The heated outside mirrors work in conjuction with the rear window defroster. You can find it on page 129 of the owner's manual.

 

The heated mirrors operate with the rear window defroster. Just used it on the drive in to work this morning.

 

Marc and Bill,

Thanks

 

I would have to beleive that as quick as this engine heats up, it must have an electric coolant heater. Does anyone know for sure? SK

 

[QUOTE=ByronJames2003]Has anyone else noticed that the heater - once set to a temperature, reaches that temperature (76 for example) quite quickly then it seems to just blow cool air for quite a while afterward. The cool air seems to drop the temperature below what I have just set it for...but the TCH doesn't seem to think so. So it says the car is 76, but I know 76 when I feel it. (smiling)

It's strange. Anyone have experience with this phenomena?

FYI....this forum is one of the many unexpected benefits of owning this amazing vehicle.

Copied from the TCH temperature control description:-

This control is capable of effecting complex control by artificially simulating the information processing method of the nervous system of living organisms in order to establish a complex input /output relationship that is similar to a human brain.

However, because the senses of a person are rather complex, a given temperature is sensed differently, depending on the environment in which the person is situated. For example, a given amount of solar radiation can feel comfortably warm in a cold climate, or extremely uncomfortable in a hot climate. Therefore, as a technique for effecting a higher level of control, a neural network has been adopted in the automatic air conditioning system. With this technique, the data that has been collected under varying environmental conditions is stored in the A/C amplifier. The A/C amplifier can then effect control to provide enhanced air conditioning comfort.

The neural network control consists of neurons in the input layer, intermediate layer, and output layer. The input layer neurons process the input data of the outside temperature, the amount of sunlight, and the room temperature based on the outputs of the switches and sensors, and output them to the intermediate layer neurons. Based on this data, the intermediate layer neurons adjust the strength of the links among the neurons. The sum of these is then calculated by the output layer neurons in the form of the required outlet temperature, solar correction, target airflow volume, and outlet mode control volume. Accordingly, the A/C amplifier controls the servo motors and blower motor in accordance with the control volumes that have been calculated by the neural network control.

You're right it is an amazing vehicle...!!

 

I have noticed that the fan does not come on right away after the car is started. The ICE always kicks in within 30 seconds after starting the car (quiet take-offs are rare). It takes a minute or so for the fan to kick in. Is it due to the ECO mode? Any ideas?

 

Here are my findings:

I DON'T think that there is an electric coolant heater. I think it is purely the waste heat from the engine that is used for heating the coolant (and heating the passenger compartment).

I have noticed that when the system is not in ECO mode, the engine runs much more often (even when stopped at lights). I could instantly shut off the ICE when I turned off the climate control system, and the ICE would start back up when I turned the climate control back on. I later realized that ECO mode was off, and turned it on. Once I did this, the engine was much more likely to shut off when stopped at a traffic light (the same behavior you get when using A/C rather than heat and ECO mode is on.

EDIT: After further reading, it seems that there is an electric AIR heater for providing cabin heat but it doesn't run when the system isn't in ECO mode. It doesn't appear to heat the coolant - just the air going to the cabin.

 

The Prius has a thermal bottle to hold engine coolant and keep it hot after the car is shut off. Then, for restarting a cold engine, the hot coolant in the bottle is used to more quickly warm up the cold engine. I suspect the TCH also has a similar system, which may account for the very rapid engine warm-up.

-- Alan

 

TCH doesn't have thermal bottle, like Prius.

 

I was wondering about this today. Yes I know..I know.. I am in Florida, but it was 45 out this morning. The car was driven for 15 minutes my wife was driving and pulled into a store to get breakfast. I sat in the car and it ran the whole time. The thermost was set at 71 for both zones ECO mode and no ac on of course. The battery was full. The car ran 7 minutes and never shut off. I was wondering if it did this because the heat was on.


So IF the electic heater does not run in ECO mode does that mean that the ECO mode is not ECO in winter, only in Summer??