Curious Message: More Economical Temperature Setting

That wasn't actually outside air.

The temperature must be set to "LO" for that.

60 was actually running the heat-pump.

 

You'd have gotten an atta boy message if you'd just had the AC system off.

It's gotten to warm here last few days to mess with it. I'm of the attitude right now of "just drive it" It's in ECO AC mode and I'm happy of that. I'm not going to sweat and be uncomfortable trying to get a great ECO score on the app. Just leads to unwanted anxiety. When I first got it I tried to use all the little hints it gave me, including the one you got mr88cet. The weather was a lot cooler and if anything I was guilty of running the heat without truly realizing it.

Like I said, I'm just driving it now. Funny thing is, my ECO score has actually gone up all around. (it couldn't have gotten any lower i guess)

 

You said you set it to 60*, I mean OFF OFF No fan or anything.

 

I got the same eco guidance at power off with AC off (temp set to LO while ambient temp was 80, my habit from driving 2014 PIP to keep its ICE off) and fan on. I think the message must be a mistake of Toyota because heat pump/AC should be inactive with AC being switched off even with the fan being on at this ambient temp.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Sometimes these cars can get a little confused. Occasionally, my Gen 4 will complain that the key is inside the car after I first enter to go someplace.
Huh??!

 

I am a bit confused. Are you saying that turning off A/C turns off the head pump? (yes, I know it is the same device) As I recall, there seems to be something lost in the translation from the Japanese; in the US, the term "air conditioning" refers to "cooling", but the Toyota documentation seems to use the term to refer to either active cooling OR heating.

 

I'm assuming the answer is yes, the heat pump and A/C are the same thing. If i turn the system off, then there is no indicator on the EV of the additional drain of the system. ie, it doesn't show the fan on the display. It boosts the mileage up accordingly.

 

One thing: in Owner's Manual, Toyota refers to any movement of air around the cabin as "air conditioning", regardless of (North American mindset) AC being on or not. Another: AC can be running "stealth", I know that's the case, sometimes, in heat/defog mode on a Canadian 3rd gen .

Ultimately, setting a cabin temp at 60F is asking for the moon, I would head the car's tip. Without AC 72F would seem a sweet spot, with AC 75F is good, in my experience.

 

I can pretty much guarantee that it would not occur to essentially all American drivers that turning off A/C would effect heating. To us, "A/C" is universally understood as "cooling", the usage in Toyota manuals notwithstanding.

 

So in the past, in the Prius, you had to both turn off A/C and set the temperature to LO to result in no heat, even if there is warm coolant available (that being the only source of heat before now)? I am not contradicting that; I guess I never did the experiment. Although with the PiP, I also turned the temp to LO to try to avoid the ICE kicking in when the outside temp was below 60F. I don't recall what I did with the A/C setting.

 

Just be thankful you new Prime guys have a heat pump

 

Another thing about the heat pump is that the temp setting does not seem to match with what I feel. Being frugal, I turn the AC on but set the temp to 80 and fan speed to be 4 when the outside was about 97. Even my 18yr old son who always want temp set at 72 said the air was cool enough for him.i am getting away with free lunch!

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

a frugal Prius owner? have never heard of that

 

I got the same message after hypermiling. Fan set to high, temp at low, recirc off, AC off. 140mpg and it tells me I could do better with a more reasonable temp setting. Remember that these devices are programmed by humans, and are not yet perfect. Don't worry though, we are working hard every day to remove the human from the loop. One day we will succeed, and it will most likely be our greatest failure.