Prius (2004-09) :: Warming Up In Hot Weather To Protect Battery
May 16, 2013
I noticed that if I turn on the car and just drive with the AC on, depending on the outside temperature, the battery goes down to 2-3 bars from 6 bars within a mile a so. As it has been discussed in this forum extensively, the higher the battery charge swing, the lower the battery life. I noticed something yesterday, I warmed up the car till the engine stops with the AC on, and then the drive off. The battery stayed at 6 bars for all my commute and I believe this is healthy for the battery. Suggest/observe similar behavior or am I just burning gas for nothing. I have a scan gauge and definitely you get worse fuel economy for the first few miles if you warm up the car.
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Last night during the East Coast's snow storm, I left my 2004 Prius warming for 10 minutes in park. I have a newborn and wanted the car warm for her. When I got back outside to leave, the Prius had died. The check engine light was on, but that was on before because I need to get the oil changed.
I went to jump start it, but when I opened the hood, I could hear that the engine seemed to still be running - it sounded like the belts were still going. So I was nervous to jump start it with the engine still seemingly on. I waited 30 minutes and that noise stopped.
When I tried to jump start it, I couldn't get the fuse box cover off after an hour of trying at 10PM, in the snow and rain. So I gave up and will try again later today.
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So, I noticed after the week long heatwave (using Priidash and the Prius display) that during normal driving (under 65mph and slow accel) that my prius is NOT keeping the battery at 60% SOC....It is staying in the low 50's or as low as 39.5%....If I go above 70mph, I see the battery being drained and not recharged at all....I reset the battery (twice) the first time it made no difference but the second time the car turned on and said I had 60% SOC when in reality before the ECU reset I was at 49.5%. I know my battery is good because I have stress tested it many times. Its in great shape. The only thing I've done differently these past few weeks is I left the car in Park with the AC on 75 auto for about 5hrs on 4 different days....Its a 2004 Prius.
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I have a 2011 non-nav non-JBL Prius, which I got used.
I first noticed this thing after installing an aftermarket head unit, and I could see that various connections behind the head unit plugged into it (including those going to the speaker), but I just left it be. I used a Metra wiring harness to hook up the head unit to the factory wiring. Since then, I installed aftermarket component speakers up front, an Axxess interface to get the steering wheel controls back, and recently an amplifier. I didn't, at that point in time, want to run new wire to all of the speakers, so I ran speaker wire from
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I just purchased a 2010 Barcelona Red Prius II to replace my 2008 vehicle of the same color (which is going to our daughter). We have a terrific dog who, in my 2008 car, would often step onto the metal part of the car when getting onto or off from the backseat. This has left scratches in the paint, as it lies behind the area protected by the grey plastic in both cars (i.e., where it begins to slope upward). Is there anything that can be done to protect this?
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I got a new Prius Plug-in 2012 and when the cold weather came this winter, which isn't that cold at 40F, the 12v battery seems to get discharged very often. This week, I must have jumpstarted the car twice already. The 12v battery seems to get drained when I park outside in the (not so) cold, or when I park underground for hours. I also notice that the traction battery gets filled up; it's as if the 12v battery drains into the traction battery.
(I leased a Prius 2010, not plug-in, for 3 years and this never happened even if I parked it for days in even colder weather.)
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On a hot sunny day, occasionally I have to be stopped for extended periods with the A/C running which means the engine will come on for a few minutes out of every 10 minutes or so. to charge the traction battery. Engine comes on at 2 bars and goes off at 3 bars.
As engine efficiency at idle is low, would it be better to put it in D with the brake firmly pressed and push the accelerator so that the engine speed is in the high efficiency range so as to produce more charge for the fuel burnt and maybe also I could charge it to a few more bars on the battery indicator?
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I'm relatively new to owning a Prius (just over a month now) and am loving it so far. I've also been lurking these forums for a while and love reading over the technical explanations of how the Prius works and all that stuff. There something that I've been curious about recently
As we all know, unless it's already been running/warmed up recently the ICE has to start up around 7 seconds after turning on the ignition (unless in EV mode). When it does, fuel consumption figures go through the roof (10-15L/100km - which equates to around 20mpg) which is obviously very high.
