I just got a 2016 Prius One and it’s doing something weird. Every few minutes, the engine turns on and off even when I’m just sitting there without moving. I’ve never driven a hybrid before, so I’m wondering if this is normal. Maybe it’s just switching between electric and gas? Am I just being paranoid or is this how hybrids work?
Sounds normal for a hybrid. The engine usually kicks in when the battery gets low to charge it up, especially if you’ve been running on electric for a while or just sitting idle. You’ll notice it more if you’re using power-hungry features like the heater or A/C.
Yeah, it could be the heater. If you have the heat on, it makes the engine cycle more often to keep things warm.
That’s just how hybrids work. When you’re idling, the car uses the hybrid battery to power electronics like lights, climate control, and the radio. If the battery runs low, the engine starts up to charge it again. This happens more often when it’s really cold or if the battery’s getting old. It’s designed to keep the engine at the right temperature too.
If you’re trying to save fuel, you can just turn the car off when parked. But if you need the heat or A/C, you’ll have to deal with it cycling on and off.
@Noah
Actually, the hybrid battery doesn’t run everything. There’s a separate 12-volt battery for the low-power stuff like lights and windows. The hybrid battery just powers the main systems and the A/C compressor.
@Yani
That’s not quite right. The 12-volt systems still get their power from the hybrid battery through a converter. When the car’s in ‘ready’ mode, it pulls from the big battery until it gets low, then the engine starts to recharge it. You can even see the battery draining if you have a monitor hooked up.
@Noah
If you want to see how much power is being used, you can check it with the Hybrid Assistant app. It shows how fast the battery drains when you’re running things like A/C or headlights.
Macon said:
@Noah
If you want to see how much power is being used, you can check it with the Hybrid Assistant app. It shows how fast the battery drains when you’re running things like A/C or headlights.
I love that app. It’s great for keeping an eye on battery usage. It’s surprising how much the A/C can drain the battery, especially when the headlights are on too.
@Zev
Yeah, it’s pretty interesting to see it in real-time.
@Yani
Actually, the 12-volt stuff is powered through the converter from the hybrid battery when the car’s running. The 12-volt battery is mainly for starting the car and keeping memory functions alive.
@Macon
I’m a specialist with these cars, and I drive one every day. The 12-volt system runs the low-power stuff like windows and lights. The hybrid battery is for the drive system and A/C.
Yani said:
@Macon
I’m a specialist with these cars, and I drive one every day. The 12-volt system runs the low-power stuff like windows and lights. The hybrid battery is for the drive system and A/C.
Nope, the 12-volt battery doesn’t actually power those devices. They’re running off the converter once the car is in ‘ready’ mode. The 12-volt battery just flips the relays to get the whole system going, and then it charges from the converter.
@Macon
I’ve been working on these cars for 38 years, so I know how they’re set up. The inverter is what converts high-voltage DC to AC for the traction motor and A/C compressor, and it also steps down voltage to charge the 12-volt battery.
@Yani
I’m talking about how the 12-volt battery initially flips the relays to connect the hybrid system. Once that’s done, the converter takes over powering everything just like an alternator does in a regular car.
@Macon
The hybrid battery outputs high-voltage DC, which the inverter converts to AC for the traction motors and high-voltage A/C compressor. It also steps down to charge the 12-volt battery, which handles the other electronics.
@Yani
Yeah, but once the car is in ‘ready’ mode, everything low voltage runs off the converter, not the battery. The battery’s just there to flip the relays and keep things like memory settings when the car’s off.