Cool weather: focusing on how quickly the car unthaws itself.

I invested in a remote start that I use a lot in the winter. It is worth the few extra dollars you waste on gas.

 

Well you can drive vicariously through me... it was -18F this morning. The engine warms up fine but in ECO mode, it takes a bit of time to heat the cabin!

 

I invested in a block heater. It's really making difference. Since temps have finally dipped (though was 50 early last week) to teens. I will try to walk a few more days to train station but anymore snow / rain i'm driving...

 

+1 on the block heater. You're just the textbook case why Toyota makes them available. You may have to go into Canada to get it installed. US Toyota dealers don't know how to spell "block heater".

 

I find the Prius warms up quite fast if under load (speed at least 35 MPH or higher, but not highway speed). I'm told the GIII is even better. At idle it takes forever to warm it up when it's cold.

I took a 40 km trip in the city at varying speeds up to 100 km/hr at temps of -30C. It was quite nice in the car. The exhaust freezing on the road (from all the cars) was another matter.

 

Woo, CRISPY CRITTERS!! It's -30C out there now. Got to go get groceries. Fun fun fun.
At least the wind has dropped. It's -BRUTAL- at these temps. with a wind!

We've been spoiled this year. It's been hovering at freezing up to now. Everyone is complaining about how cold it is. Funny, as a -real- "cold snap" would get us down to -40C -without- wind chill factored in.

 

If I'm driving yes, Pearl does warm up reasonably fast. If I'm stopped at lights/traffic or crawling, no. It takes forever. I need to figure out a way to burn more fuel at lower efficiency to generate more heat.
Sitting in car shivering. Trying to stop teeth from chattering. Sitting in car with so many cloths on if I fell I wouldn't be able to get up.

I did drive Pearl about 30 km yesterday, with no problems. In the evening I took "Bruiser" (my FJ Cruiser) out to an amateur club event. It was parked for 5 hours at -32C. When I went to start it there was a slow cranking. Did start without trouble. Steering was very slow, shocks were very stiff. Lots of power was required to move it against the diff. oil. Yuck!
Pearl doesn't act like that. When "cold soaked" she just starts and goes, though the shocks do get stiff.
Oh, and it took a long time to warm up Bruiser. Pearl will be blowing toasty air after a few km. Taking Pearl to the club meeting tonight. She actually handles the cold better than the FJ.

 

New to the Prius. I am very impressed with how quickly it can heat the cab. I use the block heater and I have the grill blocked. I can still average 4.8L/100KM. Really looking forward to driving in warm weather.

 

Both grills have been blocked since late September. Last night it was warm! Only -20ish C.
The club meeting was about 10 km from home. Three hours of cold soak at that temp. and driving in the city with lights and traffic back home, Pearl began to warm up when I got home.
The coolant would reach 60C then I would have to wait at a light. Engine idling at 1000-1200 RPM, the coolant temp. would drop to 50C or even lower. The heater fan didn't start running on its' own until just before I got home (it starts at about 48C coolant temp). To keep the windows clear I had to use "defrost". Blowing nice cool air.

Ah, life in the "Great White North" (truer than you may know, as the series was shot here in Edmonton). It's colder in many places, so at least we can say we're not alone. Hello Winterpeg, Alaska, and others.

Hey, it was cold enough yesterday afternoon that the "paypass" dongle wouldn't work on the pump. But it worked in the station. They were not impressed that I purchased only $17 of fuel (half a tank to fill up). Don't like having the tank at half or lower in these conditions!

Oh, and to add to "information" not necessarily belonging in this thread, after filling up, resetting the MFD and driving to and from the meeting my MFD reads 8 l/100 km. That's guzzler territory!

 

EBH have their place for reasons already mentioned. I just hope everybody reading this thread and wondering about an EBH have their radiator blocked. The block is almost as useful as keeping windows up

 

Not all windshield washer fluid is the same, summer grade has much less alcohol in it and will freeze in very cold weather. Winter grade fluid fixes that problem and helps melt ice on the glass.

We had to drive yesterday in below 0 temps with wind chill around -30.
I had to wait in the car for about 45 minutes, so had the heat on.

The ICE would cycle on / off about every 5-10 minutes. I dont know if it was starting to maintain high enough coolant temp or to recharge the 12V battery, I suspect to maintain coolant temp.

I noticed that the traction battery state of charge remained the same while the engine was off and 12V coolant pumps and HVAC blower was running, so it looks like the car will not drain the traction battery to keep the 12V battery charged.
A bit different than I had thought, and I suspect leads to pretty rapid cycling of the 12V deep cycle battery. That kind of use may in part be why some 12V Prius batteries fail in 4 years.

 

I think you need to rethink what you saw. The inverter 12V system charger is supplying ALL 12V power when in "ready". The pumps etc. don't draw much power in comparison to the size of the traction battery. Think two very large "standard" 12V lead acid batteries for comparison to how much energy is in there. Monitor the 12V system voltage and you'll see it stays at a constant 13.8 to 13.9V. That means NO draw from the 12V battery.

 

Yup, the thermos and the "block heater" don't cut it here. A 400W block heater is a joke! It needs to be 1000W or bigger to make a difference. But I don't use it anyway. Just too much trouble. I set up the vehicle for real winter.

You're making it difficult to ignore the $28,000 offer for the GIII technology package from a local dealer!