Question about Inverter coolant temperature

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by TheLandYacht, Nov 29, 2020.

  1. TheLandYacht

    TheLandYacht Member

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    Newbie at Prius, just bought a Gen3 2010 about 2 months ago.

    One of the first things I did was to get a little generic Bluetooth ODBII reader & buy/download TorquePro.

    So, on to my question.

    I note that the Inverter temp tracks pretty well so far with the ambient temperature INSIDE the cabin, increasing by about 10f over the course of my 45-minute commute...which is all fine & good in the fall & winter when the temperature's low.

    But what about in the summer? Is there a max "healthy" temperature for that coolant? Because in the Central Texas summers, it's not unusual for the cabin temperature to reach and sustain temperatures north of 140f.

    Here's a chart of ambient (outside) temp and the effect it has on cabin temps. And THIS chart only goes up to 95f ambient.
    [​IMG]
     
    #1 TheLandYacht, Nov 29, 2020
  2. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    The inverter temperature control is much like a second radiator system with antifreeze and a water pump. It will regulate to a safe temperature in any weather. Like your radiator coolant, the inverter coolant should be changed around 100k miles. Never drive it if the temperature warning lights come on. Failure of the pump is an occasional issue, some will proactively change it around 120k-150k miles. Most do not and do not have problems as long as the coolant has been changed on time. So interior temps have nothing to do with inverter temps.

    But you could be thinking of hv battery temps which do rely on air cooling using air from the interior. It only matters when the car is running so don't drive with no ac and the windows up in the middle of the summer. Obviously. However, the battery has a screen on the air pickup and a fan blower wheel that can get clogged up. That should be checked every few years and is a prime suspect if the battery temps alarm.
     
    #2 rjparker, Nov 29, 2020
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  3. Mdv55

    Mdv55 Active Member

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    My inverter coolant tends to run 25-35f over ambient in the summer. When you're running a/c the airflow from the fans help keep the temp stable when stopped.
     
    #3 Mdv55, Dec 5, 2020
  4. TheLandYacht

    TheLandYacht Member

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    I'm less worried about "when stopped" (as in "stopped in traffic"), than the fact that Yoda will sit parked for most of the daylight hours in direct sunlight...which can get (and stay for long periods) over 100f.
     
    #4 TheLandYacht, Dec 5, 2020
  5. Mdv55

    Mdv55 Active Member

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    It doesn't really matter. It will be at ambient on a cold start plus a little heat soak if fired up again soon after shutdown. As soon as you power up the car the pump starts circulating coolant through a radiator and the temp will end up at ambient plus 25 or so.
     
    #5 Mdv55, Dec 5, 2020
  6. TheLandYacht

    TheLandYacht Member

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    Yeah...my concern was...I drive this car mostly in the evening (so right after the heat of the day) and first thing in the morning (not as much of a problem).

    So...after sitting the entire day in 100f+ temperature, the internal temp of the vehicle can reach a sustained 160f (no-shitting hot enough to cook food). Which, since it's sustained...means EVERYTHING in there will be 160f before I even start the car (meaning that coolant too, as well as the big battery under the floor).

    Hence my question on what a healthy temp for that stuff is.

    Also, I haven't seen an entry for traction-battery temperature in the Big List of Codes on the TorquePro page. THAT is something I'd be interested in monitoring.
     
    #6 TheLandYacht, Dec 5, 2020
  7. Mdv55

    Mdv55 Active Member

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    Your inverters and coolant are under the hood and won't necessarily track with cabin temp that sees a greenhouse effect.

    You can monitor left, right and middle temp sensors for the main battery through Torque. Did you load the extra PIDs for the Prius? They're in there.
     
    #7 Mdv55, Dec 5, 2020
  8. TheLandYacht

    TheLandYacht Member

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    Hmmm...I thought I'd looked through the whole list, but maybe I missed that. It's a LONG list.

    And I remember loading the PIDs from that file in the TorquePro forum.
     
    #8 TheLandYacht, Dec 5, 2020
  9. Mdv55

    Mdv55 Active Member

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    Its under temp of batt tb1, 2 and 3. Scroll down to T
     
    #9 Mdv55, Dec 5, 2020
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  10. TheLandYacht

    TheLandYacht Member

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    So...I guess then, my more pressing question then should be...what is a healthy continuous/operating temperature for the Traction Battery?

    ...given the above, ambient temp highs, greenhouse effect, etc.
     
    #10 TheLandYacht, Dec 5, 2020
  11. Mdv55

    Mdv55 Active Member

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    Fan kicks on in stages above 105 if I recall. They like the same temps we do.
     
    #11 Mdv55, Dec 5, 2020
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