Use of heater solely on battery?

[maby]

...

I agree about using the blower to de-mist especially on short trips but what is also curious is that on my Gx3 there is condensation on the inside of the screen before I get in - something I have never seen on any car I've ever had. Anyone else get this?

Not uncommon in my experience - I have had internal condensation in the Prius and Landcruiser before now. There were times in our old Landrover when it felt like it was raining inside!

 

[gwatpe]

For the record, my AUS shipped PHEV has a front and rear window demister control button. The front demist button controls the air dampers to only the windscreen and nowhere else, the fan is set to about 50%. No foot or face vents. The mode button scrolls around to demist as well and the feet are on at the same time with this setting. The temp control only goes to 18C and no lower. Just some more differences in PHEV sold around the world. These differences continue to frustrate forum members with a local problem without a generic solution.

 

[jaapv]

I thought they all had these buttons. Mine has.

 

[Paddlepower]

On my 3H I'm turning the temp down on the blower which still de-mists quite well and keeps it in EV only. Can anyone tell me why I have to have cold air blowing down to my feet at the same time as the up air is selected, am I missing a setting somewhere?

Going to get bored of keeping it to EV only soon, fully agree with Maby about the use of the engine when needed but I'm at 800 miles and still on £20 petrol so good to keep it going for a bit longer

I'm guessing that you are hitting the "screen demist" button - try poking the "Mode" button instead. The demist button just turns the fan up high and biases the flow towards the screen - controlling it manually from the mode button and fan speed controls, you should be able to direct all the flow up to the screen.

I think it's the other way around actually - if you use the mode button there is no option for demist only, the only demist function available also includes air to the feet. If you want demist only you have to use the demist button. Not 100% certain but that's how I remember it.

Ok thanks, so I'm not going mad. Time to get my bridgedale socks out. Hope Mitsubishi are reading all this, not perfect solutions.

I understand that there are 2 buttons for front and rear de-misting which work well but would be nice to have a mode for basic air up to the windscreen only.

 

[Paddlepower]

On my 3H I'm turning the temp down on the blower which still de-mists quite well and keeps it in EV only. Can anyone tell me why I have to have cold air blowing down to my feet at the same time as the up air is selected, am I missing a setting somewhere?

Going to get bored of keeping it to EV only soon, fully agree with Maby about the use of the engine when needed but I'm at 800 miles and still on £20 petrol so good to keep it going for a bit longer

I'm guessing that you are hitting the "screen demist" button - try poking the "Mode" button instead. The demist button just turns the fan up high and biases the flow towards the screen - controlling it manually from the mode button and fan speed controls, you should be able to direct all the flow up to the screen.

I agree about using the blower to de-mist especially on short trips but what is also curious is that on my Gx3 there is condensation on the inside of the screen before I get in - something I have never seen on any car I've ever had. Anyone else get this?

I've also noticed this, sometimes see others jump in and drive off and I need to run the blowers for a while. Sure maby can answer this but could it have something to do with the larger volume of air inside the bigger cars?? The PHEV seems to be very good at locking the cold out so could also contribute to a larger temp difference between inside and out?

I've been looking at "2 x LARGE 1KG DRY AIR CAR/HOME DEHUMIDIFIER BAG MOISTURE ABSORBER/DAMP EATER". Lots of people on Amazon seem to be very happy with them.

 

[davec]

The rear demist is of course by electrical element. The best car I ever had for front de-ice/demist was a disco 3 about 15 years ago which had an electrical element in the windscreen - worked brilliantly and would be an asset in the PHEV. I drove an XC90 for 7 years before the PHEV and could never understand how regressed the design was by comparison bearing in mind the 'home' climate - no heated mirrors and virtually impossible to get enough heat directed to your feet when really cold, particulalry climbing in with snow covered shoes.

Back to the Outlander, I have also found quite a bit of condensation in the cabin but put it down to having left a wet coat or damp dog blanket in the back. Will be a bit more careful and see if it improves, but if the ICE has to run for a few minutes then so be it - no different to any of my previous cars - except the disco!

 

[gwatpe]

The only way of removing moisture from inside the cabin is with the AirCon. Even in the tropics The demisting has to be accompanied with the heater and the AirCon. The heater removes the water condensation from the window and converts it to vapour that is removed from the air as condensate in the AirCon evaporator that drains outside the car. I suppose in sub zero temps this could freeze and block up the drain eventually. Wonder if the drain tube is also heated.

 

[user 258]

Hi,

Thought I'd add another data point about the ICE starting.

Left the car in the city centre for a few hours today. Upon returning, I started the car with heater off, temperature was displayed as 5C, hit the ECO button and then the front windscreen demister, once clear changed to heating with desired temperature set to 21C. At no point did the ICE start. I think the key is probably to hit ECO before turning the climate control on. Obviously, my model has the electric heater.

Kind regards,
Mark

 

[jdsx]

Interesting! I think the current inside temperature is more relevant than the outside temperature, then. This morning it was about 5C here, but sunny, so the car was reasonably warm inside (I park on a south-facing driveway). I was able to set the internal temp up to about 20C without the ICE starting, which in the past has been impossible! BTW I always hit ECO asap, too!

