Engagement of drivetrain at higher speeds

[Red]

Hi,
I have a 2016 Outlander PHEV and have recently noticed that the drivetrain will disengage and the system will run by charging the battery and run on electric only at higher speeds.
Normally (if the battery is used up) the drivetrain will engage when I get to 40mph and you hear the revs drop off but recently I have noticed this sometimes doesn't happen, or after a time the drivetrain will disengage and so the revs will jump up significantly to compensate. Is this normal? I tow a caravan and the effect is obviously more noticeable then as the car is working harder.
Might this be that the gearbox/CVT is getting hot and needs an oil change or something?
Any ideas?
Red

 

[Daixiwen]

There is no CVT and the gearbox has only one gear. As you are towing a caravan it's possible that the load is too high for the engine in that single gear and the Phev decides to switch back to series hybrid instead. You will hear the engine rev up as it needs to generate more power to drive the electric engines, this is perfectly normal.

 

[greendwarf]

There is no CVT and the gearbox has only one gear. As you are towing a caravan it's possible that the load is too high for the engine in that single gear and the Phev decides to switch back to series hybrid instead. You will hear the engine rev up as it needs to generate more power to drive the electric engines, this is perfectly normal.

And also one of the oldest queries on the forum. On problem is that you notice the engine revs more under load because it is normally so quiet. Of course, with an ICE it is that extra noise that the petrolheads get off on!

 

[wigster]

We tow a caravan too, dot on the weight limit (1500kg). All in all the car copes really well and we return and average of 23mpg on a long drag with the newer 2.5 model -- i used to get c21mpg with our 2016 model.

There are some sacrifices though

You need the battery, if it runs out you will get the behaviour you describe until it pops a single bar of charge in -- it will then bounce between series and parallel. It will also go into series if, as said above, you ask for too much power.

My tips are;

- Leave it in Charge mode whilst towing (you can drop this to save for stop start traffic and junctions, makes it less thrashy)
- Traffic jams on the motorway, make sure its charging if you are low on battery
- Speed! I stick to 56mph and can largely maintain my battery level. Any slower is super annoying for other road users, any faster and you will eat the battery.
- When the battery is out, stop - grab a coffee - let the car charge itself (only takes about 20 mins). The fuel wasted is more than recouped driving with battery power -- series mode whilst towing returns c15 mpg!

I have towed for years, mostly with big engined diesels. Other than missing the ability to overtake and outrun boy racers from traffic lights whilst towing (I did used to enjoy that!), the PHEV is actually one of the most relaxed and capable tow cars I have had. Just takes a little getting used to is all.

The 2.0 is not as good, but if ours hadn't been run over by a truck we would still have it and still be using it today.

 

[Red]

Thanks guys. As I thought but good to get confirmation. Do you know if there is separate oil for the drive that should be changed? I am at 104,000 mile now!

 

[IllustratedRat]

We tow a caravan too, dot on the weight limit (1500kg). All in all the car copes really well and we return and average of 23mpg on a long drag with the newer 2.5 model -- i used to get c21mpg with our 2016 model.

There are some sacrifices though

You need the battery, if it runs out you will get the behaviour you describe until it pops a single bar of charge in -- it will then bounce between series and parallel. It will also go into series if, as said above, you ask for too much power.

My tips are;

- Leave it in Charge mode whilst towing (you can drop this to save for stop start traffic and junctions, makes it less thrashy)
- Traffic jams on the motorway, make sure its charging if you are low on battery
- Speed! I stick to 56mph and can largely maintain my battery level. Any slower is super annoying for other road users, any faster and you will eat the battery.
- When the battery is out, stop - grab a coffee - let the car charge itself (only takes about 20 mins). The fuel wasted is more than recouped driving with battery power -- series mode whilst towing returns c15 mpg!

I have towed for years, mostly with big engined diesels. Other than missing the ability to overtake and outrun boy racers from traffic lights whilst towing (I did used to enjoy that!), the PHEV is actually one of the most relaxed and capable tow cars I have had. Just takes a little getting used to is all.

The 2.0 is not as good, but if ours hadn't been run over by a truck we would still have it and still be using it today.

Cheers mate.

Oh, and uphill without a trailer is fun too. Whenever you have more than 500lb.-ft. to play with, life is more satisfying.