Best temperature setting for summer to avoid constant ICE turning on?

Noticed my ICE turns on when it should be in EV mode after the 30 second warm up from starting the car during my pass through at my work parking lot even when temperature control is off, I had previously set everything to LO and face blow the trip prior to that start up. Everything was turned off yet the ICE kicked on when I started driving through the parking lot when it normally should’ve been in EV mode. What gives, does the AC need to be disabled before turning the fan to OFF?

Doesn’t the AC run off of the big battery pack and not the ICE drivetrain? My batteries were at 80-90 percent per usual after a 30 second start up and regen so it wasn’t a battery issue during that parking lot pass through.

2014 Prius 4 50k miles.

Did not come with a manual when bought so don’t know if I’m missing something pertaining to the least ICE engagement setting for summer driving now that it’s final hot out. For the record I drive with windows open I just want a setting ready for when I drive my daughter around. I heard driving with the settings on heat mode helps relieve strain on the engine during the summer? Should I just leave it on heat mode then because the EV mode works nice when the fan is on OFF from a heat mode in preset in memory. It’s just funky everything being electronic on it so the jargon is weird.

 

So the thing is the ICE will turn on if the engine is not 137 degrees or hotter when heat mode is ON.

When the fan is set to OFF the ICE won’t kick on when cruising through the parking lot no matter the temperature other than the default temperature the car likes to be in (90-115 degrees) but it’s always in the range, I force the ICE on by turning the heat mode on right before going on the main road from the parking lot.

The ICE was turning on this time when the temperature was preset to LO and A/C ON but the fan was OFF I’m asking why the ICE would turn on if the engine temp was 115 from the warm up when I started feather cruising away, barely touched the gas pedal, while temperature settings were off during this feather cruise?

 

Yeah I was doing the usual feather pedal cruise through the parking lot and the ICE kicked on this time, I had the fan OFF but the (which again wasn’t on because the fan was set to OFF) preset mode was LO and A/C ON with face blow setting.

That’s the only change I’ve made since winter driving, so I put it back into heat mode and fan mode OFF and normal EV use returned.

 

I was doing my usual feather cruise through the parking lot but this time the ICE kicked in immediately from barely feathering it as per usual 7 days a week in the winter. During the winter I have the fan mode in OFF until I get on the main road because that’s when I need the ICE to kick in anyway. I have a scangauage2 so I know the temps the ICE kicks on for an ACTIVE/ON mode for heat which is at least 137 degrees or hotter. Just weird that ICE is kicking on with fan mode OFF with a preset ready mode of LO and A/C on.

 

I didn’t transition over to the ICE bar on the hud display, idk I’ll try again pretty sure I was looking at the bar as I always do. Just feels like the vents blow air even when fan mode is off and depending on what HI or LO setting you had on prior to turning the fan to OFF will be still feeling hot or cold air coming through the vents, slightly but still can feel the air. So it makes me wonder is the preset mode still engaged?

 

In the winter because it takes longer for the car to warm up to default temp 100 degrees the battery will be actually 90 percent full because it charges while warming up on start up. Now it’s warmer outside it was probably 85 percent full, still haven’t programmed my scan gauge 2 to show x-code gauge of battery percent but since it warmed up fast in warm weather it didn’t get it normal 90 percent warm up charge, anyway 80 percent is enough for EV driving but I guess not with the preset of LO and A/C on while fan mode OFF.

 

I see, EV seems to be more available when it’s OFF but also when it’s preset to HI heat with A/C disabled.


Typical?

 

I swear last summer ICE would only kick on if it was nearing 20 percent with A/C On and fan engaged. Idk I’ll try it more but I could probably go a little less than a mile on flat road just on EV mode before it hits 20 percent.

 

Yeah I don’t have heat mode actively engaged, just preset to heat mode with the fan OFF. I did you a grill cover mod this past winter, still seems like heat preset with fan OFF gives the best EV availability. It’s like something is still engaged if you have it to preset LO and A/C on when you turn the fan OFF in that preset compared to a disabled heat preset.

Either I’m just learning about this because it will be the first start of a summer in this car for me or something else is going on. Anyway I really don’t need the A/C on during the summer except for some days when it’s advised so I’ll just leave on OFF with the heat preset, seems to be off gassing some residual engine heat through the vents with the fan on OFF so guessing that’s a good sign for the engine. Yes I did also remove my grill cover mod a little too early this year but it’s off. Nothing else sounds like it’s the issue except for leaving the temperature to LO with A/C on before turning the fan to OFF.

 

Meant 20 percent as in 2 bars of battery, I don’t have my scan gauge 2 to show actual percentage yet so just guessing 2 bars is 20 percent? But yeah ICE will kick in when it’s nearing or at 2 bars.