We have a friend who drives a Toyota Prius but it WILL NOT START on many cold Colorado mornings. We are considering buying a 2015/16 Ford Fusion Energi and need an honest answer about whether it will start in cold weather??
We have a friend who drives a Toyota Prius but it WILL NOT START on many cold Colorado mornings.
I know a few people who own Hybrids…and none act like that. My brother-in-law in Upstate NY bought a new Prius back in 08. He’s never had that problem. Neighbor of mine owns a Civic hybrid now approaching 200k miles…and his doesn’t either.
There’s something wrong…it’s NOT a design problem. It needs to be fixed.
Yes - honest.
If it was a design problem there would be a sticker on the hybrid stating “not for use in cold climates”. The real question is why hasn’t your friend had the car looked at.
You’re misleading yourself by using the word ‘‘hybrids’’ and thinking it’s unique for those.
Your friend’s car has a problem all to itself…get that fixed…not a hybrid issue at all.
My 06 Escape hybrid has been trouble free since new here in the four corners @ 6500ft.
We had a Prius at work for awhile in Minnesota. We routinely see temps well below 0. Never had a problem starting even on the coldest days.
This is another vote for getting the Prius looked at by a mechanic. This problem is related to the vehicle in and of itself.
Some hybrids have one battery to start the car, and another set of batteries to power the car. What year is the troublemaker? It is possible it needs a new starter battery.
Clean the throttle body and replace the plugs, also inspect the maf and insure it is clean. Use plugs from Toyota. Fuel can also be an issue use 87 and not the higher octane fuels.
We have cold winters here and there are many Prius owners, including a lot of taxis. Never heard of a starting complaint in any weather.
This is how rumors get started; ill informed deductions.
Use plugs from Toyota.
WHY…You can get the EXACT same plug from a good auto store or on-line for less then half the dealer price. Toyota OEM plugs are made by either Denso or NGK.
Fuel can also be an issue use 87 and not the higher octane fuels.
Fuel is NOT going to prevent it from starting.
Also in Colorado the fuel will be 86 octane, they drop it a little for elevation.
WOW, thanks everyone! I will show all these posts to our Prius friend!
Cold weather, and high octane fuel will cause start issues on the Prius under the right conditions, work on enough Prius cars and you will be aware of this.
Cold weather, and high octane fuel will cause start issues on the Prius under the right conditions, work on enough Prius cars and you will be aware of this.
How?? Explain this.
Short on time right now will post it up later when I am on my PC
I can’t imagine someone putting high octane fuel in a Prius . I might accept one not starting as easily with high octane but not starting that I don’t accept.
LagunaGirl, can you get your friend to post? There are questions I have the answers to which could provide a clue to your friend’s problems. For example, exact what does the car do when he/she tries to start it? And has the maintenance schedule been followed? How many miles on it?
The best thing you could do for your friend is to have him/her join you in this discussion. The car clearly has a problem, but getting to the root of it will take some open communication with the car’s owner.
I might accept one not starting as easily with high octane but not starting that I don't accept.
EXACTLY…If there was this design flaw…you’d easily be able to find it with a simple google search…can’t find even one mention of it.
It’s rare but does happen, takes a few things to occur. Car has to sit long enough to allow the stored coolant to cool off first. Plugs have to be worn and some buildup on the throttle plate. The way the valve timing affects compression along with deposit flow loss can cause a no start. The engine does not have enough compression to ignite the higher octane on the cold start. I will try to see if I can find the full explanation tomorrow. It was used as a training challenge years ago, only reason I remember it is because I argued the same thing, that it is not possible.