Winter Cover Pays Off and allows electric mode in the cold

[Tyler-98-W68]

With all the cold temperature logging done I decided to go and take a drive and see what would happen. Surprisingly enough I got electric mode to work.

I decided to drive out to my trailer at my lake lot and see how everything was with the 2 recent snow storms we’ve had.

I drove in E-Save Charge mode and after about 10 minutes I figure I would try electric mode, it would give me EMU, a few minutes later I tried again and I was able to drive in electric mode. Ambient temperature as displayed by the gauge was -11c actual outdoor temperature was -15c. The temperature then dropped a bit to -13c but I was able to drive in electric mode without any issues.

This is where things get weird, after being able to drive in electric mode I put the vehicle in to E-Save mode again and kept driving. My battery was in the 70’s % state of charge. E-Save mode worked like Hybrid mode, at low speeds the engine was off driving in electric mode, if I was stopped I was in electric mode, the only time I could get the engine to stay on ALL the time was if the shifter was in the manual shift mode. I’ve NEVER seen this behavior. I was in E-Save battery charge, and other than when the battery gets above 90% state of charge E-Save always had the engine running no matter what, so that was interesting.




After I stopped at the lake and was driving slower, the heat from the engine bay (thanks winter cover) started making the ambient temperature sensor read higher than it really was outside.

Circling back to the electric mode operation. If other systems in the vehicle are "warm enough" it appears you can utilize electric only mode, but tricking the temperature sensor when other parts of the vehicle are too cold won’t make it run in electric only mode.

Sponsored

 

[misanthropic789]

This is all interesting information, but I have to admit I put mine in hybrid and leave it there. I get fewer total electric miles than during the summer, but frankly the ICE didn't kick on until I punched it to get the speed up to highway speeds. It was in the 20sF this AM (below 0c)

I guess I am wondering what the goal here is. Are you trying to get more miles out of the electric system? What does oil temp have to do with that?

 

[Tyler-98-W68]

I don't use hybrid ever, unless the battery is <1%.

A few reasons, the Hybrid mode will kick on the ICE when a bunch of parameters are met or not met. Electric only allows electric mode unless you are really getting on the gas.

HVAC settings can trigger the ICE, and in some cases in places where it's colder cause FORM

 

[gtojon]

Blocked my grille 3 weeks ago & recently moved the sensor down behind the bumper so I get close to ambient reading. You might want to do that. Surprised they didn't put louvers in the grille & still haven't.

Cheers, Jon

 

[Tyler-98-W68]

I don't want to move my temp sensor, because where it is it gets residual heat off the engine bay, moving it down farther may not allow that type of heat "soak" so to speak. I prefer the cover as it nearly seals the grill off from the engine bay

Sponsored