Normal Prius operating temp.

[Allannde]

With my Volvo I was comfortable watching the litttle guage with its green and red zones. With nothing but a warning light to tell me after there is already a problem, I got a ScanGuage. Now I am trying to figure out how to use it. A little help from you experienced folks will be appreciated!

Two questions:

1. I'm stlll working on my second tank with no road trips, yet. Its below freezing around here just like most places. With my block heater, I start out at 100 degrees and get up to 165 degrees in five minutes. Then it stays there. Is my engine coolant getting into normal operating temperature?

2. I understand the coolant is pressurized and can be higher than 212 degrees F. How hot can it be and still not be overheated?

Allan de

[Frank Hudon]

I would say that 165F is on the low side of normal, the manual say's 87C is the opening temp of the thermostat and that is about 185F give or take a few so I think your thermostat is not working properly. 50/50 antifreeze and water at 12 PSI boils at about 242F. The Prius cooling fans come on at approx 100C 212F so your a long way from problems.

[ScottY]

I use CANView. On highway (ICE on all the time), the coolant temp usually stays around 190 degrees F (~90 degrees C).

[hdrygas]

Also remember that the ScanGage does not apparently read the CAN BUS continuously but interrogates the BUS and awaits an answer from the ECU. Changes a bit slower than a direct measurement. I have been up to 203 on the freeway at 60 mph with a radiator blocker on. With out the blocker I run in the low 190 (190-193). If I unzip my blocker it drops to 190 -198. You should be a bit colder than I am. With out a radiator blocker you have nothing to worry about. Remember folks in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona drive this car in the summer with the air on!

[Allannde]

Thank you all for the input. Very helpful. I suspected I haven't been geting a full warmup. I need to get out on the road.

I would like to have CAN-view, but I understand it is not ready for the '06 with NAV. I haven't had a single problem with my car yet (knock on wood). Just learning it keeps me busy, tho.

Allan de

[hdrygas]

Originally posted by Allannde@Feb 20 2006, 05:59 PM
Thank you all for the input. Very helpful. I suspected I haven't been geting a full warmup. I need to get out on the road.

I would like to have CAN-view, but I understand it is not ready for the '06 with NAV. I haven't had a single problem with my car yet (knock on wood). Just learning it keeps me busy, tho.

Allan de

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Any thing above 161 (coolant temp) puts you in full hybrid range. The rest is just to heat you up or the environment. I am sorry I did not get your drift. 165 is in the gold zone. You do not need to go higher. Recently I had one of those moments where I realized that I could turn the thermostat in the car above 65 when the car coolant temp goes to above 165! DA

[DaveinOlyWA]

actaully if you arent getting up to freeway speeds, its not all that uncommon to sit in the 160-170º range. that is as high as mine gets on my mostly 35 mph commute to work on cold mornings. although i will say that my car probably heats up to the 160º range quicker but this is Western WA so im sure my temps arent as crazy as yours.

[Begreen]

Originally posted by DaveinOlyWA@Feb 20 2006, 09:12 PM
actaully if you arent getting up to freeway speeds, its not all that uncommon to sit in the 160-170º range. that is as high as mine gets on my mostly 35 mph commute to work on cold mornings. although i will say that my car probably heats up to the 160º range quicker but this is Western WA so im sure my temps arent as crazy as yours.

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Dave, what are the mods to your car? Do you have more stats on temp? We've noticed that our car is slower to warm up than the Subaru or Ranger pickup when driving normal on island trips of 5 to 10 miles. I was wondering if you have a radiator block or block heater.

[hdrygas]

Originally posted by Begreen@Feb 20 2006, 08:20 PM
Dave, what are the mods to your car? Do you have more stats on temp? We've noticed that our car is slower to warm up than the Subaru or Ranger pickup when driving normal on island trips of 5 to 10 miles. I was wondering if you have a radiator block or block heater.

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Dave has the CAN-View and reads both Coolant temps and Engine temps. The Prius warms up and cools off quickly! It is a small engine and at cold temperatures the variation is considerable.

[DaveinOlyWA]

no, i have nothing on that. my car warms up to 150º in an average of about 3 minutes doing city streets, this is with OAT in the 40's. i also had a few trips where temps were below freezing. one day i tracked my temps in 30 sec intervals on a day that was very cold and windy. on those days it took 5 mins to hit 150º and drove for 15 mins before temps got much above 160º

the info on my blog i posted about dec 4, (I dont have that good a memory... i looked it up) was the synopsis of 3 cold dry windy days. i also track mileage verses temps for my daily commute mostly because its short enough that the effects of temps show up more. the commute is 7.4-8 miles (depends on where i park) nearly all at 35 mph.

my averages on that trip varies from about 39 mpg @ 25º to 70 mpg @ 80+º. most of my data has temps at 45º averaging about 48-50 mpg

keep in mind that wind will play a factor. on my blog trip, the temps were one thing, but all the trips were done with a brisk wind. if you are island hopping out in the Puget Sound, there is no doubt imm that the breeze will be significant

*edit*

oh one other thing. the trips i took have no lights and a few quick stops. at the end of the route i took was a light. one day i stopped and the ICE temp dropped 5º while sitting at the light!