Now, I leave my Prius in the underground garage of my apartment complex which is basically about 20 degrees celsius (70 fahrenheit) year round, which is pretty warm. So I'm curious about a few things:
1) Why the engine has to warm up when it is stored in a warm environment anyway (a regular ICE car doesn't need to warm up - you can turn it on a drive off).
2) Why fuel consumption is so high when the engine presumably isn't actually doing anything other than idling (or is it??)
3) To improve fuel consumption, would it be better to start off in EV mode, and only switch to normal/ECO when I know I'm actually going to need the ICE such as when I enter the actual roadway (so the engine is never in use when it is not actually powering the car)? I know fuel consumption will still be higher than normal as with any car when it is first started, but wouldn't this at least save it turning on unnecessarily?
4) If it is better to do this, why does it need to 'warm up' at all?
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"Vehicle with smart key system: The indicator light flashes after the "POWER" switch has been turned OFF to indicate that the system is operating." I have noticed that my immobilizer light will not blink when it has the no start issue. usually when the key is out the light blinks but when it won't blink.... it won't start.
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I just got a 2005 Prius, it is getting about 40-43MPG in 50F weather. This is my first time with a hybrid, much less a Prius. Is this normal for this car in this weather, or does something seem wrong.
The 12V seems to be getting about 11.7-11.8 under load.
Tire pressure is about 33PSI, going to increase it most likely from the sounds of other people having it higher.
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It has been cold recently (out of the past week, highs in 20's or lower). This hasn't been as much of an issue before, but in the past week I have had the red triangle of death, brake warning light, check engine light, and VSC light all come on at the same time, three separate times. Also, the display screen shows a red outline of a car with "!" through it. Each time this has happened, the lights didn't come on as soon as the car was "Ready" but only after the gas engine was running for a minute or two.
The first time the lights came on, I was driving back from class, but after I got back to my house I did some internet research and saw it may be a low oil indicator. Checked the oil, it was almost at the bottom mark on the dipstick, and it had been over 10,000 miles since the last one (oops! we don't normally do that). After reading some stories online, I took it in to get an oil change, and the lights went off for a couple days. Second time the lights came on, I checked the oil level, it was definitely over-filled, so I took it back to Walmart and had them redo the oil so that it was at the right level. I checked the oil level before leaving the parking lot that time and it was at the top mark on the dipstick. Again, all the lights were off for a couple days.
Today, I drove my car for about an hour in the morning (temperature was around upper teens, wind chill below 10) and had no problems. Then, this evening I turn the car on and start driving out of the parking lot when the car beeps at me and flashes all of the warning lights again. I drove back to my house and it is now sitting in the driveway. I am not planning on driving it until I can have a car mechanic friend take a look at it on Tuesday, but he doesn't know anything about the hybrid system/battery.
My wife and I have also noticed that since the weather has been colder, the hybrid battery (shown on the "Energy" screen when driving) seems to be charging and discharging much faster than normal. I haven't seen it at only 1 bar or full of green bars more than a couple times in the 2.5ish years we have owned the car, but in the past two weeks it has happened 5-10 times (estimated). I am not sure if this is due to the weather, or if it could indicate a problem with the (hybrid?) battery. For obvious reasons, this makes us nervous :/
As a side note, I changed the transmission fluid sometime in December, so I was wondering if possibly I didn't put enough fluid back in. I have checked the diagnostic screen and found some codes, but most of them seem to relate to the audio, which doesn't concern me as much as the code that seems to indicate the transmission, which is why I mention the change I did a while back. I just don't know why it wouldn't have shown up until now. I'll attach some pictures I took tonight of the codes and lights.
Also, the battery is a couple years old, but after sitting for a couple hours the battery was reading 12.1 V according to the diagnostic screen, so I don't think that is the issue. We haven't had any trouble getting the car to start, and once it is running it still seems to drive normally with the warning lights on. What these codes mean, and a possible cause for the warning lights?
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I think this happened last year. Whenever it happened, I know it's happened before. It only happens when it's cold outside. Yesterday, it was 18ºF which, Priapus was happy to show me, equates to -6ºC.
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I have an 05 Prius with 108k miles I bought about 2 months ago. My commute to work each morning is 1.5 miles with speeds of 25mph or less.
