Should I feel the Engine Kick on and off?

TimeFor · 10-20-2004, 04:47 PM

When I come to a stop I can feel the whole car softly vibrate for a sec and then the motor shuts off. But some times after the display shows the motor off, the car softly vibrates for a long time... Almost the whole time I'm stopped. Its almost like the engine is trying to turn off but can't.

I don't know how the Prius system works so I don't know if this is normal or not... But It doesn't feel right.

Second... the Gas motor seems to kick on very quickly. Like at 8-9 MPH, regardless of how hard I push the pedal down. Its quite hard to keep it only on electric even at speeds of under 10 MPH. I thought the electric motor only came on at that speed under hard acceleration. or to charge the battery. But my batt is almost always over 1/2 full. Shouldn't the battery take me up to 25-30 MPH before the motor kicks in?

**efusco** · 10-20-2004, 04:48 PM

Newer car, right? It's normal, gets better with time and is more noticable in cooler weather.

TimeFor · 10-20-2004, 04:55 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco\";p=\"46212)</div>

Quote:

Newer car, right? It's normal, gets better with time and is more noticable in cooler weather.[/b]

The car has under 300 miles on it. But would this effect how the gas motor comes on so early. I'm kind of disappointed in my gas mileage this first tank. The dealer didn't charge the battery when I picked it up. I'm already down to two bars left and I only got 290 miles on this tank. At the rate its going I wont break 350. And I have been driving it cautiously. AC only ½ the time, and keeping it under 70.

**efusco** · 10-20-2004, 05:02 PM

Read This

You're making me laugh...300 miles...come back after 3000 and lets chat. You're doing fine. They never 'charge the battery' at the dealer...there are only a few actual chargers in the US. There's so much to learn about technique and most of us are convinced the ECU is programmed to operate the car differently the first several hundred (?thousand) miles. Stealth is not an objective, it's a side effect. All will get better in time.
--evan

Driftwood05BC · 10-20-2004, 06:07 PM

Also, make liberal use of the cruise control -- I've found, driving out of/into my neighborhood I'll be running the engine until I flip on cruise control at 25 MPH and take my foot off the accellerator. Goes immediately to all electric unless the engine is still warming up. It's very effective. I usually gain back 0.2-0.5 MPG on the average consumption display as I stealth into home...

Peter+

IsrAmeriPrius · 10-20-2004, 06:23 PM

In my experience, just under 1,100 miles, I rarely get the stealth mode on initial acceleration from a standing stop. After I get up to about 35 MPH and remain at that speed, if the engine is warm and the battery charge is right, the ICE will turn itself off and the car will be propelled strictly by the electric motor.

betshsu · 10-20-2004, 07:09 PM

This post makes me wonder if there's a difference in how the Prius breaks-in if you drive it for a long distance right away. I picked up my car on Friday, and it already has 1200 miles on it 'cause we drove it from Nashville to Austin. We didn't do anything to be mileage-friendly (ie, we were driving at 75 MPH with the AC on) and got 44-45 MPG. Easily over 400 miles on the first tank (maybe more... I didn't want to risk of being on 1 bar for very long with the scarcity of gas stations and not having experience with the "guess gauge"). Now that I'm back to city driving, I don't really notice the transition when ICE goes on and off, and the car does cycle into electric only on its own. I think I agree with 10132003, that initial acceleration generally requires ICE and then the car will decide whether to go into electric only or not.

ken1784 · 10-20-2004, 11:05 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TimeFor\";p=\"46211)</div>

Quote:

But some times after the display shows the motor off, the car softly vibrates for a long time... Almost the whole time I'm stopped. Its almost like the engine is trying to turn off but can't.[/b]

I guess you were in "Stage 3" defined on the following FAQ article.
http://www.priuschat.com/forums/kb.php?mod...de=article&k=14

Regards,
Ken@Japan

john1701a · 10-20-2004, 11:17 PM

Electric-Only acceleration should not be an objective. That is not an efficient choice. Instead, take advantage of the gas engine. Save stealth (electric driving) for maintaining a cruise.

As for what you feel, patience. Break-In takes at least 7,500 miles. Also, note that once the engine stops, the coolant pumps continues for a little bit. Later, you'll feel that shut off too.

bruceha_2000 · 10-21-2004, 01:09 PM

Quote:

When I come to a stop I can feel the whole car softly vibrate for a sec and then the motor shuts off. But some times after the display shows the motor off, the car softly vibrates for a long time... Almost the whole time I'm stopped. Its almost like the engine is trying to turn off but can't.

The display does NOT show when the engine is running, only the power flow. It can be running but not sending power anywhere. It will do this at a stop when the battery SOC is fine but the engine is not warmed up enough.

Quote:

I don't know how the Prius system works so I don't know if this is normal or not... But It doesn't feel right.

Something to get used to. I have about 850 on mine now. Sometimes the engine shutoff is almost unnoticeable, other times there is more vibration. - The stage 3 Ken mentioned.

