1st Cold driving here with my 'i' :(

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tigger19687

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 10, 2015
Messages
559
Location
MA
:( Very sad that my 'i' does NOT like the cold, and it wasn't even THAT cold last week !
I didn't do a perfect measure, just drove it like I normally do.

Battery consumption was great compared to what I normally get in my 8 mile total drive to work.
I charge at work now, so battery was cold when I left. But I did "warm " it up a bit.
I DO NOT have a battery remote, so I just went out and started it and turned the heater on.
Next day I just left and turned on the seat heater and Cabin heater a little bit (DD was not pleased).

What normally takes 2 bars to get to work now took 4 :( This was driving in B mode and going fast until I got up to speed. But that is what I have been doing normally.

I am just glad that I work so close.

I am wondering if I should hook up a timer and have the car charge in the Morning for about an hour or so before I leave.

BTW, I live in Boston so it WILL be getting cold here soon.


************ please see my post on the top of page 2
 
Pre heating the car while plugged in, 1/2 hr before you leave, makes all the difference in the world .

I haven't tried this but......since you do not have the remote

If you have 2 keys , you can try to pre heat while plugged in.
While plugged in, leave the ignition switch to full on -- will not go to ready--- turn on heater and seat heat, & lock the car with the other for security.1/2 hr later you're ready.
This should keep you warm until you get 8 miles to work.
 
sandange said:
Pre heating the car while plugged in, 1/2 hr before you leave, makes all the difference in the world .

I haven't tried this but......since you do not have the remote

If you have 2 keys , you can try to pre heat while plugged in.
While plugged in, leave the ignition switch to full on -- will not go to ready--- turn on heater and seat heat, & lock the car with the other for security.1/2 hr later you're ready.
This should keep you warm until you get 8 miles to work.
Problem is, the i-MiEV won't run the heater unless it is READY. Simply having the key on while charging will not run the heater (though the heated seat and fan will work).
 
Hi tigger19687,

Treat yourself to some heated motorcycle gear (http://www.thewarmingstore.com)!

I know a cyclist who rides all over New England year round wearing a 12V heated jacket, pants, gloves, hat, socks, etc.

Use a portable LI-ion battery or plug-in to the dashboard socket in your MiEV while commuting alone to and from work and remain toasty warm in the winter months!
 
You can put a timer on a 120V ceramic heater that you place very carefully in the car. Just make sure the timer can handle the wattage of the heater you chose.

Luckily my car is in a heated garage all winter (if you call 40°F heated). 0°F out here for a couple weeks is normal. So I don’t do anything before I go except wear my favorite coat---- and other things I mentioned in previous posts.
 
tigger19687 said:
:( Very sad that my 'i' does NOT like the cold, and it wasn't even THAT cold last week !
I didn't do a perfect measure, just drove it like I normally do.
When it gets down near zero, you may want to rethink the need for a diesel heater . . . . .

I *almost* installed one in my car, but it would only get used a few days per year. There are years where we go all winter without experiencing a freeze at all, so $750 for a heater down here would be a lot of $$$ for very little use - But, you would probably use it almost every day for 4 or 5 months. You could buy and install the heater for less money than getting an OEM remote and it's a no-brainer which one would get the most use

Don
 
No problem here in Northern IL. We run seat heaters and our range is 1/3 less using cabin heat occasionally. No big deal.
Planning ahead is everything, just as it is in the summer.
Seriously, in winter we rarely go very far anyways.
 
To better understand if a diesel heater would be needed ask yourself these questions.
How many miles/km do I need to do daily?
In the region where I live how many months of the year do I need heat in the car?
Am I willing to loose up to 40% of my range for those heating months?

My scenario is
I drive too many miles daily - more than 60 on average

We need to heat our car 6-7 months of the year 1 Oct to 1 May,
more than 1/2 the year

I am not willing to loose up to 40% of my range nor shiver in my car for those months
 
I have a Diesel Pickup truck, which I will drive when it is really snowy out.
Not about to put in a diesel heater.

Still have to buy a car plug in blanket for the Teenager. She is the one that will cry on the way to school... all of 1 mile.


**This post was more about the driving anyway, not about heating the inside of the car.
Thinking if I had a timer go off an hour before I leave.... BUT will this help the battery to be a little Warmer and thus not lose as much mileage ?

Not that it matters THAT much, it is 8 miles from my door to the garage at work :)
 
Perhaps you could use the 'Teenager' to heat the car? Thinking of a direct connection from her blubbering to the Chademo plug?

:D
 
tigger19687 said:
I have a Diesel Pickup truck, which I will drive when it is really snowy out.
Not about to put in a diesel heater.
...
I think the amount of diesel that your truck would use for one round trip to work would probably be enough to heat the i-MiEV all winter long with the diesel heater...

