Question about temperature gauge for hybrid owners

[Potatman]

During winter my temperature gauge barely gets up to a third at best. Mostly hangs around a quarter to a third I was just wondering if other hybrid owners have the same readings on their temperature gauges. Mine is a 24 and I was just wondering?

Sponsored

 

[HeyBales]

Yep - unless doing highway only - but then wind cools things faster.

Stays at mid-point, where most seem to be, during those runs.

Otherwise, this and easily below.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

Pretty much, yes.

Just barely moving off the C corresponds to 120°F and is the minimum temperature to allow engine auto shutoff.

First mark is 155°F.

Almost but not quite straight down is 185°F and is "Normal" and is as far as the needle goes until you overheat.

It's somewhat linear until 180-185°F.
But then it does not move at all until higher than 230°F* which is also in the normal range.

So lesson here:

You get data from cold up until normal.
You do not get any additional data until you are in danger of overheat.

If your needle ever goes PAST straight down, backoff the throttle, slow down.
You are on the verge of overheat.

* Viewed with a ScanGuage

I've heard the needle jumps from normal to overheat all at once. Little warning. Dumb. But true.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

The needle (or bar chart) is distinctively for WATER (engine coolant).

There is no built-in gauge for the motor or generator or transmission or battery temperature. But you can see all of the above with the OBDII plug in scanner of your choice.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

P.S. you radiator cap is going to blow at a point a little above 250°F.

 

[Timothyd]

During winter my temperature gauge barely gets up to a third at best. Mostly hangs around a quarter to a third I was just wondering if other hybrid owners have the same readings on their temperature gauges. Mine is a 24 and I was just wondering?

That's the price of efficiency. You're only making heat when the ICE is running. Maybe run it a little harder or run the heater. Or, warm it up first. I think the ICE will start if you turn the key on with the throttle peddle down.

 

[HeyBales]

That's the price of efficiency. You're only making heat when the ICE is running. Maybe run it a little harder or run the heater. Or, warm it up first. I think the ICE will start if you turn the key on with the throttle peddle down.

Turn on.
Push pedal about 3/4s down.

Works any time the ICE is off.
But usually if it's off, it's going to turn right back off.

On initial startup - it now needs to warmup.
When it's cold, I do that while I'm doing seatbelt, radio, check neighborhood, ect, then gently take off.

 

[icegradner]

Yep - unless doing highway only - but then wind cools things faster.

Stays at mid-point, where most seem to be, during those runs.

Otherwise, this and easily below.

Exactly, these Atkinson cycle engines just don't generate a lot of heat, my Toyota hybrid was the same, compared to a traditional cycle. It really shows in cold weather if you use heat. Mine will also drop just sitting in stop and go traffic, without heat on during winter. Thank goodness for heated seats and steering wheel.

 

[Timothyd]

Exactly, these Atkinson cycle engines just don't generate a lot of heat, my Toyota hybrid was the same, compared to a traditional cycle. It really shows in cold weather if you use heat. Mine will also drop just sitting in stop and go traffic, without heat on during winter. Thank goodness for heated seats and steering wheel.

The hybrid needs to come with electric long underwear.

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

The hybrid needs to come with electric long underwear.

It does have an electric boost heater.

 

[HeyBales]

It does have an electric boost heater.

24 F this morning.
I tried to use those ceramic heaters - temp to Hi, fan speed 4, ICE running of course.
Didn't feel heat until the coolant temp was above minimum - so it was probably more from that.
So far haven't seen those 3 things work that great.

 

[22XLThybrid]

There's an electrical supplemental heater that will use a lot of electricity and force the ice engine to fire up more often making more heat and then it won't need the electric heater anymore once the engine is warm enough. That's the price of efficiency and that's why it's using full synthetic oil. You may also notice some goop forming in the oil filler cap if you don't drive it a whole lot. I tend to use the seed heater until the engine is warm because I'm super cheap and I'd rather be using the waste heat then the electric heater.

 

[icegradner]

24 F this morning.
I tried to use those ceramic heaters - temp to Hi, fan speed 4, ICE running of course.
Didn't feel heat until the coolant temp was above minimum - so it was probably more from that.
So far haven't seen those 3 things work that great.

It works best if you hit the Max Defrost button, but yeah the impact of the electric heater is minimal. I find the wiper park heat strip does more for defrosting than it. Too bad the newer trucks don’t have it anymore.

 

[Ponyprez]

My 23 Hybrid nearly all the time runs at two or three lights. If I am running hard with the A/C blasting at full and doing 70mph, it will hit four lights. Only one time did I ever hit five lights and that was with a fairly heavy load on a 105 degree day, going uphill in bumper to bumper heavy traffic with the A/C on. As soon as we hit 35mph it went back down to four.

 

[WJOHNM]

During winter my temperature gauge barely gets up to a third at best. Mostly hangs around a quarter to a third I was just wondering if other hybrid owners have the same readings on their temperature gauges. Mine is a 24 and I was just wondering?

Looking at mine now 38d just touching top of blue lts windy and cold with snow flurries.mine a 25 lariat hybrid.

Sponsored