Winter electric heating experiences with Gen 5 Prime

The only time the engine started at around freezing in EV mode is when I've put the direction in B Mode to go down a hill. Even after I put it back in D mode, the engine stayed on until I turned off the car. In the summer, the engine doesn't start in B mode while in EV.

 

Ok, I lied. I was finally able to get it to start with the remote. It required clicking twice for about a second and holding down a third time for probably 10 seconds. It seems to be really finicky. Once I get it down, I assume it will be more reliable than the application though.

 

I used to have a Renault Zoe back in 2015 which also had a heat pump. When that was at full tilt it sounded like a 747 taking off and I could feel vibrations through the pedals. It was unbelievably noisy both inside and outside of the car.

I will be interested to hear what your dealer says as to whether that is normal.

We have now been told the Gen 5 Prius is coming to the UK in PHEV form ....... I can't wait

 

On the heat pump noise, I have only heard the "buzzing" noise when it was in heat mode. I don't remember ever hearing it for AC--though cooling the car by 10' is a lot less temperature change than heating it by 30'. I also don't remember hearing it on the times when it was very moderate out and I turned the system to vent w/o AC and turned up the fan.

 

Ok, that's odd. The double click is by default to turn OFF the AC while holding for a few seconds is to turn it ON. Are you sure it wasn't already On and you simply turned it Off then back On again? Remember that you, for some reason only known to Toyota's engineers, can't remotely turn On the AC until 10 minutes has passed after you shutoff the car.

 

No clue if it's related, but I had a very loudly buzzing heat pump and now it's failed. Heat comes on if I'm in HV mode, but nothing in EV mode.

I had to go in for my 2nd key anyway, but irritating.

 

After a month of driving HV to stay warm, I finally got this into the shop. It needs a new compressor, which will be put in tomorrow. I'm wondering if this has anything to do with the buzzsaw sounds I heard when on and it cutting my miles/kwh from 4.5 to 2.5. I'll test and report back.

 

Buzzsaw sounds? Interesting. I assume that this was especially obviously bad sounding right? This is my first car with a heat pump (first experience with a heat pump at all actually) so I have zero clue whats normal sounds vs not normal sounds. Just curious what to listen out for and if this was "subtle" in a way someone new to the car could mistake, or something you could not mistake at all.

The heat works fine for me so I'm not worried now but very curious for my future self, as I've driven a lot of crappy cars over the years so I'm familiar with a lot of noises and what they mean for traditional engine operations, but not hybrids or PHEVs specific sounds.