1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

How long does it take to warm up?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Higgins909, Jul 27, 2019.

  1. Higgins909

    Higgins909 Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2018
    250
    57
    2
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    2010 174.5k~ Level 3 trim. How long it is supposed to take for it to warm up? It seems like when it "warms up" It gets better mpg and easier to coast and accelerate. However, this is often towards to end of my 20 minute drive. Doesn't seem to matter if it's summer or winter.
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    not that long. of course it depends on ambient air, but 5 minutes at the most i would say.

    you know when the engine shuts down and you can coast with it off, or it is off when you stop
     
    Bay Stater likes this.
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,474
    38,105
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    I think engine will shut off before it's completely warmed up? It'll shut off just at a full stop, say at red light, and as long as cabin heat requests are low. I'd call that partially warmed up; it still won't shut down if you lift off the throttle while moving. Bottom line, there's multiple stages of warmed up.

    We confuse ours too, with the block heater methinks.
     
    fuzzy1 and Bay Stater like this.
  4. Lovec1990

    Lovec1990 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2019
    74
    41
    0
    Location:
    Slovenia(EU)
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    i know im not helping, but gen 4 based on video bellow starts fully using electric motor after driving 0.7miles at 63°F outside temp, but said car was parked in garage with 72°F room temperature.

    Gen 3 should take longer, but i agree with @bisco up to 5min should be normal time in witch car should be able too use hybrid system fully

    Video:
     
    bisco likes this.
  5. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,038
    10,012
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Mendel Leisk and ice9 like this.
  6. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,768
    16,017
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    About 6-10 miles of city driving (shorter if you’re on the highway since it’s always on). Longer if it’s the winter.

    Yes, once it’s up to operating temperature, the mpg will rise. That’s why those of us trying to minimise the winter mpg hit will use an engine block heater to pre-heat the engine (electricity use is more efficient than gasoline to heat up the block when it’s cold outside), then block the lower grille/air dam (don’t block the upper grille) to reduce the cooling effect as you drive.
     
    Bay Stater and Mendel Leisk like this.
  7. Bay Stater

    Bay Stater Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2016
    534
    771
    0
    Location:
    Central Mass
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Usually about 5 minutes to warm up. A bit longer during the Winter months. You will know when the car can cruise on the traction battery.
     
    bisco, Raytheeagle and Mendel Leisk like this.
  8. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2017
    6,103
    4,032
    1
    Location:
    Wilkes Land
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    You all are fake news!!!

    I just drove 15 minutes no farther than 10 miles, all under 35mph. ICE was only 168F after the drive with bottom grill fully blocked, ambient temp was 79F 8am.
     
  9. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2017
    6,103
    4,032
    1
    Location:
    Wilkes Land
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Can a gen 1 member please post their warm up time also, it would soooo help us gen 3s
     
    #9 Grit, Jul 28, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2019
    Lovec1990 likes this.
  10. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,768
    16,017
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Yeah maybe actually helping out and finding that thread would be more productive to this thread?


    @Higgins909 , here's the Gen 3 warm up stages. It doesn't tell you how long it'll take but it'll tell you when you're in the different stages so that you can experiment with your commute/drive.

    Gen3 warming up stages | PriusChat
     
    Bay Stater and fuzzy1 like this.
  11. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,038
    10,012
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Don't the internal computers consider that as being fully warmed up? My other car (a Subaru) turns its cold-engine light off at about 140F. Its predecessor, with a needle temperature gauge, collapsed the whole temperature range of about 145-210F to a single gauge point as part of its 'customer expectation management'.

    Sure, it is not up to the thermostat setting that it reaches in standard flat highway speed conditions. But low speed city / suburban streets with plenty of ICE-auto-off time might never get higher than that.
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    final stage is only 70c, or 158f according to ken in tide's link above.

    and if the engine is as low as 60c, 140f, when you power up, it is already in the final stage
     
    Bay Stater likes this.
  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,474
    38,105
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    #13 Mendel Leisk, Jul 28, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2019
    Bay Stater, fuzzy1 and Grit like this.
  14. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2017
    6,103
    4,032
    1
    Location:
    Wilkes Land
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    That's a great guide. I wish he specify if it's warm up on driving city limits, stop and go, or heavy highway traffic to go along with the guide.
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,474
    38,105
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Steady highway speeds warm it up best I would guess. And/or sustained up-hill climbs. If you're going up any mountains I would take all grill block out for sure, any time of year.
     
  16. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2017
    6,103
    4,032
    1
    Location:
    Wilkes Land
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    I was being a pain on purpose because no one mentioned about elevation and long stretches of non-stop driving under 42 mph will affect warm up time also. That was this morning drive to the 1st grocery store, in fact its an descending hill that I begin on. I only pushed with ICE taking off from red lights and the rest was EV. Fully warmed up is 190 +, I came short of that temp even with the yesterday summer heat that stayed around.
     
  17. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,038
    10,012
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I seem to remember it being an Arduino-based predecessor to, or alternative for, the ScanGauge.

    ----
    Not yet sure if it is an Arduino, but it is mentioned on a Wikipedia page: OBDuino - Wikipedia

    Also used on the modded AeroCivic: Inexpensive MPG Modding | Hackaday
     
  18. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,768
    16,017
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
  19. wheezyglider

    wheezyglider Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2011
    247
    177
    0
    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    One interesting thing about those old Prius warmup stage threads - EGR was not even on the radar back then. Sometime after S4, (up to several minutes in non-freeway driving) the catalytic converter gets hot enough to allow the use of EGR. I consider that "fully warmed up" with maximum fuel efficiency possible only at that point. Call it S5?
     
    bisco likes this.
  20. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2017
    6,103
    4,032
    1
    Location:
    Wilkes Land
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    In my opinion, 190F+ is fully warmed up :eek: