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Posted by Tomes on March 22, 2008, 9:09 pm
Please log in for more thread options "Chas Gill" ...
> "Reed" ...
>> kaplan3jiim@example.com :
>>> Not an owner, but considering a Prius and have test driven one. My
>>> understanding is that the gasoline engine is not running at idle, but
>>> this morning (a humid) morning, I pulled up besides a Prius at a stop
>>> light and exhaust gases were obviously pouring out of the tail pipe.
>>> How can this be? Assuming a Prius buyer is not do dumb as to be
>>> sitting at a light revving the engine.
>>
>> Not an owner either, but maybe the battery (batteries ?) needed charging
>> ??
>>
>> BTW, what happens if driver sets the heater (or A/C) to max ? Will gas
>> engine run as needed ???
>
> The gas engine will run under many specific circumstances but, when the
> car is stationary, chiefly when (a) The cabin needs heat (b) the car has
> just been started and the catalytic converter needs to be quickly brought
> up to operational temperature and (c) the battery needs charging.
>
> It is not possible to "rev" a Prius engine. The accelerator pedal is
> precisely that - it makes the car go. It does NOT do this by varying
> engine throttle, but by a complex combination of activities that cause the
> electric motor to move the car, plus the gas motor - if needed.
> "Blipping" the throttle on a Prius has no effect whatsoever on engine revs
> when the car is in Neutral. This is unexpected and somewhat bizarre
> behaviour!
>
> If the heater is set to max the engine will run until there is enough heat
> in the engine coolant to provide sufficient heat to the cabin heater to
> achieve the max temperature. In practice I think this means that it will
> run most of the time when the heater setting is max. Oh, and by the way,
> when it is the cabin gets VERY hot!.
>
> I speak not as an expert but as an owner.
>
Yep, this pretty much says what it is.
Tomes
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