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About automatic start of ICE

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Priuus07, Dec 3, 2015.

  1. Priuus07

    Priuus07 Junior Member

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    Hello,
    I made a search here and in the google but didn't find a case like this.

    The other week, my Prius Gen 2 (year 2007) went to perform 165.000km service in a local Toyota garage.

    The car was ok until then, the main battery indicator never went below the blue bars.

    At the end of the day when I went to pic the car, it was brought to me. When I hit the starter button, the READY indicator come on, on P position, and the battery indicator showed the 2 purple bars. I found it strange and wait the ICE to start. But after waiting few minutes, it didn’t start and the purple bars reduced to 1 bar. If I hit the accelerator the ICE started showing indication of battery on charge (you know, yellow arrows to the battery). The moment I left the accelerator, the ICE stops even with 1 purple bar.

    While in the garage, I asked the Toyota technician.
    But I got no answer from him to “Why the ICE doesn’t start automatically to charge the “empty” battery ?”

    Do you know why or what can cause the ICE to don’t start automatically on this condition ?


    They only made a quick test to the "hybrid system" that result in everything ok.

    And after that I didn't bring the battery to such conditions of charge to test it.

    Thanks in adavance.
     
    #1 Priuus07, Dec 3, 2015
  2. 69shovlhed

    69shovlhed Surly tree hugger

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    the engine was probably fully warmed up, and the computer didn't see a need to charge the battery right then. most likely at some point during the service, they had the car on for a while and drained the battery. if it behaves normally over the next few days, don't worry about it.
     
    #2 69shovlhed, Dec 3, 2015
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    agreed. you'll need to do some more testing to see how it's working. find a quiet road where you can ev until the battery drops to two purple bars, and see at what point it comes on.
     
    #3 bisco, Dec 3, 2015
  4. andrewclaus

    andrewclaus Active Member

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    As I understand the hybrid system, under normal conditions the ICE will always start within (I think) seven seconds of entering "Ready" mode, earlier if demanded by the throttle position. This has always been the case with my car. But I hear some non-US cars are equipped with an "EV" mode that delays ICE start until minimum battery charge. Do you have that mode available in Portugal?

    What service did the shop perform? Could they have done something to affect an ECU?
     
    #4 andrewclaus, Dec 3, 2015
  5. Priuus07

    Priuus07 Junior Member

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    Thanks all for your answers

    andrewclaus:
    I can see that "my" ICE starts in the same conditions you refer in your answer : seven seconds of entering "Ready" mode, earlier if demanded by the throttle position.

    About the service they performed on the garage, when I made my question above, it was their first answer: "We didn't touch anything related with hybrid system".

    I found it strange but didn't want to argue. I suppose in any service at least they should check the hybrid system operation and management.
    I rather preferred to focus on "Why the ICE doesn't start now that the batteries are giving indication they accept charge?"

    Since then, the car has perfomed as before (no purple bars)

    I had not the opportunity to drain the battery, because the car doesn't allow it the way I usually drive it.
     
    #5 Priuus07, Dec 4, 2015
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