Sounds like a software issue. I would take it to the dealer. You're under warranty. No sense to keep driving it this way.
I can't think of any other remedy for your issue.

 

Has the weather changed? Are you using the A/C or heater more? Those things can be factors in when the EV mode engages.

 

still, it should EV at least 20% no matter what is going on unless it is -20deg F

needs a dealer visit imho

 

I have the same car. I’ve had no problems. Only saw decrease in gas mileage in the winter. I get 40 to 44 mpg in warm weather.

 

If there are no codes being displayed it's probably working as it should. The EV mode only comes on and only stays on when you have very little torque required at the wheels (or when the HV battery charge is getting low). The conditions I've seen for EV mode (indicator on) are the initial acceleration from a stop, downhill driving, slowing down, at a stop, driving slowly through the neighborhood, reverse, very low speed maneuvering (parking lots, traffic jams), etc. The EV is sized only to supplement the ICE to help with MPG. What was your old MPG and what is your new MPG? You never posted these. The kind of driving has a big impact also. As mentioned winter mileage is significantly lower than summer.

 

His issue is the ICE hardly ever turns off. Something is wrong

 

Hi, look I am extremely familiar with the whole works of the Hybrid system. What I am saying is the car's behavior has changed. I just did a peak hour traffic trip of around 20Mi, stopped, 0% EV Ratio. Engine on ALL the time. It is hot here now 32C.

My driving, let me just say, I am a hyper-miler. I am a very ECO driver. Sometimes it get irritating though. I like speed, but yes, I do the ECO thing with minimal throttle input and smooth slow take offs and tries to make the most of regen.

I work on Km/pl not MPG. I used to get 16.2Kmpl on my daily trips to work ect, now I get 8kmpl. That is the same as my wifes 1.8 Corolla Auto.

 

Yes, maybe I should just take it to the dealer to get sorted. I think you're right @23Rav4Runner

 

It does sound like something is wrong after reading that. Are you saying in stop and go traffic on the interstate the engine doesn't shut off when you're stopped and go into EV mode? At a stop light the engine never shuts off and doesn't go into EV mode? I thought your previous post said it rarely goes into EV mode. Your above post sounds like it never goes into EV mode. When I stop at a light, after some short time period (5-10 seconds?), my engine will shut off and EV mode indicator will turn on. In grid lock interstate traffic it also goes into EV mode if I'm barely moving or stopped.

 

Not never, but very very rarely does the engine shut off. I mean, in bumper to bumper traffic on the highway the engine idles all the time, at traffic lights waiting for 2 minutes it idles all the time.

No error or message whatsoever. a friend of mine used his Toyota computer tool and scanned for error codes, nothing.

 

What weight oil are you running? 8Kmpl is about 18.8mpg. That's hard to believe, even with the engine always running.

What happens if you hit the EV mode button in stop and go traffic?

 

I have no idea what oil is in it, It was serviced in June at a Toyota dealership here in Johannesburg. I have not changed the oil myself. BTW, I would not have cleared any error code if there was any.

If i press EV Mode (next to gearlever, It just says EV mode is not available.

 

It is hot here now 32C.

Even though the ambient temp is 32C, the actual temp in bumper to bumper traffic is probably much higher. And the road surface in the hot sun, is, like we say in the US, "hot enough to fry an egg on". Literately true.

I assume you have the A/C on. That will require much more energy, thus the ICE needs to stay on more. Try ECO mode on the A/C and see if that helps.

 

I was just out driving and it's 61F/16C here. So no A/C needed. Mine stopped after 5 to 10 seconds at all red stop lights. I'm always in ECO mode.

 

Might be worth getting an OBDII bluetooth adapter that plugs into the diagnostic port, then running Dr. Prius and hybrid assistant apps to get more info on battery health and system operation.

 

I live in a hot climate and this happens to me sometimes, usually when it is hot. I think that when the battery is hot the car won't use EV mode until it cools off. Even with the AC going and the battery cooling fan, I think it takes a while for the battery to cool off.

How long are your trips? I would expect after 20 minutes or so the battery would cool off enough.

Edit: I get the exact same behavior: hybrid info screen shows the battery has spare charge, it uses electric power with gas power, and the engine turns off when the car is stationary. But the car refuses to use electric power alone, even with very small amounts of throttle.

 

I also think this is temperature related. When it's 90°F here, I also cannot get my Camry to go into EV mode. If it were software, I assume it would have always been there.

Things to check:

• What is your oil level? Have you checked it?
• Have you checked the battery air filter?
• What happens when you turn off HVAC and come to a stoplight?
• Have you tried putting HVAC into eco mode?

 

My car and the AC is always in Eco mode. Without fail

Oil is full. Yes, I actually blew out the coolers filter with my compressor about 2 months ago, it looked brand new even before is blew it out.

Guys, in the morning with my travels its not at 32C, when I posted this thread is was about 2pm and then it was 32C, in the mornings its about 22C and very pleasant.

 

Had a similar problem with my Prius, years ago.

I would recommend you do the following: (1) Check if the traction battery cooling duct intake vent is obstructed, (2) Check if the filter is clogged, if these do not solve the problem, see if you are able to check if the fan is running .... sorry I don't have a RAV4 Hybrid so don't know the specifics of where the things are.

 

I think it's time for some videos, do you have a gopro, or similar, to document your drive?

 

Post a youtube/bitchute video of your commute.

 

Hi There.