Secondly, from your phrasing it seems like you think that its the effect of the cold on the batteries that reduces your range so much. This is not true - on an average winter day I get at least 80% of my summer range if I just don't use the heater. It's the heating that takes a huge toll on the winter range. Unfortunately its frequently needed even if just to keep the windows clear.
 
HP, that is what I thought too, but I didn't have the heater on for the drive and there was significant loss of range.

I even played with just the seat heater, just having it on for 10 min before I left in the morning and then off for the ride. But still lost 4 bars instead of 1 or 2.

That is why I wondered if the Cold it self has an issue with batteries alone.
 
Just curious, what tires do you have on your car, and what is the air pressure? I noticed that with the Continental front tires I had, when it got below freezing, they became very noisy.

I notice an extra bar used for my 11 mile drive to work, heated seat only with no cabin heat. I can easily use twice the energy with the heater on.
 
HParkEV said:
tigger19687 said:
I have a Diesel Pickup truck, which I will drive when it is really snowy out.
Not about to put in a diesel heater.
...
I think the amount of diesel that your truck would use for one round trip to work would probably be enough to heat the i-MiEV all winter long with the diesel heater...
Not to mention that an 8 mile trip in winter conditions is a terrible thing to do to any conventional ICE powered vehicle, diesel or gasoline powered. They never get close to fully warmed up and that's shortening the life of the engine - Your EV is a much better match for such a short trip

I *predict* that next winter, or the winter after you will get around to installing that diesel heater . . . . and you'll be back here telling us all that you should have done it long before. Even here in the not so cold south, my one gripe with the car is the heating system. Even when it's not particularly cold out, we use lots of battery power (running the defroster and the A/C at the same time) just to keep the windows clear enough to see where we're going. Sure wish I had some of that 'waste heat' that ICE's generate by the ton!

Don
 
Seat heaters and the occasional heat from the cabin heater does it here.
Of course I live 3 miles from work and have my 'pineapple express' Daewoo Lanos for any trips farther than 50 miles in the winter.
Driving the 56 miles in -14 degrees to Elgin for recall work last winter was interesting though.
Kept warm enough but I think I froze my big toe.
 
I've been experimenting with the heat. As relatively new owner others may know better. I need to retain range since I can't completely plan ahead. Self employed and on the move (generally short distances) but there can be extras and they add up. Today I drove 116 miles, not typical, but something that can happen any week. So I need heat with the least use.

My suggestions Tigger19687.

Do charge before leaving (an hour should suffice on level one).

Then when you turn the car to ready, turn the fan to the lowest setting and the temperature to highest setting. Once the air creeping out of the vents starts to warm up. (about a minute or so) then push the top center button for max "AC". The cabin will warm up in no time = happy DD (l like air directed half to the floor half to the defroster vents). Then once warm inside, change the fan speed to middle-ish setting (this kicks you out of max "AC" mode) and reduce the heat setting to one dot above the green dot. (this keeps the heating pump running and turns the heating element (real power user) off for several miles, as you slowly cool the heating fluid down. Towards the end of your journey move the heat selector to the green dot. No sense in leaving a bunch of heat in the fluid and coil to cool while you are long gone. You will use the same amount of power as other strategies, but be comfortable instead of cold. If you have the windows fog up, simply direct the air to defrost and temporarily exit recirculating mode. Running the AC and heat at the same time is something that makes little sense in an EV. It is only needed to clear windows in very, very extreme conditions. Even in a driving rain, heating outside air and throwing it across the windows will clear them.

If your batteries are very cold then watch your power levels and keep it in the green zone as best possible. This will create less stress for them and promote longevity.

Aerowhatt
 
One tip, when you direct air to the windshield, turn off the AC if the light turns on. The design of the HVAC system prevent air from going through both the heater core and the AC coil at the same time. I don't think the compressor will run below freezing, but the car seems to think it will (RR will drop).
 
PV1 said:
One tip, when you direct air to the windshield, turn off the AC if the light turns on. The design of the HVAC system prevent air from going through both the heater core and the AC coil at the same time. I don't think the compressor will run below freezing, but the car seems to think it will (RR will drop).

This is correct and reminds me of another detail that I forgot to include. When turning the heat selector from heating to the green dot (neutral position) make sure not to go past the green dot at all. Any movement past the green dot to the cooling selections will change the airflow away from the heater coil, or core. Giving you cool air from the vents and trapping the remaining heat in the heater core. In fact whenever you move the temperature selector to the green dot it leaves the airflow going through the appropriate core that you moved the selector from, to get to green.

Aerowhatt
 
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