Electrical heater in TCH?
 

Does anyone know if TCHs actually have a built in electrical coolant heater?

This is what led me to this question:
1. TCH warms up unusually fast, in about a mile of driving full operating temp
2. I watched temp gauge today. I left gym, engine was half warm, I pulled into arterial, and set for a while at red light. Engine turned off instantly, it is 32 outside - and guess what, that temperature yet kept crawling up.
3. I am not aware of anything else in any car that produces heat, besides engine. If engine turns off, what exactly is producing heat? I have some mile long slopes here, and at temps in 30s, rolling down the hill should clearly lower coolant temp just due to airflow. As engine turns off right at the top of the hill and I simply roll down.
So what exactly is facilitating coolant warm up and keeping temperature up at where it's supposed to be, if gas engine is turned off?

Re: Electrical heater in TCH?
 

I am guessing that the water pump is circulating the coolant which is being warmed by the heat of the engine.

Re: Electrical heater in TCH?
 

it's mechanical pump on 2007-2011 models. it is driven by belt. belt is driven by engine. engine does not spin - pump does not spin. no circulation.
engine turns off - no extra heat produced, only what's left stored in engine metal and coolant.
where is heat coming from then?

Re: Electrical heater in TCH?
 

The heat is coming from what is generated by the engine.

Re: Electrical heater in TCH?
 

so, basically, no one knows where the heat is coming from when ICE is turned off while say parking or in E-mode?

Re: Electrical heater in TCH?
 

Start your car and don't drive it anywhere for 5 or 10 minutes. The temperature may go up a bit because the engine runs briefly but it won't heat up significantly and certainly not to normal operating temperature.

A car engine generates a lot of heat even when operated for a short period of time and will remain hot for a while.

Re: Electrical heater in TCH?
 

The coolant is still 160*F + that is plenty to generate heat for your vehicle.

Even with the engine off.

If the vehicle cools off--it will start the engine back up. I monitor with program "Torque" from android market.

-Mike

Re: Electrical heater in TCH?
 

Hi Mike. maybe, though I grew in a cold country, and know how fast metal box called car cools down without engine running.
Still curious, how come it warms up so fast. Still feels like they have some sort of auxiliary heater.

Re: Electrical heater in TCH?
 

Keep in mind that you can also have engine control strategy to maximize cooling-system heat retention - primarily from spark timing and fuel injection timing and mixture. In Toyota's case, the primary motivator is catalyst light-off to minimize emissions. Secondary effect is quick warm-up. A side-effect is relatively high fuel consumption for the first few minutes of running - short trips where the engine stays below operating temperature will give lousy FE.

Also, both of the TCH 4's have relatively modest cooling system capacities, leading to low thermal mass - also allowing quick warm-up.

Re: Electrical heater in TCH?
 

this I will buy. Makes sense.