I have a Gen III Prius that I bought in May 2010 so when it was warm in Ohio. I have noticed that in the morning or during cold weather that when I first get in to go somewhere the car seems extremely sluggish the gas engines seems to be bogged down. It has happened even if I let it warm for 5 minutes. Had it at the dealer for the 10K maintenance and they said the car is fine. Has anyone else in cold climates notice this?
I looked in the problems thread and it is because the ICE is trying to warm up and maintain a set rpm, and the car is being moved by only the electric motor.
Mine is sluggish (very) for the first several minutes until it warms up. I don't like the feeling it gives, but it isn't the first car I've owned that didn't have fire in it when it was less than 35 F and I don't warm it up properly first.
Engine RPM is kept low in cold weather during warm up so your Prius is doing what it should. I know exactly what you're talking about and I experience it in the winters, but it's nothing major and again, it's normal.
Yes, my Prius does the same thing. It only really gets up and running smoothly after 30 minutes of driving.
Other than the fact you pointed out that even after 5 mins of warm up you still have the problem, the sluggishness is normal. Up till 103F(about 2-3 mins of running in motion) do I notice it, but past that, the engine is ready to rock and roll. Perhaps it is closer to 5 min... will actually have to time it next time.
Cold engines are inefficient and emit more pollution. As a result, the Prius tries hard to keep you from drawing heavily on a cold engine. This makes it feel sluggish. If, however, you really need it and stomp the gas, the Prius will give in and ramp up the engine. Tom
One thing I notice from cold is that, if I set off in EV mode, the ICE is more reluctant to fire up when you give it some gas. By that I mean there is a 1-2 second pause between foot down and the car accelerating, a bit like a flat spot. This could also be attributed to the fact that I've just run the HV battery down I suppose. Once the ICE is running it seems to give normal power after just a couple of minutes.
Hi All, The battery power is allot less - about 10 HP below 5 F, versus 30 HP at 70 F. So, that is why the Prius is slugish in cold weather. If its sunny outside, this effect is less noticable. If you drive long distances, its less noticable as well, as the battery gets heated up. As long as your not it a race, the Prius is fine in cold weather. In fact it was named one of the three 2010 Winter Cars of the year by the Finnish car magazine....
Yup. I'll echo the donee's observations when the battery is "frozen". Greatly reduced power from the battery. The engine'll spin faster from the get-go when its that cold outside. The thermos barely makes a 20c dent in the water temp.
is this a big difference from the gen II? i don't notice this at all. or is it because i drive like an old lady to begin with?
I believe the correct phrasing is: "Give it to me! Give it to me!" Pretty much the same for both. I don't find it to be an issue either, but then I drive like an old lady. Tom
It's the battery. "The chemical reactions inside of batteries take place more slowly when the battery is cold, so the battery produces fewer electrons. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/accidents-hazardous-conditions/start-car-in-winter.htm"
