Engine cutting in frequently when temperature is below +10C

I'm wondering if anyone else's PHEV is also having the engine cutting in when the outside temperature hits +9C or below?
I'm finding it intensely annoying, because it's not just when starting up the car for the first time, it then proceeds to cut in throughout the journey, even though the batteries have way over half charge left.
I've had this car since the end of June. It's been wonderful - no issues (other than the weird bluetooth thing for a while). And petrol consumption has been low (done some long Journey so it has been used).
To be honest, if I had known that this would happen, I probably would not have bought the car... It makes winter driving way more expensive than it needs to be.

Any advice please.

Ambient temperature has a major impact on these cars, when it's properly cold you could see you EV range drop by as much as a third, depending on your use of the heater, lights, HRW etc.

I have had my car a little over 7 months and have enjoyed well over 19,000 miles - it is a company car and I travel all over the country - mostly with the car doing its thing without me even bothering to notice. Bearing in mind these cars weigh around 1800Kg, and aren't xactly aerodynamic, 35 mpg is pretty good. My 12 mile, fully charged, trip home from the office, is never less than 850mpg as the ICE only kicks in for about 500 yards.

May I ask, which version of the PHEV do you have, what's your commute and daily mileage average, whereabouts in the country are you and what do you class as 'a long journey'? This information will help others on here offer their advice.

There has been a lot of discussion here about not being able to "force" the car to use EV mode under the driver's control rather than the software - which the 2017 models seems to finally allow.

However, in your scenario, it is the difference between inside and outside temperatures which triggers the engine rather just the outside. The higher you have the heating set the "earlier" the ICE will cut in to preserve battery capacity (the car doesn't know how far you intend to travel) If you reduce it to the 15.5c minimum this should solve your problem - certainly until the weather gets much colder

Ah... I wasn't aware that it was the difference between the external and internal temperatures that determines ICE activity. That would explain it as I have had the temperature up over 20C when it's just 8C outside.

Would be awesome if the software that's on the 2017 model could be utilised in the 2016 model.

If you're not running a GX3 model, you can pre-heat via the phone app, which uses electric only.

I agree that it would be nice if enhancements to the control software in the new model (whenever it appears), including a possible 'EV only' mode, could be retrofitted via a software update. But I wouldn't count on it. It doesn't seem to be part of the Asian mindset - I've ceased using Samsung phones (excellent hardware) because Android software updates are long delayed and cease altogether after a couple of years.

Should the eco modo sort of force to stay in EV mode?

I just made my final test of battery status before confirming to by a used 2014 PHEV

It was quite cold in the test, but once disabled the ac and put temp to only 18deg, we managed over 40km driving 60% 70/80kmh between villages and the rest 50kmh in villages

Outside tenp was aroubd 12deg

Going to get my PHEV in this week, having 20km only daily trip I hope to use it 99% in EV mode

Here in winter can be up to -25deg... Will be interesting to see how will work, clearly I will program heating in the morning just before my drive

Set heating low, enable seat warming and steering warming, no ice kicking in for me

ECO mode restricts the systems to reduce available performance, it is not an EV only switch. I tried it during my first week of ownership (1000 miles) and have never touched the button since.

I appreciate that a lot of us can turn on heated seats, and a good number have a heated steering wheel, but one does not drive a £35,000 to £45,000 car and not heat the air inside when it's cold just to get another mile or two out of the battery.

Can you imagine the conversation "sorry kids, wrap up really warm to sit in the back of Dad's lovely big car because I don't want to use any petrol on this damp, frosty morning, so won't be putting the heating on!"

Just be comfortable and let the car do its thing, life's too short to worry about it

Steel188 said:

ECO mode restricts the systems to reduce available performance, it is not an EV only switch. I tried it during my first week of ownership (1000 miles) and have never touched the button since.

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ECO mode remaps the throttle and it sets the A/C unit to be more energy efficient and less effective. It does not reduce available power.

Steel188 said:

life's too short to worry about it

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"It" being the environment? :mrgreen: Interesting. Especially as you appear to have kids ....

ECO mode also slightly lowers the point at which the engine is started for heating, and also (very slightly) the SOC where it starts to charge. Or perhaps it's just a delay in the latter case.

If the engine starts, press ECO and see if it's helps after 30 second or so. If the engine is cold it will run a while regardless of what you do though.

karl said:

..., and also (very slightly) the SOC where it starts to charge. Or perhaps it's just a delay in the latter case.

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This would be a new insight. How would you know, with only 16 bars in the display? Or do you use tools to reveal the real SOC? I do use such tools and have never noticed a difference between ECO and NORMAL mode. I have noticed significant differences depending on speed though.

Steel188 said:

ECO mode restricts the systems to reduce available performance, it is not an EV only switch. I tried it during my first week of ownership (1000 miles) and have never touched the button since.

