Post your coldest cold starts!

[calm_bomb]

We've had similar positive experiences in Chicago, coldest temp around 1-5*F, ICE starts up fine. Electric only mode not available during short 15 minute drives, but no other issues. We love our 4xe.

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[rickinAZ]

Can't speak for cold weather, but mine started right up at 118° last summer.

 

[4xe Rubicon]

Last week it was 6F. Dash temp said 42F. Had a <3 mile drive to the school and back. Made it out of the garage and 0.7 miles down the road in Electric Mode on battery before the dash temp updated to 7F and the ICE kicked on and the engine raced at 1,500 rpm for NiTi while going <20mph in the school zone.
I can't think of a worse automated strategy for a vehicle.
Had it just left it alone, I could have just drove the 1.6 miles back home without it dumping gasoline into my oil because it chose to start the cold motor to. . . protect itself? But yes, it did get me back home so that is a win?

 

[RafaelK]

On Friday, I fully charged the Jeep then unplugged it for the night. The next morning I headed for the grocery store. It was 14F according to the Jeep, 15.8 according to my weather station. Jeep fired right up and started the gas engine. First 2-3 miles I was locked out of electric only mode while I assume the battery was pre-conditioning, then electric mode was available as usual.

We are going to have some colder mornings this week to try - down in the single digits. I'm curious if any real-world 4xe owners have had the Jeep not start without being plugged in.

My 4xe started at -11 F in the morning with battery fully used up from driving a day before. It was not plugged in.

 

[JollieOllie]

Remote start in -22c in Ottawa, but it never switched to electric once I started driving. That’s ok, that’s why I like hybrid over full electric, for now.

 

[MassMopar]

Remote start in -22c in Ottawa, but it never switched to electric once I started driving. That’s ok, that’s why I like hybrid over full electric, for now.

Was it plugged in ?

 

[JollieOllie]

Was it plugged in ?

No it was not. I had plugged it in overnight, started it early in the morning while plugged in and then ran some errands (while no longer plugged in ). I went to my son's place and was there for about 2 hours, not plugged in. Then I remote started it.

 

[BXFXJeep]

Looks like it would not run full electric from about below -10c(my experience, not sure if that is the exact cut off, or even if this is the way it was designed), probably the battery would deplete too fast to make economical sense vs running ICE, as it is the battery depletes quickly at around 0c.

After all we are still pushing around the same ole square box, and it's even heavier now. The cost for me driving electric at -10c is just a bit better than using gas, I'm guessing at -22c that battery would just evaporate

But again -22c etc isn't that common for me, and I can deal with those odd instances even if its 10% of the year.

So it makes sense, what is the use of it going full electric, when the battery can be better used to assist the ICE and smooth out the drive, again if that is the way it was designed to work.

Usually if it's below 0c, I would force the gas engine to run and warm up, especially if I will be doing a lot of driving that would use up almost all the battery, that way when the ICE kicks in it's already warmed up, I don't mind using gas, this is not an EV, it wasn't never designed to go pure electric.

 

[JollieOllie]

Here is my latest cold weather start test; it was cold!


Video

 

[CJ SCION]

Had a good cold weather test this evening:

• Temp 4 degrees F on weather app, 5 degrees on Jeep. Temp dropped to 0 degrees at mid point of trip.
• 55 minute drive with 10 minutes of idling in the middle, and 10 minutes of idling at end.
• Jeep started at 100% charge, and had been sitting in 46 degree F garage for two days.
• Climate control set to 68 degrees. Fan on low
• Seat heaters NOT on
• Steering wheel heat NOT on

Results:
Electric was usable for roughly the first two minutes after leaving the garage. After that, she realized how cold it was outside, and I was unable to use electric mode for the remaining 50+ minutes of trip. I would attempt it every few minutes, and would receive the message on the dash that it was temporarily unavailable, and it would kick me out to hybrid mode.

