2018 Prius Prime - Remote Engine Start

No, you don't need to have the car sit on idle to warm-up the engine. The engine warms up while you are driving. In case of PRIME, it will happen when ICE first starts that maybe 15 min after you started driving, or if your drive is short enough to be covered all by EV, then engine warm-up will not happen at all.

 

Yes. And the more quickly the engine warms up the more quickly it becomes efficient. This is why it's best to drive it while it warms up, so it will warm up more quickly. When the engine is warming, typically more fuel is injected to get the catalytic converter up to temperature.

 

During this "warm up", the system operates so that essentially no power is transmitted from the ICE to move the car, whether you are moving or not. The ICE is operated at no load at a programmed RPM until a certain coolant temperature is achieved. If you are driving, the system will use the electric motor, dipping into the "HV" capacity if necessary, regardless of whether you have EV or HV set. It really tries hard to not put load on the ICE until it is warm. But you don't have to just sit still waiting for the ICE to warm up. The only reason for running the ICE before you get in the car is to warm the cabin for you. The system will take care of warming the ICE.

 

try googling 'should i let my engine warm up before driving'. very informative

 

Now, we are finally getting somewhere. You made the assumption that "warm up" for a traditional vehicle is the same thing as "warm up" is for a hybrid. It is not.

For a traditional vehicle, the term "warm up" means to get the engine up to a temperature with enough heat so that the output of the propulsion system is normal. A cold system will be sluggish. Engine oil, engine coolant, and steering fluid all work better when there's some radiant heat energy circulating through the propulsion system.

That same definition most definitely doesn't apply to a hybrid like Prius. It uses 0W-20 synthetic oil in an engine designed for rapid heat distribution. The steering doesn't even have fluid, since it's electric. Most power provided during the initial operation of the engine comes from the electric traction-motor too. In other words, none of that heat is needed for driving.

The "warm up" with respect to Prius is related to the emission system. For the catalytic-converter to cleanse emissions thoroughly, it must have heat to make the chemical conversion to take place... hence "gasoline engine may not stop" mention in the manual. Remember, cleaner emissions than traditional vehicles is a priority for Toyota's hybrid system. Engine warmth is used for that, but is clearly not necessary for propulsion.

So, what you see in the manual is a misunderstanding. For Prius to be cleaner than traditional vehicles, it requires heat from the engine... hence the "warm up" mention.

 

Synthetic.

 

Yes

 

look at your manual and oil fill cap.

 

huh

 

Our resident guru @john1701a always comes up with the perfect explanation.

 

Idk if you got an answer to this yet, but in case you didn’t, you can install a remote start in the prime. I’ve had one for awhile now. In order to work, the car can’t be plugged in. We also toggled the HV switch that way it would work in low temps. I either didn’t charge during the winter, or just unplugged my charger before bed to accommodate for these issues. If you have any questions I’d be glad to point you in the right direction.

 

what do you mean by 'toggled the hv switch'?

 

I disagree with the above statement. My personal experience is that if there is no charge available then remote starter will not work. It is extremely convenient to defrost the windshield screen, if you heatup and defrost using remote starter. It saves atleast 15 to minutes of scraping in morning.

 

"if there is no charge available" means 0% indicated on the traction battery? Even at that level there is enough in the traction battery to start the ICE.

 

You cannot, since the comment was actually about being plugged in, not the charge. Notice the word "cord" was overlooked.