Usually the car has acted the same way each day. The ice spins consistently as I creep along to work. But last night the temps dropped to -10f and this morning when I left for work it was about 3 above. I turned on the car and instead of the few seconds after ready it takes for the ice to turn on it turned on right away today. I let it warm for about 3 minutes then set off. Right away I noticed the ice start to Rev up.
And as I slowly approached 25 MPH it was revving abnormally high. It was showing energy from the ice to the wheels and to the mg and charging the battery which was at the normal state of charge. All blue, right before green. When I stopped at a light about 1 mile in the ice turned off as normal, and started right away as normal. But it seemed the ice was still revving as if it was working very hard to pick up a slow increase in speed.
I pulled into my parking spot, battery showing green state of charge now, and the motor stopped as usual. I do not run the heat on this trip and it takes usually 5 minutes, so I just tough it out.
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So today/tomorrow I'm going to be buying oil pan #3 since january... how to keep the thing from cracking other than "drive better"... something mechanical I can have done? like a steel skid plate or something? 2001 passat 30v...
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It has been very cold and snowy recently. This morning when I left for work it was about -6 degrees F. After about 15 miles into a 55 mile trip down a snow free road with a 70 mph speed limit I had an unusual experience. Cruise is set at 75 (based on GPS), had to slow down to negotiate around a couple of triple trailer trucks. When I selected resume with the cruise, the engine revved and then cut in and out as it tried to accelerate to 70 mph.
No trouble lights or dashboard warnings. I turned off the cruise, and feathered the throttle and edged back to 75 mph, and then reset cruise. I rolled down the road for another 10 without issue. I again tried to duplicate the problem and I was unable to reproduce the engine cut out. When it malfunctioned, it felt as if the ignition was switched on and off. What might cause this erratic engine behavior?
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just got the car drove over 1000 miles without issue. Then it rained a few days, could be unrelated. Drove a quarter mile and it all went to ... Finished the 3 miles and it wouldn't start. During said trip red triangle engine and exclamation mark yellow haunted to screen. Turned off the AC to listen. No strange noise. I believe only the ice was running, no hybrid. Regen was working. Current lights red triangle, yellow exclamation, brake, engine, abs, red car with exclaim, anti skid, will go into neutral. Power button will not turn green just amber. Battery 12.4. Hybrid almost full, inverter pump working. No thrown codes under info 3 seconds slash lights on off 3 times. Emv says ok. Brake lights working.
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I've got a 2008 Prius which I bought used last summer. It works quite well except for one behavior: In cold weather, sometimes, the car either does not start at all, or starts without the dashboard gauges lighting up.
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My 2005 Prius shifts into Neutral, "N", when I put it either into Drive, "D", or Reverse, "R", during Cold weather, mid 20's and below. It will only stay in "B" to drive, and I have to hold the shifter in "R" to back up or "D" to drive. After the car warms up while driving 15-20 minutes in "B", I can shift it into "D" and it will stay there. I normally start the car and let it warm up in the morning for 10-15 minutes on cold days, below 25F but still I'm only able to drive it in "B" until it's ready. I just moved to Montana after driving this car in normal Southern California driving conditions. It happened while vacationing in Montana during the winter of 2007 a few times but it didn't bother me since I wasn't living there. I reported to Toyota but they couldn't do anything since the weather wouldn't co-operate. This car is still under 70,000 miles.
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On some cold winter mornings, my dashboard stays dark. Later, sometimes hours later, it lights up normally.
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My wife's 2007 Prius Dash lights stop working in extreme cold weather. We have asked the dealer 3 times about it but to no avail! I don't even know where to start with this one?
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I am the original owner of a 2006 Prius with 98,000 miles on it. Three summers ago it developed a problem where on very hot days (well above 90 degrees) when first started it runs very poorly. It starts normally and has no trouble light come on. It does this even though the car may have sat in the sun for hours and the engine/cooling system is relatively cool. But for the first 5-10 minutes it hesitates and stumbles with acceleration (as if it had bad gas). In fact at first I thought it was a bad gas problem. It never actually stalls.
It does this with or without the air conditioning on. It runs fine the remainder of the year and runs OK when first started if parked in a garage or a shady area on a very hot day. I have replaced the spark plugs, air filter, oil & filter numerous times, & changed the transmission fluid-but still this problem persists summer after summer. The traction battery fan is always on from initially starting the car every time this problem occurs. Could this be a battery problem? And if not, what then?
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