button off. Auto works the same, just without the compressor.
     
    #17 El Dobro, Sep 14, 2012
  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    so if it's 80 outside and you have aoto, a/c set at 75, and you hit a/c, it shuts off but fan stays on and outside air starts entering uncooled? and if so, 'auto' isn't really doing anything even tho it's still lit?
     
    #18 bisco, Sep 14, 2012
  19. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    Yep, the compressor shuts of and the system trys to reach the set temperature without it.
     
    #19 El Dobro, Sep 14, 2012
  20. rockerdan

    rockerdan PiP Rocks!

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    when you first start car.....does the system default to OFF or does it remember last setting? Ive been running with my system OFF since i got it a month ago, so I have not tested to see how its set when started in morning.

    Dan
     
    #20 rockerdan, Sep 14, 2012
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