Cold ICE

PHEV07 · Jan 28, 2018

I picked up my 2018 PHEV GT Model last week and have been monitoring when the ICE starts up. Last few days the outdoor temp was -5'C. After full a charge, with or without heater being on the ICE kicked in for 3 to minutes before the EV Mode was allowed to work.

Last night temp was -22'C. Using the PHEV 2 App I noticed that the Battery Pack itself was being warmed up. At 9am temp was -21. I remote turned on Defroster 10 minutes then the Heat for 10 minutes.

Went out to car and windows were clear. Turned on Car and ICE started. Ran it a few minutes.EV Mode was disabled by system. I turned off the heater, turned car off. Turned car on pressed EV button and again ICE started up. Displayed unable to use EV mode. I drove car for about 3 minutes then ICE turned off and EV Mode turned on.

So it looks like the ICE will start up when ambient temp is below zero celcius.

My corncern now is ... what will happen when the temp drops bellow -25'C as we do get temps below -30'C at times . The ICE is not equipt with a block heater so I can see potential problems trying to start the ICE at lower temperatures.

Some synthetic oils still pour at minus 30'C but many other nrands do not.

I know that AmsOil has a pour point of -40'C and lower but as stated earlier, other brands do not pour at temps below -25C.

Will keep monitoring as temp droppi g to -28'C later this week.

greendwarf · Jan 28, 2018

We've had this before. Manual (Section 2 in mine) states operating temp as -15 to +45c. Outside this range car is unpredictable and below -30c probably unusable. I suggest you give it a read, as few of us will have any real experience of those sort of temps.

AndyH · Jan 28, 2018

PHEV07 said:
I picked up my 2018 PHEV GT Model last week...

Congrats!

PHEV07 said:
... and have been monitoring when the ICE starts up. Last few days the outdoor temp was -5'C. After full a charge, with or without heater being on the ICE kicked in for 3 to minutes before the EV Mode was allowed to work.

Last night temp was -22'C. Using the PHEV 2 App I noticed that the Battery Pack itself was being warmed up. At 9am temp was -21. I remote turned on Defroster 10 minutes then the Heat for 10 minutes.

Went out to car and windows were clear. Turned on Car and ICE started. Ran it a few minutes.EV Mode was disabled by system. I turned off the heater, turned car off. Turned car on pressed EV button and again ICE started up. Displayed unable to use EV mode. I drove car for about 3 minutes then ICE turned off and EV Mode turned on.

So it looks like the ICE will start up when ambient temp is below zero celcius.

My corncern now is ... what will happen when the temp drops bellow -25'C as we do get temps below -30'C at times . The ICE is not equipt with a block heater so I can see potential problems trying to start the ICE at lower temperatures.

Some synthetic oils still pour at minus 30'C but many other nrands do not.

I know that AmsOil has a pour point of -40'C and lower but as stated earlier, other brands do not pour at temps below -25C.

Will keep monitoring as temp droppi g to -28'C later this week.

AMSOIL's 0W-20 has a pour point of minus 53°C/minus 63°F. Mobil 1's 0W-20 has similar viscosity numbers and viscosity index so should give a fairly similar pour point. Any modern synthetic 0W-20 should be fine at -40°C/F without a block heater. Also - you can pre-heat from 'shore power'. The glycol loop used to heat the battery is also used for the ICE. It won't pre-heat the ICE as the engine is bypassed when pre-heating the battery and cabin - but as soon as the ice starts to turn over the warm water will flow. (I'm originally from the S Shore of Lake Superior - I know what you mean about engine starting when it's 40 below.

)

PHEV07 · Jan 28, 2018

AndyH said:
PHEV07 said:

I picked up my 2018 PHEV GT Model last week...

Click to expand...

Congrats!

PHEV07 said:

... and have been monitoring when the ICE starts up. Last few days the outdoor temp was -5'C. After full a charge, with or without heater being on the ICE kicked in for 3 to minutes before the EV Mode was allowed to work.

Last night temp was -22'C. Using the PHEV 2 App I noticed that the Battery Pack itself was being warmed up. At 9am temp was -21. I remote turned on Defroster 10 minutes then the Heat for 10 minutes.

Went out to car and windows were clear. Turned on Car and ICE started. Ran it a few minutes.EV Mode was disabled by system. I turned off the heater, turned car off. Turned car on pressed EV button and again ICE started up. Displayed unable to use EV mode. I drove car for about 3 minutes then ICE turned off and EV Mode turned on.

So it looks like the ICE will start up when ambient temp is below zero celcius.

My corncern now is ... what will happen when the temp drops bellow -25'C as we do get temps below -30'C at times . The ICE is not equipt with a block heater so I can see potential problems trying to start the ICE at lower temperatures.

Some synthetic oils still pour at minus 30'C but many other nrands do not.

I know that AmsOil has a pour point of -40'C and lower but as stated earlier, other brands do not pour at temps below -25C.

Will keep monitoring as temp droppi g to -28'C later this week.

Click to expand...

AMSOIL's 0W-20 has a pour point of minus 53°C/minus 63°F. Mobil 1's 0W-20 has similar viscosity numbers and viscosity index so should give a fairly similar pour point. Any modern synthetic 0W-20 should be fine at -40°C/F without a block heater. Also - you can pre-heat from 'shore power'. The glycol loop used to heat the battery is also used for the ICE. It won't pre-heat the ICE as the engine is bypassed when pre-heating the battery and cabin - but as soon as the ice starts to turn over the warm water will flow. (I'm originally from the S Shore of Lake Superior - I know what you mean about engine starting when it's 40 below. )

Thanks for the info on Heating Fluid loop. I will take temp gun to see if the piping on the engine warm up at all when the smartpbone app indicates that the Main Battery is warming up.

Thanks to you Andy and others we are learning something new on these PHEVs every day. Thank you all that contribute to this Forum.

PHEV07 · Jan 29, 2018

Screen Shot of Remote PHEV II App.

Outside temp was -21'C

Hmm not sure how to insert a Photo.

Thanks to the Site Admin we can now attach Files Directly.

THANK YOU!