Question for those that understand hybrid cars

[K85 Octane]

A hybrid car engine starts up like any other engine right. When the electric motor is being used, is the engine off? When it needs more power or is over a certain MPH, the engine comes back on right?

1) Does this put more wear and tear on a starter?

2) Starting an engine normally causes the most damage to it, via bearing scuffing with no oil pressure. Pre-oilers are way awesome and should be on every car. Soooooo...... does this mean hybrids have pre-oilers or are they just starting and stopping the engine multiple times during a single commute?

 

[63chevyll]

There are a few ways of describing the operation, but this may answer your questions.

No hybrids that I know of ( accept the GM assist) have a 12 volt starter. The PCM knows crank location, fires whichever cyl, along with using the hybrid generator as now a engine starter (engine turner) then the rest of the cylinders pick up in their firing order.

So starting these new efficient engines happens in milliseconds with or without you knowing. Along with crank driven oil pumps, antidrainback oil filters and galleries oiling isn't an issue like out old V8s are.

The gasoline engine will only be used at max power when the PCM determine that engine temp is sufficient to load and use for power.

These cars will sometime let the engine run to keep temp up (exact temp is crucial to keeping the engine running at stiociometric) sometimes the engines is shut off to save fuel mainly depending on what temp is.

So to answer your questions

1. NO
2. Yes on the starting and stopping, NO on pre oilers

 

[ashman]

thanks for that writeup 63chevII. I never knew that about the starters. pretty interesting stuff.

 

[K85 Octane]

number two was my biggest concern (enter joke here)

I'd like to see the inside of an engine used for a hybrid after 200,000 miles. Then it's sister car that uses only gasoline. (Prius vs Corolla or Yaris type comparison)

 

[63chevyll]

I haven't been inside one yet, but know a little about them.

After 200000 mi, I would guess they would look the same or better than an non hybrid engine. Because the electrical motor takes the load, letting the engine run at its most efficient operating range. Not loading bearings and pistons as bad.

 

[Blue85]

There are different configurations of hybrids. The Prius (at least the early ones) is full-mode and can send engine and motor power to the wheels or use the engine only for charging. The Volt is a simpler setup, where all drive comes from the motor and the gas engine is just a generator. In either case, the engine can start or stop whenever the system thinks it's needed. Typically the simpler hybrids will act just like electric cars when the batteries are full and the engine might never start if you only make short trips between plugging in.

 

[K85 Octane]

Well, the act of starting and stopping all the time was my concern. I'm not buying one, was just wondering if engine failure or premature wear was going to start popping up now that they've been on the road for some time. Just thinking to myself out loud.

 

[Blue85]

I would worry more about battery replacement. The tree huggers should worry about battery recycling and manufacturing impact, but for some reason hybrid/electric cars are still heroes to them