> Any problems, serious or just the normal "turtle" till warm?? I've never seen the turtle, and this is my 4th Winter with a Prius in Minnesota. I don't park inside at work either. So seeing the turtle is definitely not normal. Fortunately, it is of little consequence if you do anyway. It basically means you have limited power until warm, that's all.
I have not seen the "turtle" either, and have had my '04 for about a month now, as low as 8 below zero. No ill effects, beyond poor gas mileage. Interestingly, the ICE still shuts off at traffic lights, although for a very brief period, even in the extreme cold. Without a doubt the most remarkable car I've ever had the pleasure to own. Jeff
Took mine out at -7F and did not see the 'turtle' symbol that is in the Classic - there may be no need with the extra power in the batteries. Car started fine, ran just as good as always. Actually seemed to start easier than my Echo did under the same conditions.
Ok thanks I was just curious if anyone had any problems with them in the cold. There was an article writen by a no-mind newspaper type about them not shifting into gear but I do believe he didn't have his foot on the brake when he shifted. I have had several nquiries from people how they would start when cold and as far as I'm concerend the mg is a better and more powerful starter than any small bolt on units like conventional cars and trucks have. It will be interesting to find out what happens when it goes to -30 to -40 if the battery has enough sustained output to fire the ICE. I lived in that weather in northen British Columbia and without block heaters not much will start. If the block heater for the Echo fits then it's just another car in the north. I'm sure a couple of battery blankets will take care of the HV pack as well. Thanks to all for the replys.
How is the heat? When I heard that the Prius pre-heats the gas engine (by heating the "coolant") before starting it, it occurred to me that the heat might come up faster in a Prius than in a conventional car. Any evidence of this?
IT is better, but not for the reason that you'd think. The Prius has 2 300w PTC electric heaters (electric heaters that increase resistance as they get hotter to prevent from getting too hot). This is available in most cars in the US except perhaps those delivered to gulf states. Some in other countires have reported their lack of existance too. I suppose you could look for the fuse or relays to verify whether you have them. Mine does in SoCal. Prerequisite is that the mode needs to be floor or floor/def and it has to be cool enough outside. They'll activate when ambient temp is cool, and heat is requested before the coolant comes up to temp. Over time, you'll learn to identify when they're on as well as you'll get that familiar burning dust smell associated with electric heaters. However, the fact that coolant is stored does help the real heat to come up a bit quicker since the engine can warm up a bit faster. However, the rotating "valve" so to speak blocks the thermos coolant from the heater core until the engine has heated a bit. Call it selfish.. -Rick
Electric heat is even better for speed. Not a tremendous surprise, given that the air conditioning doesn't require the gas engine either. It's hard for me to believe that you would notice the difference in Southern California. In New England, it's really only in the depths of winter that the wait for the heat to come up is so excruciating. That's an important tip to remember, though, that the electric heat only kicks in at certain settings.
Is there a full list of maybe-yes-maybe-no equipment posted anywhere? If I don't have something, and I move to somewhere that that kind of equipment would have been nice, I'd like to be able to complain to Toyota so I can *try* to get it...
