Another newbie question. What is happening when the MFD is showing the engine off but I can hear / feel the engine on. This usually happens in the morning (e.g. 30 F). Is the HV battery turning the engine? Is the engine actually burning gas? Thanks
welcome to PriusChat! The MFD is just showing the energy flow, and even if the ICE (internal combustion engine) is running it may not show any energy flow because it is not charging the HV battery. So no the HV battery is not turning the ICE, and the engine is using gas. The reason why the engine is running is it is completing the four stage warmup procedure.
I've noticed that as well. One of the reasons is to warm up the catalytic converter. These days with the colder weather my MFD shows green for the first few miles. Apparently the engine runs more during cold weather, at least until everything heats up.