Quote:

Second... the Gas motor seems to kick on very quickly. Like at 8-9 MPH, regardless of how hard I push the pedal down. Its quite hard to keep it only on electric even at speeds of under 10 MPH. I thought the electric motor only came on at that speed under hard acceleration. or to charge the battery. But my batt is almost always over 1/2 full. Shouldn't the battery take me up to 25-30 MPH before the motor kicks in?

As noted elsewehere - normal. This is not an electric car. You can creep up in speed on battery alone on level surfaces with no one to annoy behind you but any attempt at anything close to even slow normal accelleration will kick the ICE on. "Just drive it" :-)

I admit, I do get frustrated when I know I should be able to go electric only, and have been, then the ICE starts up as I go up a slight incline and it won't go back to stealth when I'm back on the flat even when I lift off the accellerator to no arrows, then push gently again expecting electric only to maintain speed.

10-20-2004, 04:47 PM	#1
TimeFor Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Fullerton, CA Posts: 162 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Should I feel the Engine Kick on and off? When I come to a stop I can feel the whole car softly vibrate for a sec and then the motor shuts off. But some times after the display shows the motor off, the car softly vibrates for a long time... Almost the whole time I'm stopped. Its almost like the engine is trying to turn off but can't. I don't know how the Prius system works so I don't know if this is normal or not... But It doesn't feel right. Second... the Gas motor seems to kick on very quickly. Like at 8-9 MPH, regardless of how hard I push the pedal down. Its quite hard to keep it only on electric even at speeds of under 10 MPH. I thought the electric motor only came on at that speed under hard acceleration. or to charge the battery. But my batt is almost always over 1/2 full. Shouldn't the battery take me up to 25-30 MPH before the motor kicks in?

10-20-2004, 05:02 PM	#4
efusco Troll Slayer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nixa, MO Posts: 14,254 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: #9 Nominated 1 Time in 1 Post TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 24	Re: Should I feel the Engine Kick on and off? Read This You're making me laugh...300 miles...come back after 3000 and lets chat. You're doing fine. They never 'charge the battery' at the dealer...there are only a few actual chargers in the US. There's so much to learn about technique and most of us are convinced the ECU is programmed to operate the car differently the first several hundred (?thousand) miles. Stealth is not an objective, it's a side effect. All will get better in time. --evan

10-20-2004, 07:09 PM	#7
betshsu Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 299 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Re: Should I feel the Engine Kick on and off? This post makes me wonder if there's a difference in how the Prius breaks-in if you drive it for a long distance right away. I picked up my car on Friday, and it already has 1200 miles on it 'cause we drove it from Nashville to Austin. We didn't do anything to be mileage-friendly (ie, we were driving at 75 MPH with the AC on) and got 44-45 MPG. Easily over 400 miles on the first tank (maybe more... I didn't want to risk of being on 1 bar for very long with the scarcity of gas stations and not having experience with the "guess gauge"). Now that I'm back to city driving, I don't really notice the transition when ICE goes on and off, and the car does cycle into electric only on its own. I think I agree with 10132003, that initial acceleration generally requires ICE and then the car will decide whether to go into electric only or not. __________________ Tideland 2005 BC/#6 as of 15 Oct 2004; Costal Tech EV CC switch and Nav override (given up for adoption to the in-laws on 25 Sept 2005) Silver Pine Mica 2006 NL/#7 as of 13 August 2006; this one was unplanned! Buying a Prius is like having a baby... you wait and wait and never know exactly when it is going to arrive or what it will look like.

10-20-2004, 11:17 PM	#9
john1701a Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,720 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: Pioneer #3 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 3	Re: Should I feel the Engine Kick on and off? Electric-Only acceleration should not be an objective. That is not an efficient choice. Instead, take advantage of the gas engine. Save stealth (electric driving) for maintaining a cruise. As for what you feel, patience. Break-In takes at least 7,500 miles. Also, note that once the engine stops, the coolant pumps continues for a little bit. Later, you'll feel that shut off too.

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10-20-2004, 04:48 PM	#2
efusco Troll Slayer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nixa, MO Posts: 14,254 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: #9 Nominated 1 Time in 1 Post TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 24	Newer car, right? It's normal, gets better with time and is more noticable in cooler weather.

10-20-2004, 06:07 PM	#5
Driftwood05BC Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Santa Clara, CA Posts: 26 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Also, make liberal use of the cruise control -- I've found, driving out of/into my neighborhood I'll be running the engine until I flip on cruise control at 25 MPH and take my foot off the accellerator. Goes immediately to all electric unless the engine is still warming up. It's very effective. I usually gain back 0.2-0.5 MPG on the average consumption display as I stealth into home... Peter+

10-20-2004, 06:23 PM	#6
IsrAmeriPrius Progressive Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 4,335 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	In my experience, just under 1,100 miles, I rarely get the stealth mode on initial acceleration from a standing stop. After I get up to about 35 MPH and remain at that speed, if the engine is warm and the battery charge is right, the ICE will turn itself off and the car will be propelled strictly by the electric motor.