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Start/Stop premature wear

Discussion in 'Prius c Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Simon Miron McGraw, Aug 2, 2022.

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  1. Simon Miron McGraw

    Simon Miron McGraw New Member

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    as of the Amsoil Blog about start/stop technology :
    The crankshaft spins thousands of times per minute in a running engine. As it spins, oil flows through tiny openings in the crankshaft journals and fills the spaces between the journals and main bearings. The crankshaft literally floats on an oil film and doesn’t contact the bearings, which is called hydrodynamic lubrication. Which means, the bearings suffer little wear and last a long time.

    Stopping the engine, however, reduces oil film thickness. The crankshaft settles onto the bearing surfaces rather than floats over them.

    Should i be concerned about the premature wear ? And should i actually add an oil stabilizer to add a bit more thickness so the film of oil stays longer on the top engine components ?

    2018 Prius C (base) 61,000km
    Québec Canada.

    I'm in Québec so the summer is really hot and the winter quite cold.
     
    #1 Simon Miron McGraw, Aug 2, 2022
  2. Simon Miron McGraw

    Simon Miron McGraw New Member

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    I also use 0w-20 oil from the dealer itself
     
    #2 Simon Miron McGraw, Aug 2, 2022
  3. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    A hybrid car with 100K miles on it if driven in the city is only going to have roughly half the wear on the gas engine because the electric motors handle much of the driving, especially when you need lots of torque. Whereas a hybrid car with 100K miles of freeway driving will have a bit more wear because the engine is running constantly.
     
    #3 PriusCamper, Aug 3, 2022
  4. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    A Prius engine has easier starts than a conventional engine with "start-stop technology".

    The Prius engine gets spun, by the powertrain, right up to full operating speed, operating the oil pump, all before the ECM starts supplying fuel and spark and putting that pressure on the bearings. It doesn't live a very hard life.
     
    #4 ChapmanF, Aug 3, 2022
  5. Sonic_TH

    Sonic_TH Active Member

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    Before the ICE starts in the Prius, MG1 rotates it so oil lubricates it.

    There is no need to worry about this in the Prius C, it has proven that this is not an issue.
     
    #5 Sonic_TH, Aug 3, 2022
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    how to explain prius engines with hundreds of thousands of miles?(n)
     
    #6 bisco, Aug 3, 2022
  7. PriusII&C

    PriusII&C Active Member

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    You have the right concern. The film that separates the matching surfaces in a hydrodynamic lubrication system is a function of the contact load, relative velocity, lubricant viscosity, and surface roughness. At the moment of a start, this film is not established yet. Instead, the protection to the matching surfaces is provided by oil film adhered to the surfaces from previous operation, forming a boundary lubrication. Damage can and does occur at starts. In addition to the crankshaft, this happens on many other surfaces in a car. On the other hand, load is typically small at start (unless the engine is raced at the start). An appropriately designed engine has taken all the factors into consideration, and, hopefully, ensures the maching surfaces last as long as (or longer than) other parts of the car.

    In the lifetime of Prius, it does have many more start-stop's than in a conventional car, but it also has a lighter load on the ICE parts when it starts. Field reports show that it is more likely to have other major issues before this becomes a major problem. Don't worry about the start-stop cycles, but do use the right oil, and change it regularly.
     
    #7 PriusII&C, Aug 5, 2022
  8. Simon Miron McGraw

    Simon Miron McGraw New Member

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    Thank you really much about the information !
    Since i'm pretty new with the Toyota Hybrid technology i was quite concerned but i take good care of it. Oil change and Oil grade are also part of my care. One thing really weird that i've found is that i hear a weird grinding when engine first starts ( First start of the day) I was wondering if it was the Planetary gear not disengaging from the MG1

    edit : Nevermind. i'm just not used to the atkinson engine. I opened up the hood and tried to focus on the mg1 sound and nothing feels or sounds like a problem
     
    #8 Simon Miron McGraw, Aug 13, 2022
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2022
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