Switching Gears During Warm-Up

The engine can start in any gear except Neutral. Startup
while in reverse is often a bit rougher; the rearward torque
on the large electric motor probably has something to do with
that since it's less able to compensate agaist starting torque
from the *other* motor as it spins the engine. Sometimes if you
shift just at the right/wrong time you get a little bit of a race
condition, i.e. the hybrid controller goes to fire up the engine
and is just starting to torque the motors but then you slap it
into Neutral before startup is complete, and the HV controller
is like "oops, cancel that" but you still feel a lurch as the
engine goes around once and the stops again.
.
No harm done either way. The whole system is really good at taking
care of itself.
.
_H*

 

I live at the top of a very steep driveway. I try to plan my trip during the last few miles to run the battery down as much as possible, since the next morning the ICE will have to run to warm up the car and charge the battery as a by product - net result is a few more mpg.

Anyway, I always back up the very steep driveway. As you may know, the ICE doesn't provide power when in reverse, only one of the motor generators. Since my battery is low, frequently the ICE will kick in when I'm backing up - it recharges the battery via one of the motor generators as the other motor generator drives the car in reverse. I don't understand all the engineering, but it's cool and it doesn't hurt anything.

Daniel

 

A word of caution: don't rush when backing up, and don't put yourself in the position of needing to back up as soon as you start the car. If you put yourself in the least aware driving mode, and then rush it, you're likely to end up regretting it sooner or later.

The Prius takes care of itself just fine, and since there are no gears to shift, you don't have to worry about grinding them or breaking anything.

 

Ok thanks...but there's no rush..I'm just creeping/rolling out my garage..in EV..very slow. I thought that was one of the best features of the EV switch mod? Run EV in minor ways. It just annoys me to run the ICE for 20 seconds..then shut the car off to load up..then re-start back up. My way I get in..ICE starts and runs till warm up.
And wasn't worrying about grinding gears or breaking anything.Not sure where you got that from but thanks anyway for your concern.

 

The grinding/breaking comment was directed at the OP since they were asking if they could do harm by "shifting" during ICE start. No, they can't.

And you don't need to tell me the benefits of EV for moving the car only a few feet. You'll note in my sig that I have an EV button to help me take care of that Not that I'm recommending that mod... It's certainly an "at your own risk" sort of mod to make.

 

Thought your statement about grinding gears was to me since you quoted my post. Also I was not telling you the benefits of the EV mode. I did see your OEM EV listed thats why I was asking (see question mark at the end of my sentence) about the benefits of the EV mode.

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound argumentative, so don't get defensive Yes moving the car short distances without starting ICE is one of the key benefits of the EV mod.

But nothing, not even the EV mod will prevent the OP from gear-grinding when his ICE starts while in reverse... because there's nothing to prevent!