Hyper milers assemble. Looking for winter insulation ideas

Just see the block heater I DIY installed in 2019 is subject to a Transport Canada recall:

part number: PU140-00905

Transport Canada Recall - 2021723 - TOYOTA - Canada.ca

I've emailed our dealership, see what they say.

 

I see engine shutoff at 132 -4 F consistently. I drive slow when it's cold soaked, use grille block below freezing temps and I used to put a ceramic space heater in the cabin to help keep the battery warm. The cabin got nice and warm, but the battery never got any of that heat with the car not in Ready Mode or PreConditioning .
It was easy to tell where cold air was leaking through the firewall when temps were in the teens. The preheated cabin only stayed warm for about 6 miles, when only using the heated seats in stead of the heat pump or engine heat.

 

KOOOL!

 

My back seats and bench are removed and the hv battery cools down faster that way with ac blasting. During winters, the hv battery temp drops fast when i coast on descending hills vs with ac on during summers. The seats and cushions obsorb the very cold and very hot temps so the hv battery temp is tough to change.

 

Yes, you are experimenting and burning excess gas in the process. You don't have to work so hard driving a Prius.
You could be comfortable and burn less gas if you just stop fiddling.
I thought the electric water pump continued running to flow heat from the engine to the cabin when the engine is off.

Somehow I thought the leading theory on Chronic Head Gasket Failures was the 'uneven flow of EGR gasses to individual intake ports due to the small passages getting clogged unevenly'. Who know??? Hopefully toyota is doing better with later models...
My fix for that is to disconnect the EGR valve = No uneven EGR flow. But that's another topic....

Thanks for reminding me to block my lower grill with the split foam pipe insulation. (where did I put that crap?)
It should keep the engine bay air warmer, in theory. And it definitely make the car more aero.
Just not enough to measure it.
Whereas, your fiddling is definitely measurable. You're burning more of that smelly stuff than you have to, on the hope of... someday....

 

Won't the T-stat need to be open for this thing to flow?

It's funny, I've never heard of a Gasser owner not using the cabin heat to 'Help with Something'.
A Gasser burns its smelly fuel and wastes ~70% of it as heat. Why not enjoy life, be comfortable and have your window clear, for FREE?

You are primed for your next car. An EV ! Then you can geek out on not using heat and actually see the results!!
You're already getting prepared to plug in your car at night. Why not plug in an EV?

 

Man you are suffering for your beliefs ! I salute you, sir!!
What about the windows fogging up?
Engine heat if free. Use it and be normal!
A CT200h does not have a 'Heat Pump'.

 

When you say, "coasting" in EV, you realize that the drivetrain is not disconnecting, right? Both the gasoline engine and the electric drive motor are connected to the drive wheels through a planetary differential. When you are moving forward, and you shift to neutral, the gasoline engine is stopped, therefore the electric drive motor must run in reverse to maintain drivetrain torque at zero. You are actually using electricity to "coast" in neutral.