I'm Prius Prime 4598. I was BODGM but lost my password and have started a new log in. I live in Denver and I usually start my day in EV mode with the heat on. I go about 5 miles and scoot on the highway and while on on the highway, going 60 mph, I go to HV mode. Sometimes the heater goes cold for a few minutes before the motor heats up. My issue is, am I causing damage to the engine if I suddenly start the engine at 60 mph? Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
can't be sure, but i wouldn't do it. i'm sure toyota takes precautions, but i would warm it up before entering the highway. they don't exactly have a pristine record of protecting their engines.
I don't have a prime, so I can't be sure, but I'm guessing that the car runs off the traction battery while the engine warms up. It most likely keeps a reserve for this reason. If true, it wouldn't hurt it to start it at any speed that the EV motors and battery can handle without the engine.
When I hit the HV button , my Prime does register 100 mpg for a while, so that might be the case. Does the heater change its function away from the heat pump and uses the engine to heat the car after I hit the HV button? Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
I would suspect that the warming up engine charges the battery while idling to warm up with the battery driving. It probably doesn't switch over to engine provided heat though right away because the engine temp isn't high enough to provide it.
We've seen how PHV (2012-2015) protects the engine, allowing highway-speed start-ups while reducing the burden by heavily favoring electricity until warm-up is complete. We have seen similar behavior with Prime now too. There is nothing else to doubt anymore. We are sure.
when i turn on the heat, in ev mode, the engine comes on. when i step on the accelerator, the engine revs. does this behavior persist in prime?
In the Prime, when the car is in EV mode and you turn the heat on, the engine does not come on. If the traction battery is down to Zero, then the engine will come on. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
I do this all the time. From a cold start, my Prime is in EV on surface streets and until I get up to speed on the freeway (i.e. 65+ MPH). Then I switch the car into HV mode and the ICE runs thru it's startup routine. While the ICE is going through warm up (about 3-5 minutes, not sure), the car is running off of the traction battery and the ICE is providing very little energy (if any) to the motors. This keeps the ICE from being stressed from a sudden cold start. Keep an eye on the energy diagram on the 11.6" screen and you'll see the engine icon go yellow when it has finished it's warm up period. You can see the traction battery level drop down while the engine is in warm up mode - you'll get the lost charge back eventually after the engine warms up and "tops you off" so to speak. Also - keep in mind that since the engine has 0-20W oil, it can warm up and lubricate quickly. That's what it was designed for. All of the above is based on EV Auto being off.
