Hello everyone. I am expecting my CX-60 to arrive in a month or two, and I went for the PHEV one. I do have an important question - usually, the vehicle (in Normal or EV mode) starts by engaging the el motor. Okay, so I am cruising around and suddenly I need more power, and I press the gas pedal heavily and the petrol engine kicks in. Here is the question - does it kick in completely cold or while driving around in EV mode, the vehicle somehow keeps the petrol engine moving, oiling, and at an optimal temperature to prevent high RPM on a cold engine and increased engine wear? I just do not know how such systems operate, and the salesperson at my local Mazda dealership didn't know the answer to that question.

 

I’m the owner of a cx60 PHEV as well. I’ve never though of that, did you ever find out ?
It doesn’t surprise me that the salesman didn’t know, they never know anything about what they are selling these days

 

The ECU is programed to run the engine periodically to maintain colorant system as well engine and transmission operation temperature.
Without this operation you would not get adjustable cabin temperatures and the ECU would not be in ready closed Loop engine operation perimeters.

 

While in theory sounds good, in reality it doesn't do anything like that. While running on EV only, there's a different way of heating the cabin, not using the ICE for that. And if you run in Normal mode and do not press the gas pedal too much, it will not fire the ICE a single time to maintain operating temperature. Already tested it multiple times in different conditions.

 

It’s not a theory , and I was talking about the engine operation.

If you scan the ECU you will find the PID information . If you are not experienced in ECU diagnostics you could simplify by looking in the ECU to see if after several minutes if the engine has reached closed loop operations.

 

Definitely, I do not have the knowledge to read this data. Is it possible to share a bit so that I can basically see what it looks like? These are things that the dealership does not know.

From my experience with the vehicle, driving in Normal mode, where electricity is prioritized, the vehicle does not start the engine at all, not even once, so it does not keep it warmed up. Even the gauge shows that the coolant temperature is not being warmed up. And the problem is when you hit the pedal hard, it starts the engine, forcing it while being cold AF, and this is never good. The transmission, on the other hand, has the EV motor is embedded in it, so it is moving, and it is oiling/heating because it is operating.

I can also confirm that when I am driving with a full battery, in normal mode, with the driver efficviency monitor on, it does not start the ICE up until you are driving and the charge falls to a range of 10-7 km and then it suddenly starts again cold. And the other annoying thing is that it keeps switching it off and on constantly, but for that, I am using either Sports mode or Charge mode.

I pretty much, when I know that my distance is longer than the EV range, I just start the vehicle, turn on the ICE and I am warming it up, then I am switching to Normal mode and when the battery runs out of juice it starts the engine but this time it is not a cold start.

 

unless you are connected to the ECU and watching specific PIDs you cant fundamentally or accurately confirm anything. Unless you have several diagnostic equipment connected to several sensors and senders at the same time and then maybe?
However I will agree it does tend to need an individual that knows how to do EFI/ECU performance calibrating to know what and how to look for the information in an ECU which is not a normal service checking for the average service mechanic or even Auto tech.

I just get laughing when an average owner maybe a DIY starts stating operation using the phrase "I can confirm" in their responses. lol

 

I would never question your expertise, it is something that I do not know how to run diagnostics or read live data. However, the engine is not starting periodically, it simply doesn't raise the temp. It does not warm the coolant fluid. You don't need any special tools,just drive for 50 km on EV, open the engine bay and measure. You can also check the gadget and see that the coolant temp hasn't moved at all. While in normal mode it starts the engine faster because it is in ready state it does not run it periodically to keep it warm, unless you hit the pedal harder and start it. Operating temperature can be felt with simple touch, good luck finding it warm. For good or bad, my dealer confirmed this today.

 

Looks like i learned something today thanks to this thread!!!
So we had a 2022 Mazda CX60 in the shop today with cabin heating issues. LOL Guess what.... the Mazda ECU does not run gas engine to warm the motor oil and transmission fluid, nor does it warm the coolant for heating.? What IMHO a bad idea? However, nevertheless I had to call Mazda tech line direct to get service support information. It appears if the battery is not in perfect order in other words passes a load test perfectly as the battery was designed and the specifications of that battery from the battery manufacture, then the ECU will not use the engine to run momentarily 5-7 minutes for heating system to supply warm comfort to the passengers. In by-passes the resistive heating element heating system for several minutes saving the battery power for vital motor support. This slow does the and reduces warm cabin air for passenger and driver comfort. In the case of our customer to resolve his cabin heating problem all we had to do was change the main battery and everything was resolved.
Sorry about the previous reposes of mine. This is why as a rule I personally won't work on Hybrids.... LOL It even requires a totally different testing to get the ASE L3 certification $$$ to specialize in diagnostics working on hybrid and electric powered vehicles along with a small investment in specialized tools and diagnostic equipment more $$$$..

 

Hey. Thank you so much for sharing that, indeed helpful. I apologize if I sounded offensive. I never meant to question your knowledge.
Where I live, in the past, there was a time when a lot of households had an instantaneous water heater, and I found it cool because it was small, you had pretty much infinite hot water, and you could take a shower as long as you wanted, as long as there was electricity. Pretty much, from the dealership, they gave me this explanation that in this vehicle, there is something similar used to heat the cabin, when you are running on electricity, and the engine is not needed. This also allows remote heating without the need for a running engine. They also said that pretty much everything "Eco" or "Green" in vehicles is a bad idea and to prevent extensive wear of the engine, which is mostly coming from cold starts, start the vehicle, warm the engine either by switching to Sports mode or turning on charge mode, and they said that, indeed, as you shared it is a very bad idea - the engine is not being warmed up periodically and even with the 0w20 oil and the changed design of the pistons, cold start is a cold start.

Once again, thank you for the constructive conversation; that's why I love these communities!