EV mode invalid

[Tinbolas]

Hi,

I have a 2009 prius, it came with EV switch factory installed (japanese version). Today i was driving the car normally like i always do, i was a mall's parking lot so i tried to switch to EV mode and i got a small beep and "EV mode invalid" message in the MFD, ever since ive been trying all day to go into EV mode and i cant. The car is at normal temp, it isnt too hot nor too cold. While going to the malls parking lot i got the battery to full charge just before i arrived, i don't know if this could have anything to do with it...
Anyone have any ideas as to why this is happening? I'm kinda worried, i bought the car new about a month ago... I contacted the dealer and they we set an appointment, but the earliest they can recieve the car is in 2 weeks....

[brick]

The battery being full would do it. I'm not really sure why but it won't let you enter EV unless it's somewhere in the middle.

[ken1784]

Have you read the owner's manual about the EV mode?
There are a lot of conditions you can't enter EV mode.
FYI, following is a part of UK owner's manual.

In the "EV" drive mode, your vehicle runs like an electric vehicle, only using the electric motor driven via electricity which is stored in the hybrid vehicle battery. This mode is suitable for driving in residential areas in the early morning or in the middle of the night or in the covered parking lot because you do not have to worry about noise or exhaust gases.

Press the switch to turn on the electric motor power manually.

The indicator light in the instrument cluster comes on. Pressing the switch again will turn off this function and the indicator light.

Caution! The driver should pay full attentin around the vehicle especially when it is driven only by the electric motor (with the gasoline engine stopped). People in the immediate area might misjudge the hybrid vehicle movement based on the absence of the regular engine noise.

In the following conditions, the "EV" drive mode may not be turned on. In this case, the message appears I the multi-information display and a beep sounds.
-The hybrid system gets hot. (after the vehicle is left in hot weather, after driving on the slopes or high speed driving etc.)
-The hybrid system gets cold. (After the vehicle has long been left below 0oC (32oF).)
-During gasoline engine warm up
-The hybrid vehicle battery assembly charging level is 3 or lower.
-The vehicle speed is about 45 km/h (28 mph) or over
-The accelerator pedal is depressed strongly or on the slopes.
-The defroster is in use

Turning on in cold weather

When the engine is cold (for example early morning), it will start warming up about 10 seconds after the READY light comes on. During the warming up, the EV drive mode cannot be turned on. (The time before the engine starting varies depending on the temperature, air conditioning condition, etc.) To use the EV drive mode, press the switch before the engine starts.

In the following conditions, the "EV" drive mode may be automatically canceled whilst driving. In this case, a beep sounds and the "EV" drive mode indicator light flashes three times and then goes out.
-The hybrid vehicle battery assembly charging level is 2 or lower.
-The vehicle speed exceeds about 45 km/h (28 mph).
-The accelerator pedal is depressed strongly or on the slopes.

Although the available driving range differs depending on factors such as the hybrid vehicle charging level or air conditioning condition, it usually ranges from about several hundred metres to 2km (about 1.2 mile or less) when the vehicle speed is less than about 45km/h (28 mph).

As your vehicle is designed to have the best fuel economy during normal driving (driving in the combination of gasoline engine and electric motor power), frequent use of the "EV" drive mode may worsen fuel economy.

Ken@Japan

[uart]

Originally Posted by Tinbolas

Hi,

I have a 2009 prius, it came with EV switch factory installed (japanese version). Today i was driving the car normally like i always do, i was a mall's parking lot so i tried to switch to EV mode and i got a small beep and "EV mode invalid" message in the MFD, ever since ive been trying all day to go into EV mode and i cant. The car is at normal temp, it isnt too hot nor too cold. While going to the malls parking lot i got the battery to full charge just before i arrived, i don't know if this could have anything to do with it...
Anyone have any ideas as to why this is happening? I'm kinda worried, i bought the car new about a month ago... I contacted the dealer and they we set an appointment, but the earliest they can recieve the car is in 2 weeks....

I get exactly the same thing happen to me from time to time and I've never been able to figure out why. Not too hot, not too cold, SOC is in the correct range etc etc but still it gives me that "EV mode is invalid" error. It only happens every now and then. When I get back in the car the next day EV mode is alway back to working as usual.

In the following conditions, the "EV" drive mode may not be turned on. In this case, the message appears I the multi-information display and a beep sounds.
-The hybrid system gets hot. (after the vehicle is left in hot weather, after driving on the slopes or high speed driving etc.)
-The hybrid system gets cold. (After the vehicle has long been left below 0oC (32oF).)
-During gasoline engine warm up
-The hybrid vehicle battery assembly charging level is 3 or lower.
-The vehicle speed is about 45 km/h (28 mph) or over
-The accelerator pedal is depressed strongly or on the slopes.
-The defroster is in use

Thanks Ken for posting that list, it had one extra thing that I didn't already know about. I hadn't previously noticed the "defroster is in use" clause. Now just maybe I had accidently bumped the defroster on and not noticed it on those days when EV was "broken". I'll be sure to check for that one next time it happens.