Electric went from 100% to 98% in first 2 minutes. Over the remaining 50+ minutes the electric range went from 98% to 70% - even though the vehicle was using ICE the entire time.

I guess I was hoping electric would be available after a reasonable warm-up period. But maybe at those temps, it just takes too much to keep the cabin and HVB up to temp?

I’ll try next time immediately after unplugging Jeep for better results.

Single digit starts here in Wisconsin, no issues. However the oil and gas refresh mode has been on and off non stop over the last month. Sometimes I can run electric, but so far 80-90% of my driving on the last month is all on the ICE engine. This is even with long trips over 30 minutes, etc. I think it’s just too cold

I see that the two members state the ICE is doing the work. I do not believe that to be accurate. In my opinion during colder temps, the ICE is primary and assisted by battery. Twice I have left home during below zero F temperatures. The Sahara leaves a heated garage with the ambient air temp on the radio showing +65 F degrees. Beginning the trip in Hybrid mode, only the battery is working. The ICE will engage when the ambient temperature falls to +10 F, and then it it works in its typical Hybrid mode with about a 65 ICE / 35 battery contributions.

 

[Jeeperz Kreeperz]

I see that the two members state the ICE is doing the work. I do not believe that to be accurate. In my opinion during colder temps, the ICE is primary and assisted by battery.

You may very well be right about that.

The confusion might be around how we’re describing what’s happening. For me anyway, when I said electric wasn’t available, I meant that when I pushed the button on the dash for that mode, I saw a message on the dash that basically said electric mode wasn’t available. However, my electric range dropped from 98% to 70% during the time that the electric mode was unavailable. What I don’t know is was that 28% of usage as a result of:

A. The ICE being assisted by battery in hybrid mode
B. The battery using up its own range to keep the battery and cabin temperature within optimal range
C. A combination of the A & B above

 

[GtX]

Cold starts used to be a diesel thing. Now it's the PHEV guys. You'all gonna roll coal next?

 

[CJ SCION]

For me anyway, when I said electric wasn’t available, I meant that when I pushed the button on the dash for that mode, I saw a message on the dash that basically said electric mode wasn’t available. However, my electric range dropped from 98% to 70% during the time that the electric mode was unavailable. What I don’t know is was that 28% of usage as a result of:

This too has been my experience. I do not know the threshold that prevents the electric mode from operating. Next time I leave, I will place the mode to electric and see where the ICE engages.

A. The ICE being assisted by battery in hybrid mode
B. The battery using up its own range to keep the battery and cabin temperature within optimal range
C. A combination of the A & B above

I am pretty sure the drop in battery percentage is due to assisting in propulsion. Normally in low temps (+30 F and lower), I like to begin the trip in Hybrid/manual trans. This engages the ICE which addresses the cabin and battery heating loads. Once the coolant is up to temp I switch to auto trans mode. Seems like I read somewhere that there is a heat exchanger (engine coolant/electric element) to address cabin and battery warming. Don't know if I have ever seen electric used for cabin heating in my usage.

 

[CJ SCION]

Last week it was 6F. Dash temp said 42F. Had a <3 mile drive to the school and back. Made it out of the garage and 0.7 miles down the road in Electric Mode on battery before the dash temp updated to 7F and the ICE kicked on and the engine raced at 1,500 rpm for NiTi while going <20mph in the school zone.
I can't think of a worse automated strategy for a vehicle.
Had it just left it alone, I could have just drove the 1.6 miles back home without it dumping gasoline into my oil because it chose to start the cold motor to. . . protect itself? But yes, it did get me back home so that is a win?

Left this morning with an outdoor ambient temp of -3F, display showing garage ambient at +61F. Immediately switched to electric mode and did not see ICE engage until the display reading dropped to +7F.

When using hybrid mode, the ICE engage occurs at +10F.

 

[Heimkehr]

Cold starts used to be a diesel thing.
Now it's the PHEV guys.
You'all gonna roll coal next?

The same thought came to mind when observing black exhaust exiting from Ollie's Jeep.

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