Display gauge when using Pure (T8)

[MrM83]

Hoping someone might be able to help clarify something. Usually when I use Pure mode on my 21 plate XC90 the entire dial gauge is “dedicated” to electric. There is no petrol “drip” sign. Today when I put the car in Pure, around 3/4 around the gauge was the drip marker, a bit like in hybrid mode but with the size of the respective gauges reversed, if that makes sense.

The car also seemed more sluggish to pull away in Pure than normal today.

Why? Why the inconsistency? This stuff drives me nuts.

For reference outside temp was 3c and I had about 1/3 or 7 miles of electric range. The car had been preconditioned by schedule before I left.

Any ideas?

[MrM83]

Strangely after charging it to nearly full its behaviour was back to normal. Strange….

[Philip Fisher]

I guess if the battery capacity is lower (due to state of charge or temperature) then it will affect the display.

My (a lot older) T8 reduces the electric part of the dial as the battery gets closer to being empty (even in pure mode)

[piorunz]

Originally Posted by MrM83

Today when I put the car in Pure, around 3/4 around the gauge was the drip marker, a bit like in hybrid mode but with the size of the respective gauges reversed, if that makes sense.

This also happens when you are accelerating to motorway speeds in Pure more. After 30 seconds or so of full electric motor blast, electric gauge limit is starting to reduce and creep left because battery is overheating (that's my guess), so it will not let you drive for too long with full power. If you reduce throttle, gauge will slowly creep back to full electric.
Same must be happening in opposite temperature. Too cold battery will not let you produce 100% output from electric motors, because it wants to reduce amps, therefore you see reduced electric gauge on cold start.
Personally I don't have problem with that, Volvo have designed a dynamic way to show where your battery/electric motor limitations are.

Originally Posted by MrM83

Strangely after charging it to nearly full its behaviour was back to normal. Strange….

Maybe that also played the part. Maybe battery was not full to start with, so it was reducing amps due to charge level and temperature.

[MrM83]

Thanks for the replies. It’s odd as I’ve never noticed anything other than the entire gauge being dedicated to just the lightning bolt when in Pure. This afternoon I took the car from around 50% charge in Pure until the battery ran out and still didn’t see the split gauge. Weird.

[piorunz]

Originally Posted by MrM83

Thanks for the replies. It’s odd as I’ve never noticed anything other than the entire gauge being dedicated to just the lightning bolt when in Pure. This afternoon I took the car from around 50% charge in Pure until the battery ran out and still didn’t see the split gauge. Weird.

Most likely temperature was a factor here, it wasn't too cold like last time when you tested, and you did not push acceleration to the limit for long enough to see electric gauge limiting. But if you drive in Pure hard enough, you will see the natural limitation I observed.

Furthermore, sometimes, in my T8, ICE is engaging on its own, especially in Hybrid mode, without any excessive acceleration which would normally trigger it. Noticed this especially in cold weather. I guess the ECU have a mind of his own, and it needs to keep things under control.

Anyway, I think it's nothing to worry about.

[V60 probably]

Originally Posted by piorunz

Furthermore, sometimes, in my T8, ICE is engaging on its own, especially in Hybrid mode, without any excessive acceleration which would normally trigger it. Noticed this especially in cold weather. I guess the ECU have a mind of his own, and it needs to keep things under control.

Anyway, I think it's nothing to worry about.

Mine keeps doing this too, but only for about a half mile or so. I thought it might be something to do with warming the cabin, but it can;t be when it's only on for a minute or so (and I have the fuel-fired aux heater). The ICE firing up for such a short time seems odd.

[sandys]

wheel slip fires up engine for 4wd traction.

[sk546]

Originally Posted by V60 probably

Mine keeps doing this too, but only for about a half mile or so. I thought it might be something to do with warming the cabin, but it can;t be when it's only on for a minute or so (and I have the fuel-fired aux heater). The ICE firing up for such a short time seems odd.

Have you checked that your fuel fired aux heater is switched on in Sensus and operating correctly (i.e. you do get heat in the cabin when driving in Pure/Hybrid without the ICE kicking in)?
The ICE running for such short periods would work fine for topping up the coolant temp and supplying heat to the cabin if the Aux heater was not doing that itself.

As others have mentioned, the earlier PHEV drivetrains (90hp elec motor and 11.6kwh batteries) would need to run the ICE on occasions when the elec motor was being run for extended periods at high load (something the later Extended range cars dont suffer from) but the ICE running so often as you are experiencing would indicate something different is causing it to run.

[V60 probably]

Originally Posted by sk546

Have you checked that your fuel fired aux heater is switched on in Sensus and operating correctly (i.e. you do get heat in the cabin when driving in Pure/Hybrid without the ICE kicking in)?
The ICE running for such short periods would work fine for topping up the coolant temp and supplying heat to the cabin if the Aux heater was not doing that itself.

As others have mentioned, the earlier PHEV drivetrains (90hp elec motor and 11.6kwh batteries) would need to run the ICE on occasions when the elec motor was being run for extended periods at high load (something the later Extended range cars dont suffer from) but the ICE running so often as you are experiencing would indicate something different is causing it to run.

The Aux heater is switched on in Sensus and I think I get heat when I'm driving in Pure, but I'll test it today on my way home from work. since it's booked in for a service in a fortnight, if there's a fault, it may as well be dealt with then, while it's still under warranty! It definately wokrs for pre-conditioning, so I'm assuming it's ok for use in Pure mode too?

Thanks for the pointers.