 

[maby]

Interesting! I think the current inside temperature is more relevant than the outside temperature, then. This morning it was about 5C here, but sunny, so the car was reasonably warm inside (I park on a south-facing driveway). I was able to set the internal temp up to about 20C without the ICE starting, which in the past has been impossible! BTW I always hit ECO asap, too!

I would agree that the critical factor is the internal temperature though that is very dependant on the external temperature.

 

[gusboy]

I have a Phev the GXh4 fully loaded. I've managed to do 2500miles.
Whoever wrote the logic for the cars brain got it wrong.
My daily drive is roughly 15 miles so one would think I would not use any fuel at all as I charge for 8 hours a work daily.
In the summer it started its engine for the AC to work.
In the winter it starts its engine for the heater to work.
What I don't understand is that in the morning the car cabin is warm because I I've pre programmed it to warm up solely on battery regardless of temp outside. If it can do this when stationary why oh why does it need to start the engine when driving. So far I average 45miles to the gallon (charging every day).
Not what I was sold when I told the dealer, I remember them saying you probably wont use any fuel!!!
My only option that I can work out is to run the tank dry so the computer cant start the engine.
Surely Mitsi should be able to re write some of the firmware?

 

[user 258]

I have a Phev the GXh4 fully loaded.
In the summer it started its engine for the AC to work.
In the winter it starts its engine for the heater to work.

I have a GX4h also since July.
It has never once started the ICE in order to run the A/C.
At temperatures down to something like 5C (with me anyway) it will only start the ICE for the heater if I forget to select ECO before turning the heater on.
Kind regards,
Mark

 

[jaapv]

I have a Phev the GXh4 fully loaded. I've managed to do 2500miles.
Whoever wrote the logic for the cars brain got it wrong.
My daily drive is roughly 15 miles so one would think I would not use any fuel at all as I charge for 8 hours a work daily.
In the summer it started its engine for the AC to work.
In the winter it starts its engine for the heater to work.
What I don't understand is that in the morning the car cabin is warm because I I've pre programmed it to warm up solely on battery regardless of temp outside. If it can do this when stationary why oh why does it need to start the engine when driving. So far I average 45miles to the gallon (charging every day).
Not what I was sold when I told the dealer, I remember them saying you probably wont use any fuel!!!
My only option that I can work out is to run the tank dry so the computer cant start the engine.
Surely Mitsi should be able to re write some of the firmware?

I have the following routine:
Before switching off:

Select the temperature down to 15 degrees
Select the lowest fan setting
Switch off airco.

Starting up:
Push ECO as soon as possible.
Set the temperature to taste.

The ICE never starts (except when flooring the accelerator ) and the car runs at 100% EV.

 

[gusboy]

Eco button pressed or not pressed the car loves to start its engine.
But back to my original point why can the car warm itself on battery on the drive but as soon as I press the power on button to actually drive, the engine starts even with a full battery.
This is design fault. Don't get me wrong love the car and the co2 value just think it's missing a trick.
For my journey I should not need to use fuel, I drive like an angel but due to heating the cabin I get 2 green leaves.

 

[jaapv]

You did not read my post?

 

[gusboy]

Just read after I posted sorry. I will try your procedure tomorrow.
Only thing is I feel if you spend 40grand on a car you shouldn't need
to alter the heater settings every time you park it for the night.
So irritatingly close......

 

[oxforddon]

I think when a conventional car is parked it has quite a bit of residual heat coming from the engine and exhaust for quite a while, this helps to dry out the interior, our cars may not have as much , especially when used mostly in EV mode. The auxiliary heater in the gx4h will allow the warm interior air to hold even more moisture than my chilly gx3h , this moisture will rapidly condense out when parked up and there's no residual heat to get rid of it - if you've been in EV.mode . So on a longer journey perhaps try and arrive with a hot engine. I mostly travel within battery range so I've ordered a couple of reusable moisture trap bags, but I expect to use the IcE much more as temp drops, since damp mould in dead air spaces would not be very nice. On the plus side I find the petrol engine warms up very fast to give heat.

 

[anko]

I have the following routine:
Before switching off:

Select the temperature down to 15 degrees
Select the lowest fan setting
Switch off airco.

Starting up:
Push ECO as soon as possible.
Set the temperature to taste.

The ICE never starts (except when flooring the accelerator ) and the car runs at 100% EV.

This may have worked on November 27th, when it was 7 degrees or so. But it will not have worked on December 1st when it was 2 degrees. Mitsubishi in the Netherlands have confirmed that the PHEV will start its engine when the outside temperature is too low. Engineers have decided that heating up on electric power would take too long and would be too uncomfortable. It is even on the FAQ of the official PHEV website in the Netherlands. So, as an alternative we can decide not to heat up at all. How's that for comfortable? Lucky us :?

ICE will not start for A/C purposes. The A/C system is, unlike the heating system, purely electrical (including compressor pump) and it would make no sense to start up the ICE in order to run the A/C. Unless you are out of battery.