While stopped at a signal light, I've noticed the ICE running but nothing is moving on the display. In other words I can hear the gas engine running, but the display shows nothing "running". I've also had moments when the display shows the electric motor running, while stopped at a light. Why would the electric motor run while you're stopped? Both of these oddities make me think I should bring it in to be checked. Any thoughts on this? thanks in advance.
Three questions: When the ICE seems to run, what is the state of charge? When the ICE runs, what is the engine/exhaust temperature? When you are stopped and the Energy Monitor screen shows battery power to the wheels, will pressing on the brake pedal harder stop the flow? If your HV battery is fully charged (all green) the ICE may spin to reduce charge to an optimum level; it sounds like it's running, but the ICE is just spinning - no energy display. If your engine and catalytic converter aren't at operating temperature, the ICE can run and burn gasoline to heat things up, with no apparent energy transfer. The simulated auto-tranny creep sends electric power to the motors sometimes if you're not fully pressing the brake. The first two conditions are normal. If you can't stop the display of energy flow pressing hard on the brake pedal, a switch may need adjusting.
The MFD is correct, it just isn't helpful. It doesn't have any indication that the engine is running, it just shows power flows between components. And if you're sitting at a light with the engine running for heat, and it isn't charging the battery, then there are no power flows. Some sort of animation on the engine would have been helpful, like it animates the wheels. Oh, and if the electric motor is sending power to the wheels while you're stopped, you're not pressing the brake hard enough.
OK. I wanted to know if this was acceptable behavior, or if something's wrong. We have 2 Priuses in the household, mine was a 4 month old "demo" model when I bought it, with 8000 miles on it. The other is brand new. In the new one, if you're stopped at a light, the engine turns off within seconds of stopping, consistently. Mine is not consistent. I'll try pushing the break harder, but this seems like something I shouldn't have to do.
After the last PC outage, I can't use the link to "five stages of Prius operation" anymore. That article can explain one of the possibilities why the ICE is running at the stop light, your Prius is still at Stage 3. Others have covered other possibilities, like the SOC and demand for heat. As for electric flow to motors at stop light, I get that too. Just press on the brake a little harder, you will stop it. It tries to simulate the "idle creep" of an automatic.
All of this is why some of us got the Scan Gage or CAN View. Even power exchanges are not accurately depicted. Small power flows especially small out flows are not shown as in gliding when you are sending power to MG2 to keep it spinning so it will not drag. Sometime the ICE is spinning but not using any fuel. I think they just simplified things a bit, after all it is busy enough as it is.
