Why Does Motor Cut In When Stationary?

[monya]

Sometimes I'll start the car and drive off on Battery, all nice and quiet, other times the engine will cut in after 10 secs or so before I've even started moving. How come??

[ian rooke]

Hi the motor will cut in when the system needs charging and when heating is required or A/C or to assist the electric motors when accelerating

[Grumpy Cabbie]

When you switch on the car and the engine is cold will wait about 10 seconds before springing into life. This occurs whether you sit in your drive or start to move. It is perfectly normal and I think the reason for the delay is to give you time to switch to EV should you only wish to move the car a short distance.

Once the engine is upto temperature you will be able to go much further before it fires up. In summer I found you could start the car hours after you'd last used it and the engine still wouldn't go through its warm up cycle as it was still warm enough.

To complicate things even more, you will find the engine will switch on and off from time to time when it gets cold, when the cat gets cold, when the heating gets cold, when the Battery has over cooked itself (say going down long hills) etc. I think you get the picture.

Don't worry about the engine kicking on and off like this its normal - unless a warning light comes up on your dash!

[monya]

Cheers Grumps