Heating issues and engine wear.

[Hotsauce]

I am interested in getting a prius, however living in western NY it gets cold, very cold. I am concerned about maintaining a proper temp in sub 0 weather.

Also, if the engine cuts off and on, how does it sustain proper or improper wear on the internals of the motor. If it is constantly turning off and cooling down, this cannot be good for the motor.

The salesmen really had no explanation other than there are cars with 200,000 miles on them and the motors are fine. I am a bit more technical than that.

Thanks in advance.

[Bobsprius]

Hotsauce,

As I stated in a earlier Post, I too am from Buffalo. I traded a 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid for the 2010 Prius - V. The ICE runs off and on to maintain temps. It was no different in my Honda Civic. All Priuses cycle off and on no matter what the climate. Sure you may get some more cycling in our cold weather, but with the new redesign of the Exhaust Gas module to warm the engine sooner would only help.

I don't think you should see or have any extra wear as a result. I have found with my 2010 already that the temps are much warmer in this car than in my Honda Civic. Plus I got the Leather heated seats which were not available in the Civic, particularily due to our climate here in Buffalo.

I have not heard of in all the Prius history of any issues with the engine cycling causing undue wear on the engine. It's just the way they were designed. In my 2002 Prius I had no problems as well.

I am sure there will be a more technical post coming but remember the car cycles even in warm climates, and the car engine does not cool down to a point where it's any issue.

[Hotsauce]

Does the water pump run off the motor or is it electrical where the coolant is constantly flowing?

[Bobsprius]

Originally Posted by Hotsauce

Does the water pump run off the motor or is it electrical where the coolant is constantly flowing?

Hotsauce,

There are no BELT driven components in the 2010. The Water Pump, A/C etc are all Electric Driven. One of the best features is to not have to deal with a belt, even a serpentine, this car Rocks! I live in Cheektowaga and if you want to arrange some time to meet and I can explain and show you some of the fine features of the model I have bought. I am willing to help in any way to answer your questions....

PM me if interested.

[Bobsprius]

Hotsauce,

QBEE42 had a good post which I thought you may find informative and have copied it below for you to read:

The Prius A/C system has some special features:

1) Electrically driven direct drive variable speed sealed A/C compressor (no belts or seals, and runs only at the required speed).

2) Fully automatic operation, including solar and humidity sensors.

3) Electrical heater elements for fast warm up on very cold days.

The electrical elements only come into play if you crank up the heat on a cold day. They aren't big, but they do help provide heat quickly.

[David Beale]

The engine doesn't run under load when starting and stopping, and starts at over 1000 RPM (meaning there is oil pressure when fuel is injected) so there are no wear issues. The starting is done with one of the motor/generators (MG1) which is a 20HP unit running off 550V three phase power produced from the 200V battery by the inverter.

Cabin heat comes from the engine. The two 400W electric heating elements don't have much effect in northern winters. The engine heats up fast, but you have to drive to get that. After two to three blocks at 70km/hr (around 45 MPH) I get piping hot air out of the vents. If you try to warm it up just idling, it takes quite a while, because the engine is very efficient. Note that I'm in Edmonton Alberta, quite far north, and the car is nice even in very cold weather (-20 to -40C). There are no starting issues with that much power in the starter system.

The engine won't run to warm up unless the A/C system is on and calling for heat. So beware of that. When you stop, the engine will usually shut off (to save fuel) but if the system is calling for heat and the coolant temp. drops below about 63C the engine will run. The coolant pump in the 2010 is electrically driven, but I'm not sure if it will run when the engine is stopped by the hybrid system at a light. My GII still blows hot air when stopped at lights (its' coolant pump is belt driven), so I suspect the 2010 will too. We'll all find out in a month or two.

[tumbleweed]

A couple of additional facts that might help alleviate your concerns:

1. the motor that drives the water pump is a variable speed AC motor and the speed is varied to control engine temperature

2. the engine coolant is routed through pipes around the exhaust system after the second catalytic converter to speed warm up.

Temperature here was below freezing this morning for the first time this year and I too noticed the car warmed up rather quickly. You can buy an engine block heater at the PC Shop on this site for less than $60 and plug it in for a couple of hours before you start out in the morning which will help your winter mileage. I have one but I haven't installed it yet.

[Hotsauce]

Very informative, much more than the salesmen at the dealer. I thank you for your posts.

[john1701a]

-20°F was no big deal.



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[bwilson4web]

Originally Posted by Hotsauce

I am interested in getting a prius, however living in western NY it gets cold, very cold. I am concerned about maintaining a proper temp in sub 0 weather.

Also, if the engine cuts off and on, how does it sustain proper or improper wear on the internals of the motor. If it is constantly turning off and cooling down, this cannot be good for the motor.

Many of us use radiator blocks in the cool weather to help preserve heat. But the ZVW30 has this unique feature:



Those pipes come from a heat exchanger in the exhaust and provide hot coolant during engine warm-up. This rapidly brings the engine coolant to operating temperature. Then there is the option of adding a block heater.

Here is a photo of the belt-less, electric water pump:


GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson