Hello, I have a scan gauge II installed on Prius. My daily commute is about 2 miles one way. I understand this may not be good for the engine. I live in Florida. What engine temperature you should hit before you park your car? what is the operating temperature of your Prius if you have a scan gauge or similar device installed on your Prius generation III? Thank you for sharing.
I have the similar Prius v, same engine. Once up to temp, it levels out at 195F. I would try to get above 190 at least once a week..
The thermostat opens at 192 degrees F. which is the engine operating temperature. In most cars, the coolant reaches operating temperature a minute or two before the oil. Blow-by, as it is often called, is the result of combustion material from the combustion chamber "blowing" past the piston rings and into the crankcase. These blow-by gases, if not ventilated, inevitably condense and combine with the oil vapor present in the crankcase, forming sludge or causing the oil to become diluted with unburned fuel. The vapors and the blow-by gasses will be removed from the crankcase by the PCV valve and fed into the engine for burning. The warmer the oil is, the more likely that any moisture and contaminants in the crankcase oil can be transformed from liquids to vapors and extracted too. You are lucky that you are in Florida where the morning temperatures are much higher than the rest of the country. It was 12 F. here this morning. Our cars would take longer to ever reach that operating temperature. To be on the safe side, you could take a longer drive once a week just to make sure any condensates turn into vapor and are evacuated.
