Low temperature light?

It's there as a reminder for those of us lucky enough to live in Michigan that we gotta start thinking about taking the boat out of the water.

In other locations, folks see it as a warning that surface moisture on the road just might be frozen even if you can't see it.

=paul=

 

Mem already that time of yr :roll: Well, snow season starts just another month so... How much I hate it abut it now I miss it... Specially fall color around U.P(BTW I uses to live in Metro Detroit)

 

in a lot of places the air temp might be above freezing but bridge decks and such might be ice covered. When the wife got her car last November it was on and the salesman didn't know what it was and we didn't either as the Classic only had OAT on the MFD. A quick check of the owner's manual and the icon was listed.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Kev1000000\";p=\"43192)</div>

In the few weeks you might uses to it, I uses to have VW which had same warning light.. Took me few weeks to uses to it... If dont wont see it just put electrict tape infront of warning lights :mrgreen:

 

The reason the light is there is to tell you that the engine will require energy to maintain it's warmth for low emmisions sake and to tell you of a warmer that maintains the temperature of the traction battery. NiMH batteries are susceptible to greatly reduced output at low temperatures due to the slower chemical reactions within the battery. In order to overcome this, there are heat strips that keep the battery warm but which do drain energy from the battery. Feel free to correct my memory of this if I'm mistaken, but I'm remembering it this way. These are two of several reason that mileage figures are lower in the winter for the Prius. All cars suffer lower mileage in the winter but these two reasons are almost exclusive to the Prius. Someone more familiar with these issues, please jump in.

 

Why would the car have a warning lite to tell you that your gas mileage is going to take a hit?

Priusham had the right answer. The lite is to warn you that you may be about to lose traction due to ice on the roads.

It's a safety feature, pure and simple.

 

That Damn light came on last week and it tells ME it's time to go south, like the geese, LOL

 

The lights just a caution to remind you that conditions outside are cold enough that you could experience icing on the road surface. All of my vehicles, (except for the HOG, I don't need a light on that to tell me it's too freakin cold to ride it), have this warning on them...they all also have an outside temp display. It's just a friendly reminder to be a little more aware that the driving conditions could be different due to potential icing of the roads.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusham\";p=\"43191)</div>

Come to Vermont - the highway sign seen most often is: "Bridges Freeze Before Roads". Just in case you might think the highway dept wasn't specific enough: paraphrasing (because the last word is not PC) a local comic (The Logger) - "But the roads still freeze you ......"
The one seen 2nd most often? "No Left Turn" at the top of every on ramp. In case you weren't sure interstates are 1 way roads I guess.

 

YES!!!!! I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I HATE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seven confounded months out of the year that confounded blanketey-blank snowflake site there staring at me reminding me that I'm freezing my you-know-what off.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel\";p=\"43609)</div>

:mrgreen: Yap winter suxs.... I uses to enjoin to do "Donuts" at office parking lot before everyone come :mrgreen: If got tired looking at warning just cover with handy electric tape :mrgreen:

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bruceha_2000\";p=\"43296)</div>

Look at bright side most snow belt state resident can handle ICE and Snow. But southern state will shut down hole city(like Houston) :mrgreen:

 

Saw the "snowflake on the road" symbol for the first time yesterday. "Whoa, what's that icon on the dash??" At first it looked like an asterisk in a tent with water dripping through the top, then I figured out what it was.

./;\
/ * \

"Oh, its the snowflake we were posting about just yesterday". Kind of an attractive gold colored. Later I noticed the car popped one up on the MFD as well. Yes, I can imagine it will get annoying between now and May 2005.

 

I communicated with Toyota via Email about this. Here is its reply.

"The Low Temperature indicator light is designed to make sure the driver is aware that the vehicle is being operated in cold temperature.

The hybrid battery pack has thermal limitations at low and high ends. If the battery is extremely cold, energy cannot be extracted, so the Low Temperature indicator light may turn on indicating total power output is limited. In this case, the gasoline engine runs longer until the pack warms up."

 

wrong indicator light, the one they are referring to is the "turtle" and not the snowflake.

 

Winter has arrived

I live in southern Finland and I saw low temperature light the first time about four weeks ago. Since last week light stays permanently on.
Winter has arrived!
I feel lucky becauce I have factory fitted seat heaters.

 

I'll never see it