Return of warm weather

[kithmo]

My Fuelly sig shows over 4 years I get over 55 mpg all local, 2-3 mile, short journeys and without trying, I just drive it normally. I doubt if my ICE even gets warmed up during winter.

Show me any petrol or diesel 1.8 litre automatic that can do that.

[QuantumFireball]

14 hours ago, kithmo said:

My Fuelly sig shows over 4 years I get over 55 mpg all local, 2-3 mile, short journeys and without trying, I just drive it normally. I doubt if my ICE even gets warmed up during winter.

Show me any petrol or diesel 1.8 litre automatic that can do that.

The Gen 3/4 Prius has an exhaust heat recovery system, which uses a heat exchanger in the exhaust to heat the ICE coolant faster than a normal car would. Even in winter with mine it gets the coolant temperature up to around 40 degrees within 2 minutes, and 60 degrees in about 5 minutes with low speed driving (mostly 30 MPH). The Gen 4 additionally has an active grille shutter which will restrict airflow to the radiator when not needed.

The Gen 2 Prius used a "coolant heat storage tank", a bit like a Thermos flask for keeping the coolant warm when the ICE wasn't running.

I know with older cars if they only do short trips you could end up with a mayonnaise-like substance under the oil filler cap from condensation (a small amount, not like with head gasket failure). I don't know if more modern engine designs have eliminated this problem in general, but I don't hear of this happening with any Prius.

[PeteB]

1 hour ago, QuantumFireball said:

...The Gen 2 Prius used a "coolant heat storage tank", a bit like a Thermos flask for keeping the coolant warm when the ICE wasn't running...

That was only in what Toyota considered "cold weather climates".  We didn't get that in the UK.  The only times I heard about cars having this was people in North America.

Apparently it could keep the coolant warm for a couple of days even when below freezing outside.  Users reported hearing gurgling after switching off as the coolant was sucked into the storage tank.  When starting up, one reason the engine didn't fire in the first 7 seconds was to wait for it to be pumped back into the engine channels and pipes.

UK owners often referred to the delay as to give the chance to select EV mode, the button for which appeared for the first time on the Gen 2 Prius (but not in the US for some reason*).  This may have been part of the reason for the delay too.

[* Some aftermarket fixes became available to enable EV mode to be selected, one of which (from a firm called Coastal Tech) was a small circuit board inserted somewhere in the wiring that allowed EV mode to be selected and de-selected by holding the Cruise Control on/off button for several seconds.]

[QuantumFireball]

Ah, I didn't realise it was only certain markets which got that. I wouldn't consider a lot of the US a "cold weather climate" but it may have been present for CARB LEV requirements or something else (also why the PHV got a pressurised fuel tank over there, and other oddities).

[PeteB]

7 minutes ago, QuantumFireball said:

...I wouldn't consider a lot of the US a "cold weather climate" ...

nope, but this guy certainly lives in a cold part: http://john1701a.com/

"John" from Minnesota was a bit of a folklore hero in the early noughties for his prolific blogs about his Prius, staring with the orignial Gen 1 "Classic" soolon (sedan).  Check out "1-30-2004 Eeek!  -18 F degrees   Couldn't resist photos like this... photo album 63" on "Personal Log  #102"

For non-Trekkies, the "1701" bit is his license plate, a harp to the Enterprise registration in Star Trek.

[HSDish]

Yesterday was the first day this year with more than 20C here at my place in Sweden, acually 24 C. Nice !!!

Noticed that our Prius Plug In 2015 manage to be driven on pure/only EV, right from start, without ICE kickn in, if the outside temps 15 C or more and AC set on 20.

Lovely to be able to drive some 10km and the car says 0.0 used petrol

[John Walton]

Just a point of interest. Now the warmer weather is here my gen 4 is now averaging back to 75mpg, same as I was getting last summer.

[Stivino]

1 hour ago, John Walton said:

Just a point of interest. Now the warmer weather is here my gen 4 is now averaging back to 75mpg, same as I was getting last summer.

And the winter figure is?

[Catlover]

Up to 10mpg Lower. These are Gen4 figures, Gen3 figures are lower both summer and winter

[Stivino]

1 hour ago, Catlover said:

Up to 10mpg Lower. These are Gen4 figures, Gen3 figures are lower both summer and winter

Is that your car or the op's car?

[Catlover]

I am the original poster, so yes, its my car - the Prius Gen4. The wifes Auris Hybrid does less then a Gen3 Prius - I know cause I have had a Gen3 Prius before the Gen4 (but after the Auris Hybrid).

[MyOpinionIsWorthless]

On 3/17/2020 at 5:08 AM, Catlover said:

So nice to feel the warm weather again, makes you feel good whilst trying to get head around this virus thing.  With the warm weather comes better mpg too.

Sunday did a 50 mile return journey and averaged 75 mpg dead on, last night did a 18 mile return and averaged 77.6 mpg.

What are others getting?

99.6 - 106.1

commute from Essex to central London avg 82.5

petrol sainsburys unleaded plus

[Catlover]

1 hour ago, PaulDM said:

99.6 - 106.1

commute from Essex to central London avg 82.5

petrol sainsburys unleaded plus

Is that a "standard" Prius or a plug-in Hybrid.????  If its a standard then that is very good.

[MyOpinionIsWorthless]

5 minutes ago, Catlover said:

Is that a "standard" Prius or a plug-in Hybrid.????  If its a standard then that is very good.

Standard model d (2019) 

[MyOpinionIsWorthless]

Just now, PaulDM said:

Standard model d (2019) 

 

6 minutes ago, Catlover said:

Is that a "standard" Prius or a plug-in Hybrid.????  If its a standard then that is very good.