I Googled this issue and have the exact same symptoms as CasperJordaan. I have a 2109 Camry (done 80,000km) which shares the hybrid system with the Rav4. I live in Australia so cold weather is not an issue.
The car appears to be doing more to protect the battery than it did when it was newer. In mild weather, even after being parked for hours in the shade, the engine doesn't switch off. The battery wouldn't be hot, the heater is not on, EV mode is "unavailable" Sometimes the battery will go to within one bar of fully charged, yet the engine keeps running. It was never like this in years past. Even if it drops into EV mode, the slightest press on the accelerator pedal starts the engine.
This post is a year old. Can I request an an update? I'm a mechanic and am pretty up to speed with how the system works. A description (or discussion) of the software programing theory is not readily available, so I can only guess what the software is up to. The car in Australia has a five year warranty (mine ran out in April) and the hybrid battery has an eight year warranty. The cynic in me says the car is doing everything to prolong the battery life, even it it means burning more fuel.
I'm hoping someone can add to this thread who has had this issue and had it looked into. Thanks. Greg R. Australia.

 

Is the filter for the hybrid battery compartment clean and allowing the battery to operate within its temperature limits?

 

Yes, the filter is clean and unobstructed. I've had it out a few times and have never found much on it. We don't often travel on unsealed roads and no pets travel in the car. I was in the car yesterday and it dropped in and out of EV mode as it should. It seems to get a bee under its bonnet sometimes, and is fine at others. I've got a very basic OBD tool. I'll plug that in and see if it shows battery temp. I'm betting I'll need something worth many more $ before I'll see battery temp (if at all). Thanks. Greg R.

 

Thanks Dimitrij.
Yes, I have checked the fan, filter and grill for obstructions. All seem OK. Mine is a 2019 Camry and the battery is under the back seat. The vent intake is near the RHR footwell. The issue seems to point to the car protecting the battery. I might place some temp probes on or near the battery and see if there is a trend. Perhaps the fan is not running every time? The temp probes will confirm that.

 

I have a 2022 RAV4 Hybrid. When it's cold outside I know the ICE kicks in to condition the traction battery. My MPG is over 50. Can you check your tire pressure ? I run my Michelin Primacy tires at 36psi. What tires do you have and what's the air pressure ?

I would check air pressure first. Post what kind of tires you have as well.

When you accelerate, go light on the pedal. Throttle up slowly. Don't take off like you are checking 1/4 mile time. I use ECO mode. What is the state of charge on your traction battery ? Does it make it to at least 5 bars ? The engine will be on all the time if the charge is low.. like 2 to 3 bars. If the state of charge is always low I would bring it in, that means there's something wrong.
Good Luck

 

I have a 2022 RAV4 Hybrid. When it's cold outside I know the ICE kicks in to condition the traction battery. My MPG is over 50. Can you check your tire pressure ? I run my Michelin Primacy tires at 36psi. What tires do you have and what's the air pressure ?

I would check air pressure first. Post what kind of tires you have as well.

When you accelerate, go light on the pedal. Throttle up slowly. Don't take off like you are checking 1/4 mile time. I use ECO mode. What is the state of charge on your traction battery ? Does it make it to at least 5 bars ? The engine will be on all the time if the charge is low.. like 2 to 3 bars. If the state of charge is always low I would bring it in, that means there's something wrong.
Good Luck

I run Primacy's at 35psi. This isn't a tyre pressure issue though. That only makes a small difference to the overall load on the vehicle. The battery charge is fine and runs between about 3 bars and full.
I run in ECO mode. I originally thought the battery cooling fan was not operating, but discovered it turns off when I open the RHS passenger rear door to check it. The battery has three temp sensors according to my OBD2 reader. If the battery temp gets above 45 deg C the software starts to protect it by running the ICE. The filter is clean and the fan runs. Whether the fan runs at full speed is an unanswered question. My Camry is 5.5 years old and possibly the battery is deteriorating. The battery has an eight year warranty. The older hybrids such as the Prius looked to run much larger battery cooling systems. Perhaps Toyota didn't have the space or didn't want the noise of a larger cooling fan? There is an old saying..... "Fix questionable hardware with more software". It's only my guess but the car seems to struggle keeping the battery temp under 45 deg C. I drive the car like most Camry's are driven. In Australia we joke about Camry's having boxes of tissues or bowls hats on the parcel shelf. I have neither, but that's the way the car is driven.

 

Just wondering if you got any resolution to your problem. My 2021 hybrid AWD just started doing the same thing - ICE running constantly and no EV assist.

 

I haven't pursued it lately as the car hasn't been driven much. I also have a 2008 Corolla which I prefer. My investigations show it is related to battery temperature. I plugged in an OBD scanner and noticed when the battery temps were high (around 45 deg C from memory) the system took steps to protect the battery. Leaving the ICE running seems to be the main strategy used. The battery cooling systems on the earlier Prius cars were much larger. I suspect Toyota have compromised battery cooling in order to cut the space required, the fan noise, and possibly cost. Specifications and operational parameters are deliberately vague and don't appear to be publicly available. As the components age, efficiencies will drop off. The fan works when all the doors are closed. The filter is clean.

 

So today the car seemed to behave more as I've been used to. The ICE cut out and the EV mode kicked in as expected and my L/100 km started to drop. Not sure what's going on but I talked to the service rep and we decided to hold off on the service call until it starts doing it again. In the meantime, he's noted our discussion in my file.

The only thing that's changed is that the outside temperature has gone up (-12 deg C a couple of days ago and 0 deg C today)