I appreciate that a lot of us can turn on heated seats, and a good number have a heated steering wheel, but one does not drive a £35,000 to £45,000 car and not heat the air inside when it's cold just to get another mile or two out of the battery.

Can you imagine the conversation "sorry kids, wrap up really warm to sit in the back of Dad's lovely big car because I don't want to use any petrol on this damp, frosty morning, so won't be putting the heating on!"

Just be comfortable and let the car do its thing, life's too short to worry about it

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My kids wear their coats in the car for short winter journeys for that exact reason. I use preheat and if it's a longer journey the heating goes on when I put the ice on using charge or save. It drives me crazy when OH is with me and he puts the heating on - such a wuss!

Steel188 said:

ECO mode restricts the systems to reduce available performance, it is not an EV only switch. I tried it during my first week of ownership (1000 miles) and have never touched the button since.

I appreciate that a lot of us can turn on heated seats, and a good number have a heated steering wheel, but one does not drive a £35,000 to £45,000 car and not heat the air inside when it's cold just to get another mile or two out of the battery.

Can you imagine the conversation "sorry kids, wrap up really warm to sit in the back of Dad's lovely big car because I don't want to use any petrol on this damp, frosty morning, so won't be putting the heating on!"

Just be comfortable and let the car do its thing, life's too short to worry about it

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Definitely! My first car had no working heater and I had to drive round in three pullovers and thick gloves - but that was an old wreck bought for fifty quid when I was a student. These days I pay £35k and do not expect to go back to the way I was driving forty-odd years ago!

Steel188 said:

but one does not drive a £35,000 to £45,000 car and not heat the air inside when it's cold just to get another mile or two out of the battery.

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But you might, if you only paid £28k for a GX3h (i.e. no electric heater) and as, anko points out, want to NOT produce any inner city pollution - like me :mrgreen: And on my short 6 miles commute, the car is unlikely to get warm from the ICE anyway :lol:

Preheat is a must, didn't get this far up the evolutionary scale to get into a cold car. Even j our second car warms up after 300 feet. Had a diesel once and that took miles to get warm.

Not sure about the heated steering wheel but the Mrs has Raenards disease so its a benefit for her.

Hypermiller

All things are relative, for a really short journey coats may be OK, but it depends on your definition of short and the destination comes into play as well.

If I'm going to watch No2 son play rugby, then I will keep the interior cooler as I will be wearing thermals etc, with coats and hats in the boot, in preparation for 2 hours on the touch line. However, if the destination is the enclosed car park of a heated shopping centre, then a jumper or light body warmer would be more than enough so the temperature is lifted a little.

My car is on a 35,000 mile pa contract, so I consider anything less than 100 miles as 'not very far' but equally I wouldn't think twice if I needed to drive to Inverness, I'd simply get in and go without giving it a thought.


Greendwarf

This is the point I'm trying to make without making others cross - no I wouldn't even think about it, I'd set the temperature where I wanted it and expect to start feeling heat coming through within 1/2 mile and for the car to be fully warm in around 3 - 4 minutes, or else expect my dealer to fix the fault.

As for Inner City pollution, I'm doing my bit by driving a car like the PHEV anyway. Leaving it to do it's own thing while I'm comfortable, warm and enjoying the view is far more than the vast majority will ever do

Steel188 said:

As for Inner City pollution, I'm doing my bit by driving a car like the PHEV anyway. Leaving it to do it's own thing while I'm comfortable, warm and enjoying the view is far more than the vast majority will ever do

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But as you are based in Hitchin and I live in Clapham, I have to go that bit further to compensate for your comfort :lol:

anko said:

karl said:

..., and also (very slightly) the SOC where it starts to charge. Or perhaps it's just a delay in the latter case.

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This would be a new insight. How would you know

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Try it. Just when the engine starts because of low SOC, press 'Eco'. My car will immediately turn off the engine as long as the engine is warmed up and driving at a low speed. It will turn back on after a short while. Sometimes just 15 seconds, so I am not sure what parameters that are changed. Maybe it's just a glitch.

Is this with or without heater and / or ECO?

Just made my first home office trip with my new 2nd hand PHEV

Outside temperature was 8deg

Car did start the ICE for a second at the start up .. and then it did shut down automatically

Drove in eco mode for 12km ... AC off, temp set to 19 & 17 deg (no passenger, so no need to warm all car equally) ... and I got to work with ICE all time off .. except for 1 second when I did accellerate a bit more then normal

Started with 35km range, arrive with 24km range left in EV mode ... not too bad

Still ... this car like to be driven in "grandpa" style :roll: ... so ... I'm still thinking this car is not really suit for my normal heavy foot on gas ... anyhow ... for deal with morning traffic in the city it is perfectly fine for the job