So I’ve noticed my car’s temperature gauge tends to stay really close to the ‘C’ mark almost all the time. Is this normal? Especially for hybrids?
Alright, I’ll try to clarify this. Yes, hybrids do tend to stay near ‘C’ if you’re taking short trips or doing a lot of city driving where the electric motor is doing most of the work. In stop-and-go traffic, hybrids just don’t use enough gas to heat up the engine much.
But! If you’re on the highway, it should warm up and move closer to the middle since the gas engine will be running most of the time. If it doesn’t do that, there might be an issue.
@Micah
Just wanted to add—the 2.5L hybrid also has a standard heater. And from what I understand, there’s also an electric heating element that kicks in when the engine’s off, probably only during certain conditions. The main heat source still comes from the engine, though, so it should turn on to warm the cabin if needed.
@Oakley
The manual says the electric heater only activates when you use MAX defrost or set the heat to the highest setting, but only until the engine reaches normal temperature.
Finch said:
@Oakley
The manual says the electric heater only activates when you use MAX defrost or set the heat to the highest setting, but only until the engine reaches normal temperature.
Appreciate the details, thanks!
@Micah
Thanks a ton for the info!
Laine said:
@Micah
Thanks a ton for the info!
Did you get your recalls done? Mine did this too when I first got it. Even on longer drives, the temp would drop every time it switched to electric mode.
They fixed this when they did some updates to the splash pan to help prevent engine fires from overheating, plus they added a block heater.
My hybrid also runs cool most of the time. I try to keep it in electric mode as often as possible, so that probably helps keep the temp down.
Same here. Mine stays close to ‘C’ when I’m only going on short drives.
I have the same issue, especially in winter. I found that putting the truck in sport mode on really cold days keeps the engine running and helps warm things up.
Toni said:
I have the same issue, especially in winter. I found that putting the truck in sport mode on really cold days keeps the engine running and helps warm things up.
That’ll work. But if you’re not a fan of the ‘fake’ shift feel in sport mode, you can use Tow/Haul mode instead. That will keep the gas engine on too, though it’ll burn more fuel, like sport mode.
By the way, to the person who posted this: try adding the model (hybrid or Ecoboost) in your posts—it helps us give better advice.
For a hybrid, yeah, that’s pretty normal.
If it’s a hybrid, that’s normal.
Yep, totally normal for a hybrid. The motor mostly runs on electricity, so it stays pretty cool. If you get it out on the highway for a while, though, it should warm up.
Actually, no, that doesn’t sound right. I’m driving a hybrid too, and it might mean your gauge is off or maybe there’s a sensor issue.
Sayer said:
Actually, no, that doesn’t sound right. I’m driving a hybrid too, and it might mean your gauge is off or maybe there’s a sensor issue.
Mine does this too. First car I’ve ever seen that seems to get colder the more I drive it!