2010 Prius powers on, slow to start

How long does it take for the READY light to come on? The engine need not start immediately.

 

Do you mean from 'Start' button press, to ICE cranking? Mine have always taken something around that time, maybe even a bit longer. It is long enough to back out of the garage and repark outside without ICE ever firing up, if I don't dally.

 

When I somehow fumble an attempt to push the EV button, or something similar, it will fire up much more quickly.

But as I added to my previous post after you quoted it, even when new, the normal delay was always long enough to back out of the garage and repark outside without ICE ever firing up, if I don't dally or fumble. On both my current 2012, and original 2010.

 

As long as READY comes on quick, it's up to the car when (or whether) it feels like starting the engine. You can drive as soon as you see READY.

 

Mine does that when the engine coolant temperature is still above a certain temperature following a previous driving cycle. Or above a certain lower temperature when the EV mode is active.

 

Which is also normal and fine. As I said, once READY comes on, it is totally up to the car when, or whether, it feels like starting the engine. You can start driving as soon as READY lights up.

The traction battery really isn't all that big, so once you start driving, the engine is pretty much sure to start before you've gone more than a block or two. It just can't go a lot farther on battery alone.

 

So you're saying you get a block and a half or two blocks and the car stops on the side of the road and the triangle light comes on?

 

You're free to start driving before it "starts". As soon as READY lights up. It's a Prius. If it needs to start later, it will.

 

Are you having any problems because of the ICE not starting sooner? Is the traction battery level getting too low (2 bars or less)? Is the propulsion system balking when you press the 'go pedal'? Is the climate control not putting out heat when you want it to? Absent something like this, I'm not seeing what the problem of delayed ICE startup would be.

When mine is in EV mode with the engine coolant temperature above 68F, the ICE won't start until one of the above items triggers it. Outside of EV mode with the coolant above 103F (maybe an ECO-specific threshold?), it can also stay off until a similar trigger occurs.

 

When the engine is cold, will it start promptly while the transmission is still in Park, if you the depress the accelerator part-way down shortly after the "READY" light comes on? It should. If I don't do that, there's a delay of about 12 seconds before the engine starts. The delay will be longer if the engine is hot. Does you car behave the similarly?